Women of Welcome: Bold + BraveShembull

Trusting God can be difficult, especially when life has taken an unexpected turn. Ever found yourself there? Feeling blindsided and thinking, “God, don’t you love me? I thought you were for me.”

I’m sure Jochebed and Miriam felt this way. They were Israelites, the chosen people of God. Why was this happening to them? What had they done to deserve such cruelty and indifference from God? I (Bri) can only imagine how these Hebrew mothers felt—such anger and bitter disbelief at how God could allow such things.

In Genesis, God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be numerous and become a great nation. But the circumstances in Egypt under Pharaoh at this time surely dispelled any notion of that promise coming to fruition. Families were literally being ripped apart, and their descendants intentionally snuffed out. It must have been impossible to hold onto hope, but we know how this particular story ends.

While suffering was ever-present, God was working. Amid their heartache, an inroad was quietly made into the very household that created their pain.

The midwives, Jochebed, and Miriam all hoped that their God would somehow intervene. And he did. Pharaoh’s daughter could never have known how much her sympathy and compassion would change the course of events in Egypt. And while her father diligently worked to eliminate all potential threats to the kingdom (male children), women were making bold moves and choosing brave faith in God. Their collective faithfulness would soon provide relief—an actual exodus—for the people of God.