The Midwives Who Feared God More Than Men
Captain Kirk and Spock. Napoleon Dynamite and Pedro Sanchez. Thelma and Louise. Marlin and Dory. Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan. Han and Chewie. Woody and Buzz. Frodo and Sam.
Shiphrah and Puah.
No, these two women are not featured in a motion picture (at least not yet). However, if they were, it would simply be called, “The Midwives.” Although these two women have not been cast in a summer blockbuster, their story figures prominently as we consider our sermon series about ‘Sharing the Path.’
They share the path, alright. As outlaws.
Go back in time with me to a place when God’s people had made a home for themselves in Egypt. For years, the Hebrews had been revered for their wise son’s stewardship and leadership during a terrible famine. The sons and daughters of Joseph had multiplied exponentially in the years following his death and they filled the land of the Egyptians.
As the story in Exodus details, however, “a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” (Exodus 1:8-10)
Again, it bears repeating: The king dealt shrewdly with them.
As a result, the Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews. They forced them to build cities and to do their bidding. “But, the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.” (Exodus 1:12-13).
Enter Shiphrah and Puah.
Ever-frustrated by the over-abundant Hebrews, the King sent for these two Hebrew midwives. He told them, “When you help the Hebrew women in child birth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” (Exodus 1:15-16)
Infanticide, horrifically, makes frequent appearances in history. We may recall that Herod once ordered the deaths of all the boys in Bethlehem, two years of age and younger. Jesus narrowly escaped (ironically) to Egypt with Mary and Joseph.
Herod's shrewd thinking is truly cunning. Children are vulnerable and won’t fight back. Easier to nip them in the bud before they blossom into legitimate threats--or so the thinking went among the Pharaohs and the Herods of the world.
“The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.” (Exodus 1:8).
The women feared God. They feared their Maker and did not do what the king had directed. In words later echoed by Peter in Acts 5:29, these women concluded that they “must obey God rather than men.”
What courage this must have required! What pluck! These two women had conspired together, at the risk of their lives, to disobey the king in order to save the Hebrew boys.
The king was none too pleased to learn that his plan had been thwarted. “Why have you done this?” he demanded to know. “Why have you let the boys live?”
The midwives answered, and I quote their clever scheming: “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before we (the midwives) arrive.” (Exodus 1:19)
Ah, Shiphrah and Puah. Not only are they faithful and brave, they too are wickedly clever, as well. “Hebrew women are strong. They give birth before we can get there. Thus, we cannot kill their children before they take their first breaths.”
“So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God (it’s mentioned twice in the text!), he gave them families of their own.” (Exodus 1:21)
Do you have a friend like Shiphrah and Puah? If not, you’d best find one. Each of us needs a friend who will help us to be brave and to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God. We need friends to help us remember that we should be fearful of God and not man.
Thank God for the Shiphrah and Puahs of the world. May we be found to be as shrewd and courageous as they.
Roy McClure Graveside Service and Luncheon
A graveside service for Roy McClure will be at Keener Cemetery at 10:00 on Thursday, July 5, 2018, followed by a luncheon and fellowship in the MFC for family and friends. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help with food or set up, please contact Tonya Lloyd by call at: 828-586-5917, text at: 828-226-9663, or email at: jolleytonya@hotmail.com
'Chocolat' with the Pastor
Deep Creek Church Picnic
Budget for 2018-2019
The Budget and Finance Committee has presented the 2018-2019 Budget to the Deacons, and the Deacons have approved its presentation to the church for its consideration. A question and answer session will be held on the 24th after the regular service. All discussion on the budget will be reserved for that date. A vote to adopt, without discussion, will be held on the 1st of July.
Watering Malawi Project
Remember the water bottles the GAs and RAs distributed after worship service a couple of weeks ago? Remember that you were asked to pray for the people of Malawi as you drank your water? Remember that we you were asked to bring your bottle back to church filled with change (or bills) to help the people of this African country to obtain clean, safe drinking water?
Sunday, June 24th is the day we are asking for you to return your bottles. Over 100 water bottles were handed out on June 2nd and less than 12 have been returned to the church office. Please bring your contribution to this project to church this Sunday. Our children and youth attending Passport will take the money collected and it will be added to the other contributions from across the state, helping to make a real difference in the lives of the people of Malawi.
Thank you for any help you can give!
Thank God for this place
"The war started at night, and we had to run, leaving our parents. We haven't seen them since and still don't know where they are. It was horrifying, but we had no choice. In South Sudan killing is normal. People kill each other like slaughtering hens. When we made it to Kampala we ended up on the street with nowhere to sleep. One day, through CBF and Refuge and Hope, we were able to find affordable housing and get off the streets. Thank God for this place, where we can forget the nightmare we went through."
- Jacob and Esau, about the work of Jade and Shelah Acker, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel, Kampala, Uganda
Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
Dorothy Edwards Circle learned our tracked Shoeboxes were distributed to Malawi in Africa. Rated as one of the planet’s least developed countries, poverty abounds and clean water is a luxury. Interestingly, our youth are collecting change now for a well to supply more clean drinking water in Malawi.
The Circle thanks everyone for their contributions to the children of this African country.
WATERING MALAWI WATER BOTTLE PROJECT
Every 15 seconds, a child dies around the world because the water they drink makes them sick.
This statement is the reason that GAs and RAs distributed water bottles as the congregation exited the sanctuary. On the bottles was a label with the following instructions:
1)Drink this water. Pray for those who don't have safe water.
2)Cut off top of bottle or cut a slit and fill bottle with change (or bills).
3)Return to church office by June 24th.
The money collected will be our children's and youth's contribution to the Passport project "Watering Malawi".
During their week at Passport Camp, the children and youth who are attending from our church will learn more about this mission opportunity and other ways to reach out with God's love.
If you would like to learn more about the project and about the Passport connection, go to wateringmalawi.org/about.
Our WMU is supporting this project. Thank you to Sandra and Leo James for obtaining the water bottles, Tia Ashley for printing the labels,the GAs for labeling the bottles, the RAs and GAs and their leaders for distributing the bottles, and Emma Burnes for making the announcement on Sunday.
Hope to see a lot of water bottles with money inside returned to the church office by JUne 24th!