The Women Who Saved a Generation of God's People

Do you know the story of Shiprah and Puah? Though they may not show up on flannel graphs or in VBS songs, these two women had an incredible calling. They were Hebrew midwives, commanded by the evil king of Egypt to kill all of the Hebrew baby boys as soon as they were delivered. But because these women feared God and were certain He had set aside the Israelites for His greater purposes, they listened to the King of the Universe instead of the King of Egypt. Instead of killing the Hebrew children, Shiprah and Puah saved them.

What courage! Their choice was not just dangerous, but life-threatening. Shiprah and Puah risked their own safety to ensure the safety of the Hebrew baby boys. They were willing to lay down their own lives so that others could live—a subtle foreshadowing of the coming Christ, who truly did lay down His life so that many who were headed toward death could live instead.

Shiprah and Puah’s belief in their God and their mission – and the support they received from one another – gave them strength. These women were stronger together, knowing that they could support each other in their task of saving the Hebrew boys. Together, they honored the Lord by their regard for human life. Together, they saved a generation of Israelites and gave hope to a frightened, oppressed people.

Women were not highly valued and had little to no rights during this time of history. Though everyone was required to obey the king’s command, and Pharaoh certainly could have commanded his soldiers to do his bidding, it’s possible that Pharaoh assumed that the midwives would be even more compliant than the average person due to both their gender and their profession. Since they were the ones delivering the babies and were part of the Hebrew community themselves, they had immediate access to male infants in a way that the Egyptians didn’t.

Whether it was due to their gender, their ethnicity, or their profession, Pharaoh singled them out to do the worst task imaginable for people who have dedicated their lives to bring a baby into the world. They were required to obey from a legal standpoint. But what he asked of them was so barbaric, so horrible that they simply could not obey. They knew that this order was contrary to God’s laws and his love for human life. Their devout faith kept them from blindly following their king, and their actions revealed that ultimately, they revered their heavenly King more than their earthly one.

Still, how frightened the women must have been to blatantly ignore Pharaoh’s command! Fortunately – or, rather, providentially – neither woman had to stand alone. She had her sister in faith standing beside her—someone to pray with, someone to serve with, and someone to stand firm with when the angry king demanded answers.

Throughout Scripture, we are urged to live in community with other believers. Though we are weak and susceptible to temptation on our own, we are stronger when we have sisters beside us. Together, women are better – better able to serve the Lord, better able to stand against the enemy, better able to love their neighbors and fulfill their callings. Just as God said in the very beginning that it is not good for man to be alone, the same is true for us today. Alone we may find it too difficult to love our neighbor and serve our community, to keep moving forward when faced with challenges, and to stand up to evil when it attacks. But together, we can.

Are you facing a trial today? Are you being asked or tempted to follow the world’s ways instead of God’s? Are you weary in the work that you’ve been called to do? Then this is the perfect time to reach out to another believer. Connect with a brother or sister in Christ. Pray with a friend; pray for a friend. Lean on those trusted few in your circle and draw strength from their faith.

If you don’t have a Shiprah or a Puah in your life, ask God for one. Ask God for someone to walk beside you as you follow His plans and complete His mission. Petition Him for a sister who will push you to revere God above everything else, who will help you lay down your life for the sake of others like Shiphrah and Puah did for the Hebrew boys, and ultimately like Christ did for you. And believe with confidence that the Lord will provide you with exactly what – and who – you need.

May the Lord prepare you for the mission He’s created for you and give you a sister to serve with, to lean on, to love. May you find the friend who you can trust, who will stand with you, and will help you lay down your life for others like Jesus has done for you.

Featuring 40 brave women—some well-known (like Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary, and Martha) and some lesser-known (such as Shiprah, Puah, Lois, and Eunice)—Women of Courage devotional will walk with you through the hardest days and leave you with the courage you need to lead, to love, to trust, and to turn to God in every situation.