Exodus is this king named. And scholars and historians have searched and speculated to try and work out: what was this Pharoah’s name? No one knows. And yet these two ladies, simple, obscure midwives. Their names are recorded and remembered today. Shiphrah and Puah. These are women who feared the LORD. But the important thing to notice here is that once again Pharoah’s plan backfires. You see, it isn’t just that these Hebrew boys get protected. It isn’t just that none of these kids are killed. Its that through this evil plan, even more kids end up being born. Look at verse 20. Notice how God rewards these midwives. “So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God,” what did He do? “He gave them families of their own.” Now these midwives, who couldn’t have kids before, now they too are having kids. You’d think that maybe Pharoah can start to join the dots. There’s a powerful force at work here. Someone’s protecting these people. It’s probably better just to back off. That would be a logical conclusion. But instead Pharoah just becomes even more enraged. In verse 22 he comes up with his cruellest plan so far. No longer does he act behind the scenes. Now he speaks openly to everyone. Verse 22 “Then Pharoah gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile” And so this is mass murder. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you see a Hebrew boy anywhere in the land you’ve got every right to pick
Exodus is this king named. And scholars and historians have searched and speculated to try and work out: what was this Pharoah’s name? No one knows. And yet these two ladies, simple, obscure midwives. Their names are recorded and remembered today. Shiphrah and Puah. These are women who feared the LORD. But the important thing to notice here is that once again Pharoah’s plan backfires. You see, it isn’t just that these Hebrew boys get protected. It isn’t just that none of these kids are killed. Its that through this evil plan, even more kids end up being born. Look at verse 20. Notice how God rewards these midwives. “So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God,” what did He do? “He gave them families of their own.” Now these midwives, who couldn’t have kids before, now they too are having kids. You’d think that maybe Pharoah can start to join the dots. There’s a powerful force at work here. Someone’s protecting these people. It’s probably better just to back off. That would be a logical conclusion. But instead Pharoah just becomes even more enraged. In verse 22 he comes up with his cruellest plan so far. No longer does he act behind the scenes. Now he speaks openly to everyone. Verse 22 “Then Pharoah gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile” And so this is mass murder. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you see a Hebrew boy anywhere in the land you’ve got every right to pick
Exodus%201v1-2v10.docx