12/22/2015 Tuesday
Exodus 1:8-2:10 The Birth of Moses
We are all
very familiar with the movie “The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston as
Moses. A male child was set afloat in a small ark, on the Nile River and found
by Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses was raised with a privleged life in the Court of
Pharaoh. He grew up and rejected what he knew in the world to follow the path
that the Lord had set out before him. The Book of Exodus was originally called
the Book of Names.
In this book
two beautiful women are briefly mentioned. Their names are Shiph’rah and Pu’ah.
They are Hebrew midwives. Pharaoh commands them to kill all male babies born to
the Hebrew women, much like when Jesus was born and King Herod wanted all males
two years old and younger to be killed. These midwives loved God and could not
do what Pharaoh had ordered. Istead, they delivered, washed and swaddled the
newborns. Midwives were in a position to take babies’ lives and never be
suspected of any wrongdoing since there was a high mortality rate. God used
Shiph’rah and Pu’ah for his ultimate plan to ensure that Moses would grow up to
be the leader of his people and save them from the bondage of slavery. Not just
physical slavery, but more importantly slavery to sin.
The names of
these women and defenders of life are preserved in the Bible and the name of
Pharaoh is not! Shiph’rah and Pu’ah had obedience to their moral conscience and
that required of them civil disoedience to Pharaoh’s murderous demands.
Dear sweet and
gentle Jesus,
As we prepare ourselves to celebrate your
birth, please help us to remember you in all the moments of our daily lives. May
we find many little opportunities for performing acts of kindness and love each
day to honor you. Please fill us with the Holy Spirit to gives us the courage
and strength to act in the way Shiph’rah and Pu’ah did when faced with
situations that call us to work as your disciples. In this way, we can come to
really know and serve you, Lord. Amen.
Jean Schuff
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