Daily Lesson for January 30, 2020

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Exodus chapter 1 verses 15 through 22:

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”

Moses is the hero of the Exodus story; but Moses would not have been Moses without the heroic actions of no less than five females who helped him survive the murderous plans of Pharaoh.

First there were the two midwives, Shiprah and Puah, who refused Pharaoh’s scheme to kill the male-born Israelite babies and [civilly?] disobeyed his command.

Then there was Moses’ sister and mother who hid Moses away for three months, and then set his bassinet (the Hebrew word is “Ark”) in the reeds upon the Nile, in hopes that while out bathing in the river someone from Pharaoh’s house might find the boy and take him in.

And, indeed, that is what happened. For even amongst Pharaoh’s house there was human tenderness, and compassion, and the desire to care for and love a child, and so Pharaoh’s own daughter herself took the baby in and gave him the name “Moses” which means, “I drew him from the water.”

Five loving and courageous females. Five heroines behind the hero. Only four women and a girl — and mighty Pharaoh didn’t stand a chance.


NOTE: We’re reading the whole Bible this year. We’re in Exodus now. Tomorrow’s Lesson will come from chapters 4 through 6.