Moral Dilemmas - Part II
Exodus 1:8-22
Following the death of Joseph, “the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (1:7-8). The new king feared because “the sons of Israel [were] more and mightier than [the Egyptians]” (1:9). The first policy of the new king was to appoint “taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor” (1:11). The policy failed because “the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel” (1:12).
The second policy of the new king was to attack the children. Pharaoh instructed the Hebrew midwives, Shiprah and Puah, to kill all the male babies (1:15-16). It appears that the murder of the male babies was not to be necessarily obvious, but blamed on the difficulty of the birth (1:16). The female babies would not be a threat to the Egyptian dynasty, as they would likely serve the lusts of the Egyptians.
Moses told his readers that these two midwives had a fear of God, “and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live” (1:16). Whether the midwives were Egyptian or Hebrew is not clear. The midwives, nevertheless, understood the law of God and knew it to be more important to obey God than man. Shiprah and Puah would not violate the sanctity of life. These midwives could not obey the command of the king of Egypt. The moral dilemma for them was murder of the innocent and disobedience to government.
Nowhere does the passage state that the midwives lied to Pharaoh. When questioned concerning their obedience to the king’s command, the explanation was that the Hebrew women were athletic and vigorous, and gave birth to their children before the midwife could get to them. It is true that slave women were not as delicate as the women of Egypt, but had well toned muscles to deliver their babies much faster than women who live a sedentary style of life. The midwives succeeded in answering Pharaoh with this explanation. It is possible that the midwives could have delayed their birth, which would have given sufficient opportunity for both Hebrew mothers and babies, following birth, to be taken to some safe place.
God blessed the justice of the midwives (1:20-21), and “established households for them.” The midwives opposed the unjust government, which had no moral basis to commit murder. God rewarded the midwives’ just actions of disobeying the unjust command of Pharaoh.
Following the death of Joseph, “the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (1:7-8). The new king feared because “the sons of Israel [were] more and mightier than [the Egyptians]” (1:9). The first policy of the new king was to appoint “taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor” (1:11). The policy failed because “the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel” (1:12).
The second policy of the new king was to attack the children. Pharaoh instructed the Hebrew midwives, Shiprah and Puah, to kill all the male babies (1:15-16). It appears that the murder of the male babies was not to be necessarily obvious, but blamed on the difficulty of the birth (1:16). The female babies would not be a threat to the Egyptian dynasty, as they would likely serve the lusts of the Egyptians.
Moses told his readers that these two midwives had a fear of God, “and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live” (1:16). Whether the midwives were Egyptian or Hebrew is not clear. The midwives, nevertheless, understood the law of God and knew it to be more important to obey God than man. Shiprah and Puah would not violate the sanctity of life. These midwives could not obey the command of the king of Egypt. The moral dilemma for them was murder of the innocent and disobedience to government.
Nowhere does the passage state that the midwives lied to Pharaoh. When questioned concerning their obedience to the king’s command, the explanation was that the Hebrew women were athletic and vigorous, and gave birth to their children before the midwife could get to them. It is true that slave women were not as delicate as the women of Egypt, but had well toned muscles to deliver their babies much faster than women who live a sedentary style of life. The midwives succeeded in answering Pharaoh with this explanation. It is possible that the midwives could have delayed their birth, which would have given sufficient opportunity for both Hebrew mothers and babies, following birth, to be taken to some safe place.
God blessed the justice of the midwives (1:20-21), and “established households for them.” The midwives opposed the unjust government, which had no moral basis to commit murder. God rewarded the midwives’ just actions of disobeying the unjust command of Pharaoh.
posted by orthopodeo | 11:06 PM
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