“Siphrah and Puah: Surviving Motherhood”
Exodus 1:1-22
Mother’s Day Sunday, May 11, 2003
Purpose: To honor mothers and to give some Biblical advice on how to survive motherhood.
Intro:
I needed some help for this sermon. So in talking to my wife and other moms about motherhood, I tried to sum up of their struggles.
If I come close, I need to hear an Amen or two to let me know I’m on the right track…O-K? Here we go…
Mothers are the first to get up in the morning, and often the last to get to sleep due to restless
children that won’t take bed time seriously….
Moms are the ones who wake the children, feed the children, clothe the children, keep the children
occupied, run the children every place they need to go, feed the children again, try to get a least one task accomplished in spite of the children, bathe the children, settle down the children and try to get the children to fall asleep, only to start the process again the next day.
Mothers are the ones who are charged with making their children happy, their husband happy, (if
they work outside the home) bosses happy, and if there’s any time left then and only then
can they be happy…
Moms are the ones who are excellent first aid givers. When dad says “you’ll live” mom grabs the
Band-Aid for non-existent scrape, and with a simple hug and kiss is always able to make the
pain go away….
Mothers are the ones put up with what seems like everyone telling them that they aren’t doing it
right, that they should be doing something else, and that, even though their children are well-adjusted, content, and happy, if they don’t change today, their children will become juvenile hoodlums….
Moms are the ones who, although they’ve completed high school and maybe some college, find their vocabulary slipping away from with short phrases like, “Let mommy fix the boo-boo.” and find themselves repeated phrases constantly like “Don’t do that!” “I said no.” “Get back here.” “Get over here.” “Get out of there.” and the like…
Mothers also know a lovely arrangement of Barney, Bob the Builder, Sesame Street, and Clifford the Big Red Dog tunes replacing anything that had learnt previous to motherhood that may be more sophisticated…
We could do this for the whole sermon couldn’t we???
First let me say, before I go any further. That I believe motherhood is a God-given institution that is being attacked with a great vengeance in our county.
Let me also say that motherhood as an institution is greater than the motherhood of the past. For instance, there are single dads who are mothers. There are granddads and grandmas who are mothers. There are teachers, pastors, counselors, guardians who often serve as a mother to a child.
In fact, I believe that God, although often referred to as Father in our Scriptures, also has some mothering characteristics. Does the phrase "as a hen gathers her chicks..." sound familiar? And since we are "created in God’s image" does it not make sense that there’s a bit of motherhood in God as well. I certainly hope so..Amen?
But that’s probaby a different sermon for a different time. This message is about surviving motherhood. You see what scares me is that the importance of the role of motherhood is being questioned.
Those whose voices are often give the most credibility in our society, are advocating the relinquishing of child rearing to professionals. Many of these so-called experts are calling for curtailing parental rights, suspending the Biblical basis of parenting, and calling for changes in the American family in the halls of the United Nations as well as in our state and federal legislatures.
Some people ridicule Mother’s Day as a lot of sentimental drivel. They say that it is nothing more than a greeting card holiday that benefits florists and long-distance phone companies.
And I must admit that there is some truth to their arguments. But I also believe that a little bit of sentiment is healthy now and again. And that while some mother’s do not create the perfect model of motherhood, nor do they deserve to be recognized, I have to believe that most mothers, a majority of mothers, do the right thing by their children and their families, and deserve this day of recognition more than any other family member.
I can only imagine the stress, the hurt, and the confusion, our mothers might feel as they try to make sense of it all. Today, unfortunately, in many ways motherhood isn’t something to be enjoyed but it’s something to be survived.
If you’re in that predicament, hear these words…
If you love your children, and you’re trying your best to love them as much as God has loved you, then you’re OK, you’re doing good. And you do deserve this day.
One very articulate lady made a comment when people would ask her about her occupation. Instead of saying “stay at home mom” she says, “I am socializing two Homo sapiens in the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition so that they might be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the teleologically prescribed utopia inherent in the saving Gospel message of Jesus Christ. What do you do?”
Even Napoleon when was asked what was the greatest need of France, responded emphatically, “Mothers.”
In my mind, and I believe in our Bibles, motherhood is needed. Motherhood is important. Motherhood needs to be valued. And Motherhood needs to be more than just survival. Amen????
I. Intro of our two moms...
Let’s look back to our text for today to find some ways we can make this happen.
In this first chapter of Exodus, we have two Jewish midwives, who in their own way, became the mothers of the Jewish nation as well as, eventually, their own families.
