Good morning,
“10 women in the Bible who exceeded expectations.
Immediately we can think of women in the Bible like Mary, Eve, Sarah, Miriam, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Deborah, and Mary Magdalene. But there are others that have only a small appearance in the Bible, some as few as one verse.
While plenty of women in the Bible were strong, capable women, these ladies didn’t sit around waiting for someone else to get the job done. They feared God and lived faithfully. They did what they needed to do.” (Kate Edwards is a School Chaplain, Kid’s Ministry Leader and aspiring Bible Scholar. http://www.thenurturedword.com/)
For the next two weeks we will look at some of the lesser known women in the Bible. They will challenge us in our walk with the Lord.
1. Shiphrah & 2. Puah
The King of Egypt commanded the two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all the Hebrew boys when they were born. In Exodus 1 we read that the midwives feared God and did not do what the King commanded them to do. Instead they lied and said the babies were born before they arrived. This early act of civil disobedience saved many children’s lives. These women are great examples of how we can resist an evil regime.
Shiphrah and Puah in the Bible – Exodus 1:17-20
“But Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. They didn’t do what the king of Egypt had told them to do. They let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt sent for the women. He asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The women answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt. They are strong. They have their babies before we get there.” So God was kind to Shiphrah and Puah. And the people of Israel increased their numbers more and more. Shiphrah and Puah had respect for God. So he gave them families of their own.”
How they exceeded expectations:
These women feared God more than the unnamed Pharaoh in Exodus who could have easily had them killed. They understood sanctity of life, and they knew what they did in God’s eyes mattered most. These women were up against a hard choice, follow this new Pharaoh or reap the consequences. They would have been expected to cave in to Pharaoh’s command to secure their own safety, but they held strong to what they believed and refused to kill the Hebrew children. (Kate Edwards is a School Chaplain, Kid’s Ministry Leader and aspiring Bible Scholar. http://www.thenurturedword.com/)
Please read chapter 1 of Exodus. Their act of faith allowed Moses to be born. Moses consequently was used by God to bring judgement on Egypt and deliver the Hebrew children from bondage. Moses led the Israelites into the dessert and prepared them to enter into the Promised Land.
They chose to deliver life at the risk to their own lives. They were courageous, cunning, and resourceful.
They truly did exceed expectations.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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