The word “pogrom” is of Russian origin and translates to “devastation” or “riot.”
It refers to a violent and organized attack, typically perpetrated by a majority group against a minority group, often based on their ethnicity, religion, or nationality.
Pharaoh didn’t invent the term, but his actions were like a pogrom intended to intimidate and keep enslaved the Hebrews in his country.
His first effort to create harsh conditions through taskmasters failed to limit the growth of the Israelites.
His second effort involved the death of children.
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
“When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live” (Exodus 1.15-16).
Shiphrah and Puah were superintendents over the whole midwives profession, who provided medical care to one to two million Hebrews.
Anyone who has experienced the joyful miracle of birth can easily understand why the midwives refused to follow the dictates of Pharaoh.
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).
The midwives throughout the camps of the Hebrews chose the fear of the Lord over the fear of the most powerful king in the land.
We should not minimize the danger of their choice. Their commitment to God and human life put their lives in peril.
Because of their actions, Shiphrah and Puah had to face the king again.
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?”
The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them” (Exodus 1.18-19).
Imagine the courage it took for the women to take a stand for God in the face of this powerful man.
The Bible can be contrasted with other ancient writings in the way it treats its heroes. We can compare the two leaders of the midwives with the actions of Abraham.
The midwives feared God more than Pharaoh.
So God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong.
And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families (Exodus 1.20-21).
In contrast, Abraham told King Abimelech that Sarah was his sister because he feared the king more than God.
Once his actions were found out, he said, “I did it because I thought, Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife” (Genesis 20:11).
Kill the Babies
The devil always tries to kill God’s plan when in its infancy. The big-picture understanding of the devil’s schemes is revealed in Revelation.
Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to deliver a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born (Revelation 12.4).
Pharaoh didn’t know it, but he was used as an instrument of the evil one. His actions were similar to the “dragon” of Revelation.
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live” (Exodus 1.22).
Pharaoh is not content to use the midwives. Now he involves “all of his people” and makes the Egyptians complicit in his deeds.
The Holocaust, the Rwandan 1990’s genocide, and the current conflict in Sudan are examples of plots made by leaders that are carried out by ordinary citizens.
God Prepares a Leader
Who would have imagined that a TV actor turned president would be one of the leading figures on the international scene?
However, that is exactly what has happened to Volodymyr Zelenskyy the President of Ukraine.
Who would have thought in 1400 BC that a baby would grow to manhood and lead a nation out of slavery?
God knew and set the stage that fulfilled his promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and an entire nation.
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.
The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.
When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.
His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him (Exodus 2.1-4).
Someone has said, “Pray like everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on you.”
I’m sure this is what Moses’ family did for him. They did all they could do and relied on God for the results.
Today’s Application
The part that prayer plays in the Exodus will become evident as we read through the book.
As we think about world events in the light of Exodus, one powerful gift God has given us is prayer.
May the example of the midwives and Moses’ family inspire our prayers in 2023.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 