Exodus 1:15 introduces two midwives by the names of Shiphrah and Puah.  These were instructed in verse 16 to kill any son born to the Hebrew women.  No doubt the midwives were faced with a dilemma.  They had been given a command by the king of Egypt to do something they knew to be wrong.  What did they do?

Exodus 1:17 says they “feared God and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them but saved the men children alive.” A principle is illustrated here that is important for Christians to consider.  It is the same precept Peter stated in Acts 5:29 to the Sadducees, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”  God has given government as his minister to execute wrath upon the ungodly, and a Christian is expected to obey the civil authorities (Romans 13:1-4); however, when government gets out of its realm and begins to make and enforce laws that are contrary to God’s will Christians must follow the example of the midwives and Peter.  Egypt’s king did not recognize that God’s laws held rank over his laws (Exodus 5:2).  The civil authorities of today often likewise overlook this fact.  Christians need not only recognize this fact, but also must be bold and courageous enough to act accordingly when the time comes.

The king of Egypt questioned the midwives for their disobedience (Exodus 1:18).  Their reply in verse 19 does not seem to be entirely truthful when compared to verse 17.  Some scholars point to verse 20 where God deals well with the midwives and ask if God is sanctioning their deception.  Is this true?  God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).  His word is truth (John 17:17).  God does not uphold lying, so let’s consider some plausible alternatives.

First, it is possible that the way they saved the Hebrew boys was by not being involved in their births.  If they were informed of a Hebrews woman going into labor, the midwives may have hesitated and were dilatory in their arrival. The sons of the Hebrew women may then have been born prior to the midwives’ arrival, so the midwives could have told the truth, at least part of it. 

Let us also remember that Exodus 1:20 does not necessarily indicate that God blessed them for lying to the king.  Verse 20 is saying they were blessed because they feared God rather than Pharaoh, not for their deception. It is much like the situation with Rahab the harlot (Joshua 2). Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 commend Rahab for her reception of the spies, but her lying to the king’s servants is not mentioned in these commendations.  The deception of the midwives and of Rahab are both told as part of the story and no comment is made regarding God’s judgment of these individual acts; thus, God is not sanctioning the lies.  The Bible does not have to stop each time a sin is committed in historical narratives and make a comment as to what is right and wrong and why.

Finally, we should remember that God judges man based on the overall tenor of his life.  God does not take the worst moments in our lives and judge us by them alone.  Faithful people like Abraham, the midwives, and Rahab lied on occasions when they felt their lives were at stake.  It was not right, but God forgave them and considered the overall picture of their lives and what their aim was.  Would any of us do better if we were in the same situation?  Hopefully we would, but if not, we ought to be thankful that God is forgiving. When we fall short of His glory, as we all do (Romans 3:23), He is willing to forgive us if we repent of our sins and confess them to Him (1 John 1:9).

Since the New Year is here and we are contemplating the passage of time, the inspired words of the apostle Paul in Romans 13:11-14 are apropos:

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Three instructions stand out in this passage.

1. Wake Up

Paul says it is high time to awake out of sleep. The apostle was concerned about followers of Christ falling into a spiritual stupor. He frequently writes to Christians to wake up. Not only does he tell those in Rome to do so, but in Ephesians 5 Paul emphasizes the need to be awake and make the most of the time (v.16) after quoting from the prophet Isaiah: “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Eph. 5:14). To his converts at Thessalonica, whom he had to abruptly leave after their conversion (Acts 17:1-10), Paul wrote: “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:6-8).

2. Get Dressed

Paul’s instructions to put on these pieces of the armor in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 brings us to the second instruction–being properly attired. The works of darkness are to be cast off; the armor of light must be donned (Rom. 13:12). We put on the Lord Jesus Christ initially in baptism (Gal. 3:27); yet, Paul exhorts Christians to put on the Lord Jesus Christ in their behavior (Rom. 13:14). Colossians 3:8 lists sins we must put off. Colossians 3:12 give virtues we must put on as the elect of God. A parallel in his epistle to the Ephesians is, “that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). Ephesians goes on to detail certain sinful habits and dispositions to “put away” (Eph. 4:25-31); moreover, it details the whole armor of God which Christians must “put on” (Eph. 6:10-17).   Almost as if we were changing out of graveclothes (Jn. 11:44), the Christian has been given new life and must put off the former sins associated with spiritual death and put on the Christian armor associated with light and life.

