The Example of two Hebrew Midwives
Shiphrah and Puah are two Hebrew midwives. They live toward the end of the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt.
The Pharaoh of Egypt, fearing their slaves’ mounting numbers, tells Shiphrah and Puah to kill all the baby Israelite boys as they are being born. This is worse than, in effect, performing abortions. It is euthanasia.
But Shiphrah and Puah fear God more than Egypt’s pharaoh. So they disregard the king’s order and continue to attend to the birth of the Israelite boys, doing everything they can to ensure their survival.
When the Pharaoh confronts them for not doing as he commanded, the two midwives lie. They tell him they don’t arrive in time to do anything. Pharaoh accepts their excuse.
Though they did lie to the Pharaoh, God honors them for their integrity and protecting the Israelite baby boys. He rewards them, giving them their own families.
Sometimes doing the right thing means disobeying human authority and manmade laws. God may honor us as a result, but we could also suffer consequences for our actions.
We should strive to do what God wants us to, regardless of the risk or the outcome.
How willing are we to do what is right?
Is lying to protect ourselves ever a justifiable action?
[Read about Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus 1:15–21. Discover more about another woman who lied in Genesis 31:33–35.]
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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