Heroines of faith
by Renée Simpfendorfer
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But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live (Exodus 1:17).
Read Exodus 1:6–22
I love a story with a strong, smart, courageous woman as the protagonist. The first couple of chapters of Exodus are full of heroines.
Shiphrah and Puah are the courageous Hebrew midwives who disobeyed a king. They are the quick-thinking women who outwitted Pharaoh. They undermined his plans to kill, and they delivered babies safely, including Moses, who would later be delivered into the hands of Pharaoh’s family. Eventually, Moses helped to deliver the Israelites.
I wonder if Shiphrah and Puah knew the impact of their actions. Were they there when the people of God crossed through the waters into freedom? Did they join in the dancing? Shiphrah and Puah were ordinary people who were faithful to God. They wanted to do the right thing, even if it meant disobeying the king. They were faithful to God even though they couldn’t see the big picture and didn’t know how profound their actions would be. A small amount of almost undetectable yeast created something that grew into huge significance.
God used these two ordinary women to subvert the plans of a power-hungry king on a killing spree.
What injustices are happening in our world today? Are there powerful people causing death and destruction? Who are the vulnerable people who are suffering? How can our faith inform our responses to these situations? What small act of faith and courage can you take?
Loving God, you call us to act justly. Show us how we can be light in the world and give us the courage to act. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Renée lives on Ngunawal country with her family and belongs to the community at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ACT. She works as a teacher and enjoys listening to music, reading, walking in nature and the challenge of solving cryptic crosswords.
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