Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birth-stool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
Comment: Fortunately some of the midwives had consciences and refused to obey the laws laid upon them and initially refused to kill the baby boys. The king called them in and laid down the law with a heavy hand! Women can be married, be concubines, become women of the street. Israeli men were opposition to the male dominated local Egyptians, although they made good slaves! Sadly these days ‘abortion at term’ occurs in many places. I guess in Egypt the baby boys born were used as sacrifices, thrown into the Nile.
One lady from the priestly tribe, a Levite, gave birth to a second son after the mandatory murder law was in place. The first son, Aaron, was saved by the midwives disobedience. How do you hide a crying baby for 3 months? Maybe she dressed him as a baby girl! She succeeded and we hear of her long term plan tomorrow.
Prayer: Thank You that You have plans for having Your Way effectively carried out!
As I read it! 