Another look at the Exodus massacre story

(the main thought is not originally mine, and all credit to the Lord who gave that person the idea in the beginning)

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
Exodus 1:6-17

Historical Account

The above passage of Scripture is context for this post. The Israelites were in the land of Egypt, multiplying and increasing day by day. Generations had passed, a new Pharaoh arose who did not know the history of Joseph. Instead, he saw the Israelites as a threat and made them slaves. Nonetheless, they still grew and became a mighty nation within Egypt. When the Pharaoh saw he couldn’t get to them through external forces, he decided to step in and do something more: kill the male population to control the growth. He knew he couldn’t get to the Hebrew women, so he went straight to the midwives and commanded them to murder a male child when it came out of the womb. In an essence, Pharaoh was trying to get rid of the problem at its source. There was a little problem with that though. The midwives said no.

Midwife Metaphor

The Hebrew midwives to which Pharaoh spoke told him that they were not able to kill, murder, or abort the life of the male children. To get down to the point of the discussion though, the Hebrew midwives can metaphorically be paralleled to the Holy Spirit. Before you freak out, let me explain.

Pharaoh’s purpose was to kill off the Israelites. In the New Testament it states how those who are saved have become spiritual Israel. With that in mind, think of this account in a different light. Pharaoh, Satan, is trying to weaken the church. By adding external persecution, they do not fail. Instead they grow amid the fiery trials. Satan realizes this, so he steps in to abolish the growth at the source, the conception of new believers. He commands the midwives to kill the male children as soon as they enter this world. He wishes to steal the seed from the mind of a new believer only to have them choked up by weeds and fall away. However, instead of his plan working, the midwife responds with a simple no and a hilarious reason: “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.” (Exodus 1:19)

First, “they are lively”. I want to parallel a scripture for you so that you may see the beautiful overlapping story that is being shown here.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5

The Hebrew women were lively, and so is the church. We are lively stones built up for His kingdom. Coming together, we are a spiritual house, the body of Christ. Satan wishes to weaken the church and stop her from ministering and witnessing to the world, so he calls the midwife. Who delivers believers into this world through the groanings of the Church? The Holy Spirit. Satan tries to stop our ears to the Holy Spirit so that we may not bring sons and daughters into the kingdom of God.

The midwife comforts the woman when she labors in pain. Does not the Holy Spirit comfort us? Is that not His name? Comforter, Counselor, etc.

The Israelite Women vs. the Church

Referring back to the previous statement, the Israelite women were lively just as the Church today are lively stones built up for His kingdom. The Pharaoh of Egypt then was trying to abort the lives of the male children. Today the churches are aborting new believers by not giving them any sustenance in the sermon and not praying for them. For example, when a woman is in labor, it’s excruciating. The church labors in this world through interceding for the unbeliever and the doubter.

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
John 16:21

When the church seeks the Lord and falls on her face in despair over souls, the labor is hard and sudden. When the church stops crying and interceding for those stuck in the kingdom of darkness, we abort the possibility for those dear souls to be saved. Will the church listen to the Holy Spirit or satan? Will the Bride of Christ, the Israelite woman, listen to the decree of Pharaoh and not travail for the promise?

Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel travailed (1 Samuel 1-2)

Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin (Gen. 35)

Syrophenician woman (Mark 7)

There are so many more… the promise is there to grasp. The church travails for believers to be rebirthed into the Kingdom.

The Warning Call

Nonetheless, if we ignore the midwife and if we ignore the precious voice of the Holy Spirit, Christians will fail and become stale. The church must be spotless and have clean garments of righteousness. Otherwise, why would an unbeliever want to be born again if the church is just like the world? The church has a garment, a new coat of praise, given to her by her Husband. Let the Bride of Christ not have her wedding garments spoiled. Will the preachers, leaders, teachers, and pastors of this country rise up? Will they listen to the Holy Spirit and deliver the Word of Truth?

Wrapping it up

So, Beloved Church, will the followers of Christ stand up and travail once again for the lost souls? Will we face affliction and persecution? In Genesis 35, Rachel travailed and died in childbirth. Jesus died, and through His death the church was born. He was raised to life; His Bride pure and undefiled. If Pharaoh cannot get to the people through affliction, he tries to get to them by cutting off the future generation. Do not let him win. The church must stand up and cry over the lost souls. Affliction brings hope.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:3-5

Whenever the Church struggles, she is being tried and purified. It’s like a cocoon of a butterfly. The struggle is necessary, but if she comes out too early, she dies in her strength. If she waits for her Maker, she can fly! In affliction, the child shall be born. Pray in tears over the lost. Listen to the midwife who comforts the woman in pain. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter; He will counsel us through the fire. We must be open to listening to Him. Out of trouble comes patience; out of patience, experience, and hope. Salvation doesn’t come easy. The unbelieving are secured in darkness. I leave you with this:

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”
Charles Spurgeon

If you want to learn how to travail more in sorrow over the lost, please check out this ebook that helped me immensely!

Praying for the Lost