Single Sister, You MatterSýnishorn

Shiphrah and Puah

When I started my study of the single women of the Bible, I had never actually heard of the two characters we will look into first: Shiphrah and Puah. Theirs is a story of great courage and radical obedience that inspires and challenges me all at once. Our two heroines were both Hebrew midwives living in Egypt under the reign of Pharaoh after the death of Joseph. During this time, the Israelites remained in Egypt and continued to be fruitful and multiply. The new Pharaoh was not too happy about this and harboured great resentment towards the Israelites. He certainly had no regard for their God. Once he had reached the limits of his wrath, he ordered the Hebrew midwives (including Shiphrah and Puah, our single sisters) to kill every male Hebrew boy that was born.

What a predicament Shiphrah and Puah found themselves in. If they fulfilled their duties, as was expected of them, they would be murdering the future generations of their people. However, if they dared to defy the orders of Pharaoh, their own lives were at stake.

But within the depths of the hearts of our single sisters was the fear of the Lord, which was greater than their dread of Pharaoh. Instead of obeying the cruel orders, they continued serving and assisting the Hebrew women to bring their sons into the world. When questioned about their actions, they spun a story saying that the Hebrew women were too strong and vigorous and gave birth before the midwives could arrive. How brave is that! Because of their fear of the Lord, God’s beloved people continued to be fruitful and multiply. In addition, God showed kindness towards them and granted them families of their own. What a mind-blowing gift for these women of valour!

There was no guarantee of any reward for their actions, meaning their decision was selfless and entirely for the benefit of their people and for God’s glory. If Pharaoh was willing to kill an entire nation of babies, he would waste no time killing the women who disobeyed his orders. Yet radical obedience was their response.

Single sister, are you willing to say, “Lord, even if it costs me my life, my reputation, my resources, etc., I will serve you, I will obey you and I will fulfil what I believe is your will for my life”?

We can assume that Shiphrah and Puah had a deep desire for families of their own, yet even under the weight of their longing, they could protect, serve, and care for other women and the fruit of their wombs. There is much to learn from these Hebrew midwives, but even though they were ultimately rewarded with their own families, we should not treat this as a formula to get what we want from God. Let us not hold God ransom for every good thing we do in His name. Rather, this story shows us that the God we serve has the heart of a good, holy King who, in this instance, deemed it fit and appropriate to bless his daughters in this way. They had no idea this would be the outcome of their actions—God blessed them amid their living, being, and serving.

Ladies, let us take courage from Shiphrah and Puah and believe God when He says we should seek first the Kingdom and all else will be added to us. God knows your desire for a life partner, for a family of your own. Trust Him with it and allow Him to lead you and partner with you in your current season. Your ability to foil Satan’s plans and have an immense impact is not any less just because you are single. You, too, carry purpose and calling. Who knows? Your radical obedience could birth hope…and maybe even preserve a nation.