THE MIDWIVES
Learn: Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Read: Exodus 1:1-22
In these lessons we are looking specifically at the women of the Bible, but it is important to always keep in focus where we are in Bible history and how that relates to the theme of the Bible which is God’s plan for man, God’s work through his chosen people Israel, God’s ownership and rule over all; Jesus Christ his Son being the central focus of the Bible.
Exodus, meaning “way out,” is the theme of the 2nd book of the Bible. The authorship is attributed to Moses (Joshua 8:31-35).
1. Who did Jesus affirm as the author of Exodus in Mark 12:26? Note that the book of Moses includes five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The theme of the book is deliverance from Egypt, in the fulfillment of the promise of Genesis 15:13-14. The book records the birth of the nation of Israel, the giving of the Law, and the origin of the specific manner in which the people of Israel were to worship God. The revelation of God is paramount throughout the book. He is the One who controls history (Exodus 1); He revealed Himself in a new name (3:14); He is the Sovereign of the covenant relationship (19:5); He is the faithful Redeemer (6:6; 15:13); He is judge of His own people (4:14; 20:5; 32:27-28) and of his foes(chaps 7-12); He is the transcendent One (33:20) who nevertheless lived among His people(29:45). Ryrie Study Bible Introduction to the book of Exodus
2. How do verses 1-6 of Exodus 1 connect the book of Exodus to the book of Genesis? Use Genesis 35:22-26; 46:27; 50:26 to explain.
3. What does verse 7 tell us was the direct fulfillment of God’s promise (Gen 12:2; 48:4) to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
4. What does Acts 7:17 tell us that adds to our understanding of the amazing growth of the nation of Israel?
5. Along with the great growth in the number of the Israelites, what happened that changed the lives of the people? v 8
NOTE: Not only did this pharaoh have no personal knowledge of Joseph, but he was wholly ignorant of his nation’s history. At the distance of two or three centuries the benefits conferred by Joseph upon Egypt, more especially as they were conferred under a foreign and hated dynasty, were forgotten. PULPIT COMMENTARY on Exodus p 10
6. How did this new pharaoh view the children of Israel? v 9
7. Was Pharaoh’s view of the people’s strength correct? Psalm 105:23, 24
8. What was Pharaoh’s solution to the perceived threat from the Israelites of which he was afraid? v 10
9. What was the outworking of Pharaoh’s plan to deal “wisely” with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? v11; Acts 7:19a
NOTE: By “treasure cities” we are to understand “store-cities.” See I Kings 9:19. Such cities contained depots of provisions and magazines of arms. They were generally to be found on all assailable frontiers in ancient as in modern times. PUPLIT COMMENTARY – EXODUS p 11
10. Why did the Egyptians come to hate the Israelites? Psalm 105:25
11. As the Egyptians afflicted God’s people more and more, what happened? v 12
NOTE: The word “grieved” very insufficiently renders the Hebrew verb, which expresses a mixture of loathing and alarm. It is translated “They had a horror of the children of Israel.” PULPIT COMMENTARY – EXODUS p 11
12. The children of Israel’s continued growth as a nation grieved the Egyptians. What did the Egyptians do? v 13
NOTE: “Rigor” would especially be shown in the free use of the stick by the taskmaster, and in the prolongation of the hours of work.
13. What kind of work were the Hebrews forced to do? v 14
NOTE: There is no such exhausting toil as working under the hot Egyptian sun, sometimes with feet in water, in an open area, where there is no shade, and scarcely a breath of air, from sunrise to sunset, as forced labourers are required to do. Mehemet Ali lost 20,000 labourers out of 150,000 in construction of the Alexandrian canal in just such conditions towards of the middle of the 1900’s. PULPIT COMMENTARY- EXODUS p 11
14. No matter how harshly the Egyptians treated the children of Israel, they continued to multiply greatly. What was the next step that Pharaoh took to contain them? vv15, 16
NOTE: The “stools” (literally, two stones) were a pair of bricks or stones on which the women crouched in childbirth. The female children were allowed to live because they could be married to Egyptians and assimilated into the culture. Ryrie Study Bible Book of Exodus comment on verse 16.
15. When confronted with the command from Pharaoh to kill the baby boys of the Hebrews, what was the determining factor for what the the midwives did? v 17a
What was the resulting action by the midwives because of their belief? v 17b
16. What does Scripture tell us must be the determining factor when such a decision is forced upon us? Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 10:31
17. When Pharaoh found out that the baby boys were not being killed, what did he do? v 18
18. How did the midwives answer Pharaoh? v 19
NOTE: The midwives statement to Pharaoh may have been true, but if not, they were commended by God for refusing to kill, not for lying.
19. How did the LORD reward the midwives for doing what was right in spite of the danger they faced from Pharaoh? vv 20, 21
20. Pharaoh with all his authority and power, he could have killed by his word, was not able to come against or harm these women who feared and obeyed God. What is the lesson to be learned from this account? Romans 8:31, 32
21. Since Pharaoh could not get the midwives to kill the baby boys, what did he command to be done? v 22
NOTE: Egyptian monarchs had very little regard for the lives of those who were not of their own nation. They constantly massacred prisoners of war—they put to death or enslaved persons cast upon their coasts. The tender compassionate regard for children is a not a universal instinct but rather is in truth the fruit of Christianity, and was almost unknown in the ancient world. Children who were not wanted were constantly exposed to be devoured by beasts or otherwise done away with. Babies were offered to idols. At Rome, unless the father interposed to save it, every child was killed. PULPIT COMMENTARY – EXODUS p 17