Exodus 1-3

The midwives in Exodus 1 are aspirational women because they did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and were properly oriented with the LORD. 

Exodus 1:17 “The midwives, however, feared God…”

This is crucial. Instead of carrying out infanticide as the Pharaoh instructed, the midwives feared God, their creator - The Creator, author and ultimate giver of life. God is pleased with their preserving of precious God-given life and despite the abortive orders from a violent and oppressive ruler, by defying the Egyptian Pharaoh’s orders and fearing the LORD Almighty, they declare the supreme sovereignty of the God of life. 

Verse 20 says that God was kind to the faithful midwives and in verse 21 the fruit of obedience is abundant life.

Exodus 1:21 “And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.”

The favor of God rested on them because of their proper understanding and orientation of their place and role in preserving life - as a result, just as it is written in Job: God gives and God takes away, the result of the faithfulness of the midwives is God giving them families of their own. Faithfulness yields God’s blessing. 

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