We try to protect ourselves from a society that does not honor God, but do we do it at the expense of those we are called to love and protect?

Behind the Scenes of Exodus 1: Shiphrah and Puah's Extraordinary Act of Defiance

One thing God has impressed upon my heart as I have been reading through the Bible this year is to read it from the perspective of the women in the story. What would they have felt, thought, or experienced? Often, it isn't pleasant, to say the least. As a woman, I cannot experience life in any other way but as a woman does. I might intellectually understand the struggles of my brothers, but I cannot experience them. In the same way, our brothers might understand and empathize with our struggles, but they will never know what it is like to push an eight-pound baby out of their body, no matter what birth simulator they use. They just cannot experience life as we do.

And you know what? That is as God intended it! He made each one, male and female, with their own unique strengths and purposes. He created me a woman, so, when reading scripture, I should allow the Holy Spirit to speak to my womanhood and what it means to be a daughter of God.

Ever since the Fall (Genesis 3), women have not held the highest position or value in most societies, and the ancient Jewish world was no different. Abram told Sarai to tell people she was his sister to save himself, yet did not seem to care it meant she would be abducted and abused by whatever man thought she was beautiful (Genesis 12). In fact, he does it twice! (See Shiphrah and Puah's Stand in Exodus 1also Genesis 20.) Then Isaac does the same thing to his wife, Rebekah! (Genesis 26) Leaves us modern women wondering if these men will ever learn. Neither of them trusted God to take care of them or their wives amid a culture that did not honor God.

Sound familiar? Don't we do the same thing today? We try to protect ourselves from a society that does not honor God, but do we do it at the expense of those we are called to love and protect? Do we trust God to protect us so that we do not dishonor Him by acting in a way contrary to His character just to protect ourselves?

Shiphrah and Puah's Stand in Exodus 1

In Exodus 1, we see two women who do it right. They do it SO right God preserves their names for all eternity in His Word. Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives in the middle of Egyptian slavery and oppression. They honored God instead of obeying the person in authority over them. Not just a boss or supervisor, but the king of the entire country. A person with the authority to kill them on the spot if they disobeyed. They were given a clear directive to kill all the male babies born to Hebrew women. They could have protected themselves by obeying at the expense of the lives of the babies they were called to protect. But they said, “Nah!” I imagine them bowing to Pharoh as they backed their way out of his presence. Then, in private, looking at each other and saying, “Are you kidding me? Is he insane? There is no way I’m killing those baby boys! God would never approve of that!” These strong women agreed to ignore Pharoh’s direct orders and just kept on delivering babies.

Pharaoh and the Midwives, James Tissot c. 1900, Public Domain

But let’s really let this sink in. They were not just ignoring a suggestion. It was not a strongly worded request. It was not their supervisor telling them to do something; and if they didn’t, they might get a write-up or a talking-to. It was a direct order from the king himself. An order. One that would get them killed for disobeying. And they knew this. Yet, the Bible tells us they feared God. They feared God more than they feared Pharoh. Pharoh might kill their bodies, but God is sovereign over life and death and all eternity. Thus, they trusted God. To protect them, to cover them, to shield them. Even if Pharoh killed them for disobeying, they trusted God.

Maybe they hoped Pharoh would not notice all the little baby boys around. Maybe they prayed God would shield their actions from Pharoh. But Pharoh knew, and he called them out for their disobedience. However, he allowed them to speak in their own defense, though he didn’t have to. I love what they tell him. To paraphrase, they tell him that these Hebrew women are so strong; they have the babies before we even get there - unlike your weak Egyptian women! Nothing like going out with a bang! They were trying to protect themselves, but they didn’t pass up the opportunity to take a dig at Pharoh and the Egyptian women, during what might have been their last moments of life.

The response to this? “So God was good to the midwives” (v20). We are not told what Pharoh says or does to them, but he does not kill them. God protected them. But God did more than that. “He established households for them” (v21). He gave them children of their own as a reward for protecting the children of Israel. We are told that Pharoh then went to the people instead and told them to obey his command. Because clearly, he didn’t get anywhere with going to Shiphrah and Puah!

Application for our lives today

How should we apply this to our lives today? We are to fear God above everyone else. If your boss requests you to do something that goes against what you know is right in the sight of God? Follow God, not your boss. You might get fired. We cannot ignore that there could be difficult consequences for disobeying your boss. But God will provide for you. If your husband asks you to do something that you know goes against God? Follow God and not your husband. And do not let anyone tell you that submission means to do something that God would not allow just because your husband wants you to. Our submission is to God first, then to each other. This might cause tremendous conflict in your marriage. It might even lead to the end of your marriage. But trust God. We are daughters of God first, and we are to put God above all else, even our husbands. God will protect and provide for us if we trust Him and fear Him alone. He might call us to do some hard things, things that might come with potentially harsh consequences. But He is GOD! He is sovereign. He is our shield and our refuge. Never forget that. When faced with any situation similar to the ones I just described, pray and fast and seek how God would have you respond before you act out of emotion or anxiety. Respond as God would have you respond. Then, leave the consequences of your obedience to God. He might just reward you with the very thing you were helping others achieve but did not have for yourself!

Join our transformative journey through the Bible in a year. 📖

Here at The Ruby Tent, we are reading through the entire Bible in a year, and would love you to join us! ✨ Sign up now to receive daily emails with curated chapters and empowering devotionals that resonate with the challenges and triumphs of womanhood. 🌸💪

👑 Embrace the wisdom of biblical stories.

🌸Find strength in daily reflections tailored just for you.

💖 Connect with a community of like-minded women.

Start each day with purpose and faith! Don't miss out – click here to sign up today! 🌺✨

Have you recently trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

We want to know about it and celebrate with you! We also have a small gift for you - a short devotional to get your walk with Jesus off on the right foot. Let us know about your decision here.

Want to learn more about the spiritual disciplines that are foundational to your growth?

Check out our first Bible Study Devotional - First Steps of Faith: Learning to Walk with Jesus. It is a 20-day study on building four of the foundational aspects of your walk - prayer, Bible Study, Church attendance, and relationships.

Did you enjoy this content, or find it useful? Please use the buttons below to share it on your favorite social media or with someone else who will enjoy this content.

The Ruby Tent is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.