The Egyptian Midwives

This powerful exploration of Exodus chapter 1 reveals how ordinary people become extraordinary agents of God's kingdom through simple acts of courage and compassion. We encounter the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah, women who were simply doing their jobs when they were thrust into an impossible moral dilemma. Commanded by Pharaoh himself to commit infanticide, these women faced a choice that would define not only their lives but the future of God's people. What makes their story so compelling is that they never asked to be heroes or activists. They were everyday professionals caught between earthly power and divine truth. Their decision to fear God rather than Pharaoh demonstrates a profound truth we all must wrestle with: where does our highest allegiance lie? The passage challenges us to examine our own lives and ask difficult questions. Are we willing to choose hardship for the sake of another? Can we see ourselves reflected in the eyes of those who suffer? Do we more closely resemble the oppressed Israelites or the oppressor Egyptians in our daily interactions? Perhaps most remarkably, this story answers the age-old question of where God is during suffering and injustice. He was present through the brave actions of these midwives. Sometimes God's presence is manifested not through miraculous intervention but through sending us as His hands and feet into difficult spaces. We are called to show up with courage and compassion, to stand for the least of these even when it costs us something, because that is how God's kingdom advances in our world.