Calling the Midwife

Jan 20th, 2021 Calling the Midwife

Today’s Passage – Exodus 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 11 – 12; Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 121

Read the “0120 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

[Exo 1:7-17 KJV] 7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we: 10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] get them up out of the land. 11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigour. 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [be] a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it [be] a daughter, then she shall live. 17 But the midwives feared God and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. (Exodus 1:7 – 17)

In the above passage we read that the king of Egypt was threatened by the growing number of Gods people. He tried treating them poorly and increasing the load of labor but the more the people were afflicted, the more they multiplied. This made the king of Egypt increasingly angry, he had to think of something. He went to the midwives and instructed them to kill any male child of the Israelites that was born. Now, I want to pause for a moment and reflect on the absurdity of this command. I’m sure, at the time, there were many that thought “what a great idea, these people will overtake us if they aren’t stopped”, “it is for our best”, “If the king said it, he must know something we don’t and we should just follow”. In Hindsight, we can all see this is absolutely of Satan and absolutely absurd. Regardless, this was the king’s command. This was now the “law” for the midwives to follow. V.17 But the midwives feared God and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them but saved the men children alive.

I would like to focus in on the midwives in this story. Perhaps, because I have given birth 3 times, these midwives really stood out to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about them. With each of my children, I was delivered by a midwife. They delivered my child to me, if I didn’t have a midwife, things could have gone very differently, and my children may not have been delivered in good health or delivered into my arms at all. Once I entered the hospital, it was the midwives responsibility to safely deliver my child. The midwives in this passage of scripture had a very hard choice to make. They were COMMANDED by the king(the law) to kill these male children upon delivery. But they feared the Lord and chose instead to do what was right.

This is where the conviction set in, for me. If you think about it, we as Christians are called to deliver sinners to their Heavenly Father. Are we not, in a sense, midwives in the spiritual hospital of this world? Is it not our job to bring the lost to Christ? How are we doing? Because lately, we have been told “stay away from people”, “don’t fellowship”, “fear talking to people”, “Church isn’t safe”. We have been handed a commandment by “the kings” and we are laying down and giving in.” It is for our best” , “ if the kings said it, it must be for our good”. If you can’t see that what is going on in the world today is a spiritual attack on the hearts of mankind than you need to take another look.

I cannot help but think of the verse in Proverbs, “There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.” How many times over the past year have we cried “there is a virus in the way; a virus is in the streets”. “We cant go to church, there is a lion in the way”, “ I cant witness, there is a lion”. I AM CONVICTED. Maybe you are all good Christians and haven’t struggled with this, maybe you are witnessing more than ever, and “delivering” the babes to Christ, but I know I haven’t been. I know that I have fallen prey to “obeying the laws of man” over the Law that God has given. Please don’t mistake me for saying the virus isn’t real and dangerous for some. It is. (so are lions) But we must recognize that there is a much larger Pandemic in the world and one we are ignoring.

If the Midwives obeyed the king, the story would be vastly different. And if we don’t start fearing the Lord over man, the story will be vastly different for many ,many lost souls out there. Now, more than ever, the world needs Midwives, helping to deliver them to Christ. Will you be the one that fears the Lord and takes a stand?

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. 21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. (Exodus 1:20 – 21)

God will take care of you, just do what He wants you to do.