But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive-Exodus 1:17 (King James Version)
The focus in the Book of Exodus is usually on Moses and the children of Israel but the writer also wanted us to recognise something important; the survival and growth of the people of Israel in Egypt occurred because of the courage of women; women who you would least expect to help Israel: The Egyptian Midwives
The Egyptian midwives were courageous. As Egyptians, they were required to obey Pharaoh, their King. They were responsible for ensuring that new babies were born safely. They were the gatekeepers of new life and their King wanted them to be the harbingers of death and destruction.
The Egyptian midwives could not do it. They feared God. They had a deep respect for the God of Israel so they decided that saving the lives of the newborn Israelites was more important than being obedient to their King.
The Egyptian women were supposed to hate the people of Israel. They were supposed to treat them harshly. Their King certainly did that. The soldiers of Egypt certainly did that. But those Egyptian women did not see racial differences. They only saw what was right in the eyes of God. And God wanted them to save the newborn children. In the end God blessed them and their families.
How many women in history, set aside the racism and prejudice perpetuated by their leaders, to do what is right? Let us be thankful for all of those courageous women.