Abortion, Covid, And Dictators (Exodus 1:15-2:11) Series

Last week, we began our series on the book of Exodus. Let's start today, by rereading verses 1-14:

(1) And these are the names of the sons of Israel-- the ones going to Egypt:

With Jacob, each with his house went:

(2) Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

(3) Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

(4) Dan and Naphtali,

Gad and Asher,

(5) and all the people coming from the loins of Jacob were seventy people.

Now, Joseph was in Egypt,

(6) and Joseph died, with all his brothers and all that generation.

(7) Now, the sons of Israel were fruitful,

and they increased,

and they swarmed,

and they became very, exceedingly powerful,

and the earth/land was filled with them,

(8) and a new king rise over Egypt

who hadn't known Joseph,

(9) and he said to his people,

"LOOK! The sons of Israel are greater/more numerous, and more powerful than us.

(10) May you come. May we act wisely toward him,

lest he multiply,

and then, when/if war breaks out, they will be added-- also they-- to our enemies,

and they will fight against us,

and they will go up ("escape") from the land,"

(11) and they set over them taskmaskers in order to afflict/humble them with their heavy burdens,

and they (=Israel) built storehouse cities for Pharaoh-- Pitom and Raamses,

(12) and in the measure to which he afflicted them, to the same degree they became numerous,

and to the same degree they spread out,

and they were dreaded before the sons of Israel,

(13) and Egypt made to labor (=enslaved) the sons of Israel with ruthlessness,

(14) and they made bitter their days with hard labor--

with mortar and with stones/brick, and in all the labor in the fields;

with all their labor that they worked them with ruthlessness.

We see two main things in these verses. First, the Israelites are multiplying, and swarming, and filling the land. We understand this shows their obedience to God's creation mandate. And it also shows God's faithfulness to keeping his promise to Abraham.

The second thing we see, is that Egypt turns itself into the enemy of God, and God's people. Throughout history, God's people have been misunderstood, and feared. We have been oppressed, persecuted, slandered. If the nations had blessed us, they would've been blessed. But they chose to curse, and they chose to take on our avenging God.

The Egyptian king says to his people, in verse 10, "Let's act wisely toward the Hebrews." But what he does is stupid. And he's encouraging his people to be stupid. Oppress God's people, and what happens? They multiply-- OT and NT. You're only making the problem bigger.

So that's where our story last week left off. The problem is getting bigger. The king's solution is only backfiring. What, then, will the king of Egypt do?

Verse 15-16:

(15) and the king of Egypt said to the midwives of the Hebrews

who, the name of the first was Shephrah and the name of the second Puah,

(16) and he said,

"When you are helping the Hebrews give birth,

and you look upon the stones, if a son he [is], you shall kill him,

and if a daughter, she [is], she shall live,

If you're reading an English translation, you will see here that the midwives are sitting upon a birthing stool of some type. But in the Hebrew, "looking upon the stones" is what it literally says.

Probably what we are seeing here, is a last minute, prenatal exam. The king tells the midwives, before the child is born, to determine if it's a "son" or "daughter." If they see two little "stones," it's a son, and they need to kill him in the womb. They are supposed to do a late-term abortion, basically. If they don't, it's a daughter, and she gets to live.

Now, this is a monstrous command. Right? The only thing the king gets right here, is an understanding of human life. What grows in a mother's womb, is not a collection of cells. It's not a fetus. It's not even, simply, an unborn human. Every unborn child is that woman's son or daughter. Every abortion, kills a member of a family.

We read this command, and we wonder, what will the midwives do? The Hebrews, as a whole, may be more numerous and powerful than the Egyptians. But on an individual level, face to face with the king, who has the most power? The midwives are put in an impossible situation.

And making it worse, here's the thing about midwives. No one takes that job because the money is good. You take that job because you have a heart for moms, and for babies. You take that job because you value human life, and because you get a sense of purpose, and joy, from helping women in the toughest hour of their life.