The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live (Exodus 1: 17).

It seems that so much of our culture is fear-based these days.  Bad news is all around us.  If you read the headlines on your phone or newspaper, you’ll find that we’re just steps away from catastrophe: Another existential threat is looming! And ticking-time bombs are just waiting to be uncovered! There’s always another disaster to fear, and the urge to run and hide kicks in.

This week’s story is full of fears.  The pharaoh fears the Israelites.  The Israelites, having been oppressed and enslaved by the Egyptians, are fearful about their future.  I can imagine the news of the day was heavily driven by fear of some new disaster looming just around the corner.  And unfortunately for the Israelites, the pharaoh’s attempt to enlist the midwives to kill the newborn sons was just this type of fearful news.

Fear is also used in this passage to describe how the midwives feel about God. The Bible tell us they feared God.  But their fear of God is based on reverence, respect, and awe.  They value what God values: human life, justice, caring for the vulnerable. These women know that God is real and active in the world. He stands above all else.  Their fear of God has them running to God, not away from God.

This story makes me realize that worldly fears can drive me to isolate myself and my family.  But the fear of God puts God first, and when I put God first, I can clearly see how the Spirit is active in the world around me.  I run towards the world that God loves, not away from it.  The Spirit encourages me to gather and worship the Lord on Sunday. I feel the push to stay connected with my small group.  I find the courage to volunteer where I know I can be valuable.  I feel inspired to be active in my children’s school and education. 

The midwives took a risk by ignoring the orders of Pharaoh and using that as a “let’s go!” moment to align with God. They moved closer to God. And blessing followed.  The same can be true for us!

Where is fear driving you to run away from something that you know the Spirit is calling you to pursue?  How might you allow the Lord to replace that fear with the fear of God that gets you running towards that good thing the Spirit is showing you?

If you’d like to read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can find it here.