Exodus 1:16 –
When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.
This is the new Pharaoh’s orders; he did not know of Joseph, the stories of how he saved Egypt were long lost. During this time the Israelites were growing huge in numbers. To thwart this expansion the Pharaoh had enslaved them and they kept multiplying. So this is where this order came from, trying to limit their numbers.
This was an order, which the midwives could not carry out. They feared God and what God may do to punish them. What would you do if God said do one thing and your president said do something directly opposite?? Would you carry out the orders? Or would you obey God?? It’s a dilemma since the bible says respect government and your leaders! You can look at Nazi Germany for an example of blind following. Many of them were God loving Germans who submitted to their leader. Don’t think that it could never happen to you.
This is where the world becomes difficult as to when do you “rebel” and when do you “submit”? That is where the bible comes in to your life! Stay in the Word and pray as much as you can. When you pray, pray not only that God will give you the ability to make the right choices, but also pray to not HAVE to make those difficult and sometimes ugly choices!!
“Keep me from evil” and “Deliver me from evil” are two lines from “model” prayers in the bible. The first is from the OT (Prayer of Jabez) and the other is from the NT (the Lords Prayer). I tend to pray the “old” more often than the new. I would rather not have to be delivered from evil; just keep me away from it altogether!! So as you go on in life, make sure you know the scriptures and how they apply to your life. This will help you make correct choices and not fall into traps following some twisted cross.
dad
Proverbs 9:8 – “So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.”