Year of the Bible: Part Two of Twelve ናሙና

Midwives who Fear God.

Centuries after Jacob and Joseph had died, a new Pharaoh did not see the Israelites as a blessing. The Israelites had been fruitful and multiplied. (A direct quote from God's command in the Garden of Eden!) Because Pharaoh saw them as a threat to his power, he enslaved them. About a minute into the video for today, we see an explanation for his fear. Fear raised its ugly head again. The Pharaoh was afraid that the people would join enemies in war to overthrow him.

The slavery that the Pharaoh put the Israelites under was brutal, and he intended to destroy the people of God. He even ordered all baby boys to be killed at birth to prevent future generations of Abraham's descendants. Pharaoh told the midwives to kill the male children when they were first born, but the scripture tells us that the midwives "Feared God" and would not do what Pharaoh commanded. When they appeared before Pharaoh, he asked them why they weren't killing the babies. They told him that the Hebrew women were more vigorous than the Egyptian women and delivered faster than they could get to the birth! God blessed the Egyptian midwives with families for fearing Him instead of Pharaoh.

Since manipulating the Midwives didn't work, Pharaoh told all the people of Egypt to cast the Hebrew sons into the Nile but to let the daughters live. The injustice of this situation is profound, and it is hard to fathom such evil in the heart of a leader. The root of this evil is a common emotion; Fear. In this case, it drove Pharaoh to horrific means of accomplishing a perceived outcome of safety for his people and throne.

Question: Are there people you sought to destroy [or cut off] because you feared their influence on your life? What stories have you written about those people?

Prayer Focus: Fear is a strong motivator. Ask God to show you where you may be acting out of fear instead of confidence in His love. Ask Him to give you eyes to see what is really happening and help you stand up for what is right.