Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?” “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.” So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. [Exodus 1.15-21]
Deceit is a tool employed more than once in the history found in the Bible! Here in Exodus, Shiphrah and Puah flat-out lied to Pharoah about the Israelites giving birth quickly. Before that, they blatantly disregarded the authority (Pharoah) ruling over them by not killing the newborn male children.
Wow, is there a lesson in this? (I can just hear a Sunday School teacher in an elementary grade department enlightening the students, "Children, it's okay to disobey the law and lie about it if it protects and benefits your family.")
Father, I see that the midwives in question in today's OYCB reading 'feared' You and so, disregarded Pharoah's edict and then lied about it. Please help me - help us all who fear You - to approach every situation fearing You first and foremost!
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