We’re going to celebrate and learn from these two mothers who not only saved the Jewish nation, but in doing so, prepared the way for Moses, the great leader of the Egyptian Exile, the writer of the first five books of the Old Testament, the interpreter who brought God’s law to a lawless people, to be born.
These two midwives allowed a generation to survive their motherhood. And in return, they became mothers as well.
II. Some background on OT women...
If you are a student of the Old Testament, you are well aware of the strong women characters featured in the book of Genesis. The stories of many of these women, such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel are given to us in much detail. Through the Genesis text we gain a rich insight into their lives. We are able to share in their hopes, and dreams, their joys and disappointments.
There is enough information provided in the Biblical text regarding their personalities, their families, their struggles, their victories to make us feel that we know them quite well.
As one reads the Exodus account in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, continuing even into the conquest account provided in Joshua, women are found in these texts; however, we must work a little harder to find lessons applicable for us today.
III. Retelling the story...
Such is the case with the first two women characters named in the Exodus account; namely, Puah (Pew-uh) and Shiphrah (Shif-ruh).
Puah is a personal name of which it’s meaning is unknown. Whereas, Shiphrah means beauty. They were midwives. It would be wrong to assume that Puah and Shiphrah were the only two midwives in Egypt.
They were most likely high ranking midwives (due to their Egyptian names) who served in Pharaoh’s house and were in charge of all the midwives in the land of Egypt.
What were the duties of midwives?
In Biblical times midwives, rather than doctors, assisted women in giving birth. In Egypt, the expectant mother sat on a “birthing stool.” Ezekiel 16:4 describes some of the midwives duties: cutting the umbilical cord, washing the infant in water, rubbing it with salt, and wrapping it in swaddling cloths. These Hebrew wives clearly served the Egyptian as well as the large Hebrew population (cf. Ex. 1:19).
And the Hebrew population living in Egypt was exploding. There is might in numbers! It would appear that these numbers worried the new king (vs. 8-9). In addition, Egypt had enemies who boardered them. It’s one thing to defend your country from an outside attack, it’s quite another to be attacked from the inside as well.
The new king was obviously militarily minded and recognized a potential alliance with the Hebrews and their bordering enemies. Thus, in verse 11 we learn of his first attempt at preventing such an alliance: "So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor."
Their primary objective was to build these storage cites (Pithom and Raamses), however, the new king had a much more devious, underlying motive. We only read of it’s failure in verse 12, yet it would appear the plan was to work them so hard, to the point of exhaustion, thus leaving the men too tired to father children. It didn’t work! "But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out…" (vs. 12).
So, what are you going to do now “new king?” His next plan is down right hideous! It employed the services of our two women characters — Puah and Shiphrah.
Since working the Hebrew men slaves to the point of exhaustion had no effect on controlling the Hebrew population; rather, it apparently had the opposite affect—v.12 shows us that the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied-the king created his second birth control plan.
This new, hideous plan attacked the problem from another angle. Rather than trying to prevent conception, the new king’s plan was one of “unnatural selection!” He would select which newborns lived and which died. In this case all the boys were to die! Why? The answer is quite obvious. The girls could be used as working slaves and presented no military threat. The boys, on the other hand, might become warriors! By getting rid of all the Hebrew baby boys, he would insure his internal safety.
It’s hard for us to fully grasp the gravity of this situation. Puah and Shiphrah were slaves who were called to stand before the most powerful man in the ancient world. His authority extended beyond reasonable measures. The wave of his hand could mean continued life or instant death!
Puah and Shiphrah were told by Pharaoh to kill the Hebrew boy babies at birth. Refusing to comply would mean their lives. Yet they feared God more than Pharaoh and it would be God they obeyed!
Puah and Shiphrah were accountable not only for themselves but for all the Hebrew midwives, so their handling of this terrible request was crucial.
In fact, when Pharaoh realized that the Hebrew babies were being allowed to live, he again called our two midwives in for an explanation (vs. 18). We can only speculate as to the truthfulness of their answer (vs. 19), yet I tend to believe that it perhaps wasn’t simply a bold faced lie.
Puah and Shiphrah had probably told the other midwives what Pharaoh had ordered. The women must have decided or were told to procrastinate until after the births and thus not be able to kill the children at birth.
In any case, with the king’s 2nd plan ending in failure, the king went to his 3rd plan. He then ordered that all the male babies be cast into the river, and in our Scripture, this is where the story of Moses, bobbing up and down in the Nile River, soon to be found, begins.
