Trust and Obey

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.
Exodus 1:15-17 (NASB)

So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.
Exodus 1:20-21 (NASB)

As I read this amazing account of these midwives it reminded me of another story of two Godly sisters in their eighties from the Hebrides in Scotland, Peggy and Christine Smith. Peggy was blind and her sister almost bent double with arthritis. Unable to attend public worship, their humble cottage became a sanctuary where they met with God. To them came the promise: “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground,” they pleaded this day and night in prayer. One night Peggy had a revelation, revival was coming and the church of her fathers would be crowded again with young people! It was these prayer warriors who brought the Reverend Duncan Campbell to the Hebrides, and the revival that washed across the islands between 1949 and 1952 saving many thousands of souls.

The above account of two common twentieth-century women achieving great things for God is seen long before the Smith sisters in the Exodus account, in the faithfulness of Shiprah and Puah. These two midwives were not remarkable in the eyes of men but in God’s eyes, they were cherished. The very fact that they are named in scripture for all eternity highlights the value of their faith in the Almighty. These women disobeyed Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt, choosing to obey the God of the Universe first and foremost. In life as God’s people we are often challenged by those in authority demanding our obedience; let us follow the brave example of these midwives and obey God first.

The Smith sisters’ faith was rewarded by witnessing a great harvest of souls in the Hebrides. The Hebrew midwives’ faith was also rewarded in seeing a great harvest of many healthy babies. God further rewarded Shiprah and Puah by establishing their households forever in eternity, a reward we can see often bestowed by God on the faithful in the Bible. I believe that Peggy and Christine Smith have “an enduring house” (1 Kings 11:38) in Eternity, a lasting reward for their obedience to God.

Dear Reader, often we have to make tough choices and stand up obediently for our Father God against the world. We may even be challenged by those in authority over us. Let us follow the examples of these mighty women of God, Shiprah, Puah, Peggy, and, Christine. As He rewarded their obedience He will also reward our obedience today!

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures

About the Author

Devotional Treasures is a daily source of Biblical posts on various sources; they are free to all. These are written by me, Alan Kearns, and are inspired by my own private reading/study of God's Word.

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