Two Women Nobody Remembers Versus the Most Powerful Man on Earth

Exodus 1:15–17 (NASB95)

15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16and 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.” 17But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.

Commentary - Two Women Nobody Remembers Versus the Most Powerful Man on Earth

History often remembers the wrong people. We know the names of kings and rulers, but in Exodus 1:15-17, the most powerful man on earth goes unnamed while two humble women are remembered forever. Their names are Shiphrah and Puah. They were Hebrew midwives. What they did in a few quiet moments beside a delivery stool changed the course of history more than anything Pharaoh ever accomplished.

The king of Egypt ordered these midwives to kill every Hebrew boy at birth. He wanted to control the population by turning Israelites against their own. The text says, “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.” Their courage was not rooted in sentiment or even love for the children. It was rooted in the fear of God.

The fear of God is not about being afraid of Him in a vague sense. It is about recognizing that right and wrong are not human inventions. They do not change with the times or with the opinions of those in power. There is an objective moral code, and it is established by an all-powerful God. The midwives understood that God’s law prohibits the murder of children, no matter their age. Some claim the Bible is silent on issues like abortion. That is not true. The moral logic here is clear. God’s law values life at every stage. The midwives knew that to obey Pharaoh would be to break the law of God. They chose to obey God instead.

This fear of God made them immune to the fear of Pharaoh. Pharaoh could threaten their lives, but they knew God holds authority over eternity. People naturally fear those who are more powerful than they are. The only way to be free from the fear of powerful people is to fear God more. When your highest allegiance is to the God who created the universe, the threats of any earthly ruler lose their grip. The midwives did not act out of arrogance. They acted because they knew God’s commands do not bend to human power. God is the one who defines morality, not kings or governments.

There is an important distinction between loving God and fearing God. Many today say that loving God is all that matters. Love is essential, but the Bible defines love for God as obedience to His commandments. Love without obedience is just sentiment. Fear of God is what keeps us accountable. It is the recognition that God’s authority is final and that there will be a real accounting for how we live. The midwives are remembered not because they loved God, but because they feared Him. Fear of God gave them the courage to do what was right when it mattered most.

For us today, the lesson is clear. We live in a world where the moral code is often rewritten by those in power. There are still pressures to go along with what is wrong, to stay silent, or to participate in evil by doing nothing. The story of Shiphrah and Puah calls us to remember who defines right and wrong. Our loyalty is to God. When the commands of culture or government contradict the commands of God, we are called to obey God. The fear of God gives us the courage to stand firm, even when it costs us something. May we be a people who remember, who fear God, and who let that fear guide us to do what is right.

In His Service,  

Ryan Goodnight