Lessons From Godly Women Living in Hostile Times
Midwives of the Bible were known to pray, lift up, and lend their knowledge and giftings to new mothers as they welcomed life into the world. So what is a midwife to do when the government commands she ushers in death instead?
A Jealous King
In Exodus 1, the Israelites are now living in the foreign land of Egypt and are experiencing pretty heavy oppression. But it wasn’t always like that. When they were taken into captivity, they lived as normal citizens until Egypt swore in a new king, and before long, their status from resident would be changed to slave.
What would cause the Pharaoh to oppress the Israelites? They obeyed and loved God, resulting in His favor enriching their lives. So naturally, the Pharaoh felt intimidated.
Because he believed God’s chosen people would grow and take over Egypt, the new Pharaoh made them slaves. But what is interesting is that in an attempt to oppress the Israelites, they succeeded in number and might.
Seeing that this plan backfired and he couldn’t hold the Israelites down, Pharaoh devised another scheme: he would kill every boy baby so that the Israelites couldn’t reproduce.
Wrongs Made Right
Have you ever experienced something similar? The more you love and obey God, the more He pours out blessings over your life. Unfortunately, this becomes a common stumbling block for many because they can’t figure out where the outpouring is coming from, and they, too, grow intimidated by you.
Maybe they stop speaking to you or start gossiping about you. Perhaps they begin doing things that make you feel uncomfortable. But the truth is, the world can't handle it when God starts to bless!
While studying Exodus 1, I realized that the oppression we as Christians face today is very similar to that of Israel. You see, what we used to know as wrong, is now being elevated by culture, forcing us to call it right.
Evil is all around us. And while it can often be a lot to take in, I feel a sense of anticipation because I know that with the presence of evil, Jesus is soon to come! What has been prophesied will come to pass.
I am challenged as a mother with the responsibility to train my children in the way. They should go, and you have the same charge! We must teach them to stand and represent the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We are to equip them to be lights amid this darkness.
And like the midwives in Exodus, we, too, can learn a few lessons as we live through the oppression of the world.
Lessons From the Midwives
Fear of God (Exodus 1:17)
“But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the kind of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.”
Exodus 1:17, NKJV
It amazes me that Pharaoh has the nerve to command these two midwives to kill every baby boy. And while this request is so shocking, they don’t utter one word. They don’t start snapping at him or telling him what they would or wouldn’t do. Instead, like Jesus, they kept silent, and I believe it is because they feared God.
We must be people who fear the Lord. When I look at the world, gang violence is at an all-time high, terrorism is running rampant, and discrimination against women in society is elevated. This deeply grieves my heart, but what pains me the most is that evil comes when people don’t have a fear of God.
In our culture today, we can expect blatant evil to an extent. But what troubles me the most is seeing evil among our brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t know how to treat one another, love one another, or support one another. Whatever happened to living in the world and not of it?
I am afraid church leaders have done a disservice to the church. We have been heavily focused on sharing the loving and kind attributes of God: His faithfulness to forgive, His mercy, and His friendship. However, in doing so, we have neglected to mention that God is also a God of judgment; He don’t play!
The truth is, what you sow, you will reap! Yes, He will forgive you, wrapping His arms around you, but also, when you sin, there will be consequences! (History lesson: God got so mad at one time that He wiped out an entire city!)
People frequently say, “First Lady, I want to be like you. You are such a godly woman, you're so graceful, and you're so submitted to Pastor.” And do you know what my response is? No, you don’t want to be like me; you only see what you see.
I get upset – a lot. I get upset when I don’t see excellence, or things don’t run as they should. I get upset when people talk about me; it makes me want to talk about them. I get upset when people hurt me; I want to hurt them, too. I get upset when people come to me, wanting me to sanctify their wrong decisions; I want to take my foot and kick them out of my office. Because I ain’t got time for that.
The truth is, I want to do the same things you want to do. But I am afraid of God.
You may have heard that the fear of God is to have reverence for God. But I believe it is more than that; you ought to be afraid.
Obedience to God
The midwives were told to deliberately do something contrary to what God said: Thou shall not kill. However, they made a choice to be obedient to the word of God instead of man.
We decide things all the time. Do we love people or hate them? Will we live in righteousness or sin? And the hard sobering truth is that every time we choose to sin, we choose to disobey God.
It is heartbreaking anytime anyone experiences the relentless cycle of addiction. But, when asked why someone stays in those patterns, the reply is one that resounds with so many.
“I am addicted to drugs because I didn’t have a father/provisions/love in my life.”
And as excruciating as that may be, the truth is that anyone stuck in addiction is there because they chose to be. They made the choice to heal their pain through sex, drugs, smoking, and drinking.
But here is the light at the end of the tunnel: just as you have used your energy to make choices that wreck your life, you also have the choice to use that same energy to glorify God! So be obedient; don’t think about it; just do the right thing!
Do you know that we are wired to do the right thing? People with learning disabilities who don’t know how to read have a God-conscious within them that tells them right from wrong. We have the freedom to choose, so let’s choose God.
Because these women feared God and obeyed God, the Israelites were spared, and their population flourished. And God wants the same for us as we grow in fear and obedience to Him.
Rewards From God (Exodus 1:20-21)
“Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.”
Exodus 1:20-21, NKJV
Because these women feared and obeyed God, the Israelites were spared, and as a result, their population flourished.
But maybe a better interpretation of this scripture could be said like this: Because the midwives did the right thing among the Israelites, God could prosper them through His chosen people. This is the principle of the corporate blessing!
I want to challenge you today to do the right thing. Stop following others. Don’t allow your fear to control your choices. Instead, stay connected to Him and His word, stay close to other believers, and watch the blessings overflow.
Be like the midwives: fear God, choose obedience, and watch His faithfulness prove trustworthy.