How interesting that the historical order of scripture transitions from Joseph's death to Moses' birth and a new king's reign in Egypt today. Exodus chapters 1 through 3 explains that after Joseph and all of his brothers died, their descendants multiplied and filled the land, striking fear in the heart of the new king of Egypt, Pharaoh.
Pharaoh's concern was that because the Israelites outnumbered the Egyptians, they'd overtake them if war broke out so he enslaved them, ordering them to endure harsh labor as they built the cities of Pithom and Rameses. He also ordered the Egyptian midwives to kill any baby boys born to Hebrew women.
I'm completely in awe of what happened next in the text. The Bible says: But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. (Exodus 1:17)NLT
Fear of God, recognition of the value of life, and willingness to disobey authority prompted these women to ignore an edict from their earthly king. I mentioned yesterday that the only time we can disregard the need to respect and honor our authorities is when and if their requirements conflict with God's Word, and today, we're given a clear example of just that in this passage.
The Bible goes on to explain that because of the actions of these midwives, God blessed them. I hope that this principle will be a guiding force in my daily life, and that is also my desire for you as you fervently seek the will of God. I believe with all my heart that our Lord cares just as deeply about the sanctity of life today as he did when Exodus was written. And once again, I find myself using the word "grieved" to express my response to the day's news.
Today, in one of his first acts as our new leader, President Obama quietly signed an order that ended a ban on giving federal money (our tax dollars) to international groups that perform abortions or give information about the option. I will continue to pray for God to break his heart for the unborn and to open his eyes so that he might understand that life begins at conception.
And in the meantime, I hope he'll have the opportunity to see this video that so beautifully depicts the potential of just one life:
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