What You’re Doing Right Now Matters
“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.” (Ex. 1:17 NIV11)
Today we’re starting the book of Exodus in our daily reading and so our devotions will be coming from there for the next month. I’d love to invite you to join us in reading a chapter a day with me.
In this first chapter we see that there’s a change in government. We left Joseph and his family on a high – Joesph as ruler, and each of them esteemed and in their own pastures in Egypt. “Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.” (Ex. 1:8 NIV11)
Now the previously honoured people become slaves and their very fruitfulness (fulfilment of the promise to Abraham) is seen as a threatening curse to their hosts. Enslaved and yet still multiplying, the Israelites need further restraints to stop their spread. Cue a genocidal directive – “Kill the boys.”
Who’s in the firing line for this order? Midwives. Women who were just quietly providing an intimate and caring service to their fellow Israelites were now thrust into a power play with the Pharaoh of Egypt. What would they do? Bow down to the deathly directive of the most powerful man in the known world – or stand firm for their people and their God?
Wonderfully, our verse above records that they feared God more than Pharaoh and didn’t kill the boys. What can we learn from these godly, humble women?
Two things we should note. Generally the Bible is for us obeying earthly authorities. We see this in Romans 13 especially and Jesus’s famous, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” In this case to obey Caesar (Pharaoh!) would have been to contravene one of God’s direct commandments so it was clear.
Secondly, we should note that God loves us involving Him in our all aspects of our daily lives;
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
(Col. 3:23–24 NIV11)
Dear Lord, please help me to understand that whatever I’m doing I need to be doing it consciously serving You. Lord, forgive me for when my actions have sought to serve myself first. Forgive me for when my attitudes or behaviours have been contrary to what You would wish for me and haven’t been done with my whole heart. Please Lord, give me the energy and love for You to serve faithfully right where I am – knowing that You see and You will reward.
Amen.
Stuart.
