The sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob were: (1) Reuben (2) Simeon (3) Levi (4) Judah (5) Issachar (6) Zebulun (7) Benjamin (8)Dan (9) Naphtali (10) Gad (11) Asher. Jacob’s descendants numbered 70 persons. Joseph, his brothers, and all that generation died, but the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them. The Egyptians ruthlessly oppressed and enslaved Israel. The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah (“brightness”) and Puah (“splendid”), to kill the sons that were born, but, “the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.” The king of Egypt called the midwives and said, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said, “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 strong. Because the midwives feared God he gave them families. So Pharaoh commanded all his people to kill every son born to the Hebrews by casting them into the Nile river, but let every daughter live.”
Did God bless a lie told by Shiphrah and Puah here? (A) The description that they, “didn’t do as they were told,” doesn’t necessarily mean they were pursuing an act of civil disobedience and then turning around and lying. It may be that they didn’t kill the boys, because in God’s providence they were spared the opportunity: “[T]he Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” Perhaps they didn’t do as they were told because they didn’t have the opportunity to do as they were told. There’s no reason to assume they are lying. It may be that they feared the Lord, and didn’t want to do this, and they didn’t murder the baby boys, because in God’s providence they weren’t given the opportunity. I lean to this view. (B) Even if they were lying there’s no reason to conclude that the lie is the reason that the Hebrews are being blessed. Perhaps this is another display of the complexity of how the Lord works in His providence in and among a fallen and sinful world. God was kind to the midwives, because they obeyed Him and not Pharaoh. If they lied, there is no reason to assume that the lie is the reason that Yahweh was kind to them. (C) What is the “fear of God” we see in verses 17 and 21? This is a concept that was introduced in Genesis (20:11; 22:12; 31:42, 53; 42:18). What does it mean? Well, from what we’ve seen so far (and from what we see in the rest of Scripture) “the fear of God” indicates trust, faith, obedience, belief, respect, reverence, awe, concern, worship, service, and love of Yahweh. The “fear of God” is a Hebrew idiom basically saying “the worship of God”. We see in the wisdom and prophets that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Isaiah 11:2; 33:6; Micah 6:9). In this text we see the Hebrew fear of God contrasted by another fear, namely the Egyptian fear of man (the Hebrews). They were afraid of them because they were multiplying and growing stronger as a people. The Egyptians were afraid of an enslaved and weak people. The Hebrews were afraid of the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God who exercises His meticulous sovereignty over the cosmos. Notice that fear drives both of their behavior. Our identity is shaped by what we fear. Often, what we fear is what we worship, and it controls us. What do you fear? In this text the Egyptians are understanding their identity in relationship to the Hebrews, and the Hebrews are seeking to understand their identity in relationship to Yahweh. The only true understanding of self comes in light of the knowledge and worship of God (the “fear of God”). The Egyptians may have forgotten their history (v. 8), but the Hebrews haven’t forgotten theirs. They still trust God. After 400 years of bondage, they are still trusting in God. It may seem He is distant in their suffering. It may seem that He does not know. It may seem that He does not hear and has abandoned them, but they know that God is trustworthy. Here in the hearts and lives of two women, we see that God’s people keep trusting Him even as their circumstances appear to lie about His care. In this chapter we are on the cusp of seeing clear evidence that their fear of God is not irrational (we have evidence from their past too, but a particularly strong demonstration of it is coming in Exodus). Indeed Yahweh is near. He knows. He hears and has not abandoned them.