Verse of the day: Exodus
1:17 But the midwives feared
God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male
children alive.
What
a dilemma. The king has given an order. To disobey could mean death. What to
do? The answer is really a simple one. Peter and the other Apostles said it
best in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” As simple as that
answer might seem, following through might not always be as easy if we think on
the possible consequences for too long. Sadly, I often see Christians stand
firmer on their own convictions, that are not always biblically based, or in
the grand scheme of things not worth causing conflict over; yet, they will fail
to stand up for what is black and white in God’s Word. These women, whose jobs
were to assist in the birth of the children being born in Egypt, were commanded
to kill any male child born to the Hebrew women. The king obviously did not
count on two things; the first being that these midwives would fear God more
than they feared the consequences of disobeying him. What a great example they
set for us today, in a world where in many places, they are still trying to
silence Christianity and its views. Secondly, the king seems to be ignorant of the
fact that in spite of him, God will succeed in multiplying his people in the
land of Egypt. What we need to take notice of here is that just like there are
possible consequences for disobeying the king’s ungodly command, there are also
possible consequences that are blessings for fearing and obeying God’s
commands. It was no coincidence that the Hebrew women were giving birth before
the midwives could be there to assist (v. 19). God essentially gave them a
valid reason to not follow through with the king’s wicked plan. When we obey
God over man, God is with us, and will provide us with valid reasons, from an
earthly perspective, as to why we need not follow through on an ungodly, and
wicked, command by those who are ungodly and in authority. If God chooses not
relieve us from the consequences of disobeying, and we are to suffer for it in that
moment, then so be it. In Acts 4, Peter and John were threatened in an attempt
to keep them from doing God’s work openly. They chose to ignore the threats and
continue spreading the Good News of the Gospel. In Acts 5 Peter and the
Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus’
Name. In this instance, the blessing that came to these midwives for their firm
stand for what was right before God, and not interfering with God’s plan to
multiply His people (v. 20), was that God “made them houses”, or blessed and
built up their families (v. 21). Let me say this, this is not permission for us
to be rebellious against authority simply because something is unfair in our
own eyes. If we are going to stand firm on something that is unbiblical, and
contrary to God’s Word, we must be able to back it up with God’s Word. Too many
Christians end up looking foolish, and rebellious, before the world, because
they pick battles that they cannot back by God’s truth, or have incorrectly
applied God’s Word. The bottom line is that the fear of man brings a snare, but
God promises that whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
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