And our midwives? We’re told that they were rewarded by God with homes of their own, not for rescuing the boys per se, but for their fear of God and their willingness to follow out His will.
IV. What can we learn from Puah and Siphrah about surviving motherhood in difficult times?
I. First, Siphrah and Puah turned to God and not to human will.
Listen to Oprah all you want, listen to Dr. Phil all you want, and if you can find a book written by Dr. Spock feel free to read it, but don’t take any of their advice until you compare it to the very Word of God found in the Scriptures.
In the Bible we are told that motherhood can be life-giving “ (Genesis 3:20), that a mother is full of wisdom (Exodus 2:1-10), that mothers should be honored (Exodus 20:12), that prayer is essential in motherhood (I Samuel 1:25-28), that teaching children God’s ways is honoring to God (Deuteronomy 6:20-24), that children can be a joy to their parents (Proverbs 23:25), that obedience is necessary (Jeremiah 35:1-16), that the message we give to our children today will be passed down to their children tomorrow (Joel 1:3), that parents need to be thoughtful of their children (Luke 1:17), that parents need to be supporting children and not vise versa (2 Corinthians 12:14), that loved children imitate their parents (Ephesians 5:1)…and that only scratches the surface…
God has given us a wonderful “how-to” book, and like Puah and Shiphrah, we can follow God’s will instead of the will that this world offers. And I guarantee you, that God’s advice in much better than theirs.
II. Second, we can see that these two midwives had a faith that was deeply rooted in their own experience with their God.
They are recorded in Israelite history as “saviors.” But they were just ordinary wormen who possessed a courage that could only come through the faith in someone greater. Without concern for themselves they decided to preserve life instead of take it.
In a male dominated society, these women used not only their initiative, but they used their faith. These unknown women emerge as heronines and rightly so, but it was their belief in something greater and their actions by acting on that belief, that allowed them to safeguard the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of infants.
Moms, have a deeply rooted relationship with Jesus Christ. Find that time to get alone to read, study, and pray. Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a “rewarder of those who seek him.” Seek Him first, and then be amazed what your faith will help you to sustain.
III, Third and final, in order to survive motherhood, these two women must have had the understanding that as affliction seems to intensify, so does God’s blessing in return.
Like the Israelites, we may experience something beyond affliction. It may seem that we’re on the verge of destruction. it may seem that we have nothing left to give or nothing that anyone would want.
But it’s a times like these, when the weight of the world seems poised to crush us, God is poised to answer with a midwife. Just like the midwife who brings about physical life, Spiritual midwives bring about Spiritual life.
It could be the friend who offers just enough comfort. It could be the friend who gives us just a little encouragement. It could be the hug, the smile, the well-placed phone call or card, given by someone who cares.
Scott Grant in his article “God’s Purposes Can’t Be Defeated” (pbc.org) put it this way….”Egypt was not a nice place. And in our spiritual Egypts, we feel insignificant, unappreciated, increasing affliction, and we may even feel on the verge of descruction….”
But at each point, God is there. Things may get worse before they get better. Labor pains always intensify. But God, who is deep in the Spiritual womb of our souls, in quiet and unseen ways, is nurturing new life. And in his good time, he will bring about a new birth.”
Psalm 126:5-6 says “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shout. They who go to and fro weeping, carrying their bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing their sheaves with them.”
Concl:
So the adivce we give to mom’s is probably advice we can learn from ourselves…
Turn to God’s knowledge, not human knowledge.
Deeply rooted faith brings its own rewards.
And, Affliction will eventually bring God’s blessings.
As quickly as Shiphrah and Puah appear on the Biblical stage, they disappear. Against all odds, these two courageous mothers remained faithful. They survived motherhood, may we learn from their example.
Will you join me in prayer….
Heavenly Father,
We give you thanks for our mothers.
For those who have given us life and love, help us to show our love and reverance.
For those mothers who have lost children through death, help us to show our love, support,
and encouragement.
For those women, though without children of their own, who like mothers have nurtured and cared for us, we pray for your blessings upon them.
Loving God, as a mother gives life and nourishment to her children, so you watch over your Church.
Bless these women, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine in the darkness places.
And Lord, grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always in with a spirit of profound respect and love, for all that they have given to us.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord…Amen.
#408 – The Gift of Love
Closing Benediction…
May God, the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, give us all that we need.
So that when we go from this place we will be well-prepared to share with others. the love shown to us.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we pray…Amen
Note: If for any reason you did not find this sermon helpful, please let me know by contacting me at gb@clergy.net. Your input will help me personally and my congregation as I learn professionally
