Friday 8/6/2021 Devotional by Pastor Dan Giles
"But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"
…So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families."
Exodus 1:17-18, 20-21
The new king of Egypt was a racist. He rallied the people’s political support with a platform of fear-mongering and anti-Semitism. His slogan was, “we have to get these people under control,” in spite of the fact that there was apparently no evidence that the Israelites were any kind of threat.
One of ways Pharoah planned to control the Israelites was what we call eugenics; he would just make sure that only the right kind of people would have babies and do weed out the “less desirable race.” Abortion wasn’t available yet, so he established a program of selective infanticide. Only female Hebrew babies would survive the birth process.
The problem was that the midwives who attended the birth of Hebrew children had a conscience. They refused to kill babies, even if they were boys. Pharoah demanded an explanation. What was wrong with these women, that they wouldn’t get with his progressive agenda? It was clearly for the good of the country, any fool could see that.
God uses the evil plans of ungodly men to put His own people under pressure, to see what we’re made of. Will we cave and do what the current definition of progress demands, even though it’s immoral, horrible, and unthinkable from God’s point of view? What will we do when we’re threatened with public ridicule, loss of livelihood, fines, lawsuits or imprisonment for contempt if we stand firm? Do we fear, love and trust in God more than all of these?
These midwives stood firm on their faith before the most powerful monarch in the world, and God blessed them for it. He’ll do the same for you and me.
Lord Jesus, give me a heart that trusts firmly in You and doesn’t waver under pressure. Give me discernment to know where to take my stand and be faithful to Your Word. Keep me close to You today. Amen.
Pastor Dan Giles