Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ‘When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.’ But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, September 23, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Shiphrah and Puah are heroes! When the king of the nation who is oppressing your people gives you an order, you can only assume that if you don’t follow through, your life is forfeit. Yet these two women trusted God to such an extent that they just refused to follow that order. They came up with an ingenious excuse to cover their own backsides and it worked. The Hebrews kept right on having beautiful baby boys, including one Moses, who became the greatest prophet in the Jewish faith. In other words, the fate of the entire Israelite people came down to the bravery of two women.
The Bible—and history—is full of stories of brave women who took action on behalf of others in the face of individuals, groups, or even entire societies that tried to stop them. We would not be who are where we are without them. We would do well to know their stories and celebrate the often unsung things they did to make the world a better place.
Who are the women in the Bible or history I am most grateful to?
