IT’S A BOY!

“Moreover, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shifrah and the other Pu’ah. ‘When you attend the Hebrew women and see them giving birth,’ he said, ‘if it’s a boy, kill him; but if it’s a girl, let her live.’”
Exodus 1:15-16

I remember clearly, almost ten years ago now, when my son was born. I was a happy new dad. Him being my first child I had no real idea of what was in store other than the knowledge that I would be changing many diapers. But the excitement of having a son was so strong. I proudly showed him off to everyone, carrying a picture of him when I couldn’t physically carry him.
My story, though, is quite different than that of the Hebrews after the time of Yosef. The Hebrews continued to increase in number and the Pharaoh, a new Pharaoh than from the time of Yosef, had come into power. In an attempt to deal wisely with them, the Pharaoh put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. In Pitom and Ra’amses they built storage cities, yet the people of Isra’el continued to flourish. Finally the Egyptians moved from being annoyed with the Hebrews to fearing the Hebrews.
It was at this point that the Pharaoh made the decree to all midwives that if a Hebrew woman gave birth to a girl, she was allowed to live. But, if the child born was a boy, he was to be killed. This method would prevent the population of Isra’el from growing any more…if. If not for the midwives being God-fearing women our story may be different. If not for the midwives being God-fearing women, the deliverer may not have been Moshe. And if not for the midwives being God-fearing women, they may have done what the Pharaoh demanded. The joyful delight that should have come with the birth of a son was found because of these women, because of their fear, and because they obeyed God over man.

Exodus 1:1-17