The Wisdom of Reverence: How Two Women Defied Pharaoh
By Dean Collins
Long before the book of Proverbs was written, these two women understood that “the fear of Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
God has always used women in key roles to accomplish his plans. Early in the Exodus story, we meet two women whose reverence for God led them to defy Pharaoh. Shiphrah and Puah would have certainly known the power of Pharaoh, yet they somehow knew that his command was not aligned with the Lord of heaven and earth.
In Exodus 1, we discover that there arose a king who did not know Joseph. More importantly, he didn’t know the Lord. His concern, or possible fear, of the population size of the Hebrews led him to the conclusion that while it might take a few years, his best path to control the Hebrews was to kill the male children, thus eventually eliminating the Jewish race.
Fortunately, the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph had been passed down through the generations, and Shiphrah and Puah had the insight to see that Pharaoh’s pursuit of power had led him to a place of evil. A leader who pursues evil may have a few moments of victory but can never stand when God moves into a situation.
Consistent with the grand narrative of scripture, God works in ways that defy the ways and plans of men. In this case, God used two women whose faith in God gave them the courage to defy Pharaoh. Their fear of the Lord gave them the wisdom to answer Pharaoh when he asked them why they had let the male children live. These women had delivered hundreds of babies and knew that Pharaoh knew nothing about birthing babies, so they told him, “Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” Exodus tells us that God both caused the Hebrews to multiply, and he blessed Shiphrah and Puah with families of their own.
There are many places in current culture and in the geopolitics of the world where we see power struggles. Our tendency is to think these battles are simply due to political leaders and their pursuit of power. There is no doubt that there are many who have money and power as their motive or their end goals. But scripture is clear that our struggles aren’t really about us or about those who seek, or think, they have power. Paul summed it up this way:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)
When God sent Jesus to earth to redeem us and all things, he set the plan in motion that would one day end evil and those who do evil forever. Christ’s work on the cross did just that. And now we pray and wait for Jesus to return to earth and make all things new, to bring heaven and earth back together again. But we do not wait lazily. Our job is to join God in doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly, so that our lives spread the love of God who does overcome evil.
Like Shiphrah and Puah, we can make a difference in things that matter now. God’s Spirit lives in every believer who obediently follows Jesus. God did not give us a spirit of fear, but rather one of love, power, and a sound mind. So today we pray that God would give us courage to stand in the gap for someone in need. As we do, he will use us to bring kingdom transformation in ways we cannot imagine.
Father, we thank you for the example of Shiphrah and Puah. Because we know that our battle isn’t with people, we choose to come to you in prayer that you would give us courage to do what is right and good and true. We pray that your Holy Spirit would lead us to the people you call us to serve and give us the wisdom to follow your lead in every situation. Be glorified in and through us today. Come Lord Jesus, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Proverbs 9:10-11; Exodus 1:15-21 ESV
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