3. Walk in the Light

The daily activity of the Christian is described as walking honestly, as in the day (Rom. 13:13). Paul warned Christians how to walk (Eph. 4:17, 5:15). This is similar to the familiar passage John gives on walking in the light (1 Jn. 1:5-9). What habits will you break, form, or continue in 2025? Let us examine ourselves so that our habit is to walk in the light of God’s word (Psa. 119:105).

The Holy Spirit is God as much as the Father and the Son are God (Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). When Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3), he indeed lied to God (Acts 5:4). The Holy Spirit was there in the beginning of creation (Gen. 1:2) The Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force. Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit using personal pronouns, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn. 16:13, 14; cf. Jn. 14:26). The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph. 4:30); this statement would be nonsense if the Holy Spirit was merely energy or power but is entirely understandable since He is a person.

The Holy Spirit has worked in revealing the truth through inspired men and providing miraculous confirmation (2 Pet. 1:20-21; Heb. 2:1-4). David wrote, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2). The psalms David wrote came about by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1, He prefaced it by saying, “For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool,’” (Mk. 12:36). The Spirit inspired prophets like Elijah and Elisha who did not write books of the Old Testament, but nevertheless spoke to Israel to turn from their idolatry (1 Kings 17:1; 18:21, 22; 2 Kings 2:15). The Spirit also gave Samson miraculous strength to deliver Israel from their enemies (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14).

The Old Testament came about through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Likewise, the New Testament is what the Holy Spirit revealed through the apostles and prophets (Eph. 3:5). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit enabled the apostles to engage in miraculous activity which we do not see in the Old Testament. For example, speaking in other languages (Acts 2:6, 8, 11; 1 Cor. 14) and casting out demons (Mt. 10:8; Lk. 10:17) were abilities provided by the Holy Spirit in New Testament times, which we have no account of in the Old Testament (Mk. 16:17) —though the Holy Spirit did give an indication through Isaiah that speaking in other tongues was coming (Isa. 28:11; 1 Cor. 14:21).

The Holy Spirit has been the great revealer of divine truth throughout time. The Bible, the completed revelation of God to us, is a result of the Spirit’s work. The Spirit confirmed the word through accompanying miraculous signs (Mk. 16:17-20). God has not asked us to believe someone is speaking for Him without proof. The miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit serve as authentication. We must then beware of any who claim to be a spokesperson for God when miraculous confirmation is lacking, and the content of the teaching contradicts the Bible (Rev. 2:20). The Spirit’s work today will not oppose what He has revealed in the Scriptures.

We are to have a mindset of humble, sacrificial service for others (Phil. 2:5). The example of Jesus Christ is the greatest incentive for us in this regard because His total, voluntary humiliation for the benefit of others (Phil. 2:6-8) was followed by His great exaltation by the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). Jesus as deity is so much better than the angels (Heb. 1:4); however, He became man, made lower than the angels, to experience death (Psa. 8:5; Heb. 2:7-9).

Jesus did not use His divine position and power to assert Himself. He was tempted to take the selfish shortcut to have all the earthly authority and carnal glory of the kingdoms of this world without sacrifice for others (Lk. 4:5-7), but His firm resolve was to serve God (Lk. 4:8) by giving His life as a ransom (Mk. 10:45). He endured the cross, then sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). He now has all authority in heaven and earth (Mt. 28:18).

In light of the absolute sacrifice of Christ, where then does our self-assertion stand? What of our claims to supremacy over others? They vanish. To Christ belongs the highest glory we can offer. Our knees should bow in submission to His authority (Phil. 2:10); our tongues should confess His Lordship over us (Phil. 2:11). While this submission and confession will come from all on the day we stand before Christ’s judgment seat (Rom. 14:11), Christians offer them voluntarily now in response to His great love for us, “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

Let us follow the example of Christ. Jesus taught us to humble ourselves that we may be exalted in due time (Mt. 18:4; 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14). James 4:10 commands, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” The first epistle of Peter is filled with exhortations to submit to those to whom the Lord has delegated authority and surrender to suffering which will come our way as Christians. At the end of these exhortations, Peter sums them up by saying, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,” (1 Pet. 5:6). Before I receive the crown of life, I must take up the cross daily by enduring suffering and tribulation (Rev. 2:10; Lk. 9:23).

Lord, help us to learn from you the motivation of love which serves others (Gal. 5:13). While we are here on earth, shape us to be servants like Jesus Christ so that we one day hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Mt. 25:21, 23).