The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. … So God was kind to the midwives … And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own (Exodus 1:17, 20a, 21 NIV).
Who is to be feared? Man or God? A choice is to be made. The choice is yours.
Men in authority above you can compel you to do some things against your conscience. It can be something that God does not approve of. In such situations a choice has to be made. And such choices are not easy.
For the Hebrew midwives a choice to fear God meant stirring up the wrath of the king. And in those days it meant certain death.
But still they chose to fear God above their fear of the king. And it was a brave choice. Maybe it could be one reason why God has honored their names, Shiphrah and Puah, by recording it in His Word.
Again, they not only made such a choice but also used God-given wisdom to answer the king. They gave a very tactful answer to the king. They told the king that Hebrew women give birth to children before the midwives arrive.
It was a deliberate statement that they made to save the Hebrew children. They were putting their lives at risk a second time by giving such a reply.
Definitely, a choice to fear God above those in authority, has its risks. But it can be reduced to a great extent if handled with tact, and with God-given insight and wisdom.
The Bible says that because they feared him and acted in this manner, thus saving the lives of His people, God showed kindness to the midwives and gave them families of their own. Yes, our God is One who rewards His children for the godly choice of fearing Him above kings.
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