June 1st, 2018

Spiritual Midwives

“But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.”  Ex. 1:17

Some three hundred and fifty years had passed since the end of the Book of Genesis – the Book of Beginnings.  The Israelites (through God’s divine command to Israel, formerly Jacob) were instructed in Gen. 46:3-4 to do the following: “…I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.  I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.”  This was God’s promise to Israel, the man who would lead the way for the birth of Israel, the people. 

Once in Egypt, the Israelites did well.  The people assimilated into Egyptian culture.  They prospered in a land that was ruled by Pharaohs and worshiped false gods.  Nonetheless, during the 350-year period the Israelites were left to worship their God, work in various occupations, and be contented with their situation.  As we turn to the opening of Exodus, we read in Ex. 1:7 that “the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”  And then everything is turned upside down, starting at verse 8: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.  And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”

This new king, Pharaoh, did not trust the Israelites.  He was fueled by fear.  He employed a four-fold strategy to defuse any potential threats.  Each attempt failed.  As we read through Exodus 1:1-21 we encounter the following situation:

o     An unnamed Pharaoh inflicts affliction upon God’s people;

• God’s people increase;
• The unnamed Pharaoh commands the midwives to kill the baby boys born to Hebrew women;
• The midwives fear God, not man;
• Their response cancels out death by bringing forth life;
• God is pleased with the midwives and blesses them with families.

This unnamed ruler inflicts and afflicts God’s people; when that fails, he resorts to murderous plots.  Yet his error is in his command, for it is given to the midwife.  It is to the midwife that we turn; for in understanding this text, we understand that the Spirit of God is moving to and fro, searching for His midwives.  Our Father is calling some of His daughters to be spiritual midwives.