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by Sandy Shaw
In Exodus Chapter 2 a baby is born. It is Moses and his mother is Jochebed.
For the first three months after the birth of Moses, this man who would become the leader of the people of God, would have been kept in the woman’s part of the house or tent. Can you imagine that primitive domestic scene?
What would they do if Moses were to cry and these Egyptian soldiers had orders to kill any males children. It is similar to when Jesus was born and the children two years old and under were slaughtered in an attempt to kill Jesus Christ. Here the enemy of Almighty God is seeking to wipe out a nation. It is the first pogrom!
Shiphrah and Puah, two of the midwives, are called in before Pharaoh, and they explain why the Hebrew boys are continuing to be born. These were brave girls, were they not? It is not everyone who would speak before Pharaoh as these two women spoke.
It was no longer safe for Moses to be in that setting, and for him to remain secure.
Jochebed was bold and courageous and trusting, and she decided to place three month old Moses in a watertight basket in the waters of the Nile. Her daughter was to keep a watch on what was happening and when Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe she discovered the babe and knew it was one of the Hebrew’s children. She took him to the palace. That too was bold and courageous. Moses becomes the adopted grandson of this wicked Pharaoh.
Pharaoh’s daughter is unaware of what she is actually doing.
Moses sister bravely stepped forward and asks if she should go and get someone to nurse the baby, and mother is brought. Jochebed is told to nurse the child, and she is also told that she would receive wages, for nursing her own son!
Do you see the amazing significance of the ministry of these five woman and they did not realise what they were doing at the time? The two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, Jochebed, sister Miriam, and the princess, are each used to play their part and their combined ministry saves a nation – which happens to be the chosen people of God.
The pro-life movement was very much to the fore and very much alive amidst much gloom and suffering and death. Five pro-life women rescued and saved an entire nation from under the nose of a tyrant and despot.
Almighty God is more than able to organise circumstances, when the situation appears dire, and He can call upon the most unlikely people to co-operate.
“Our gracious God – our loving caring concerned heavenly Father – we see Your hand in these opening words of Exodus. Thank You for these five women – each playing a significant role as Your plans and purposes are unfolding. Show us what our part in life might be – and enable us to be in the right place at the right time, as these women were. We thank You for being a God who intervenes – to bring about Your perfect will – and we see this supremely in Jesus Christ, in whose name we are bold to pray.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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