Exodus 2 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Should I go and call a woman from the Hebrews to nurse the boy for you?’ ‘Go.’ Pharaoh’s daughter told her. The girl went and called the boy’s mother. The Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.’ So the woman took the by and nursed him.” Exodus 2:7-9

At a time when Egyptian men were killing Hebrew babies, G_d used a force unstoppable by men to save Moses. He used women!

G_d drew from the innate nurturing tendencies that He naturally instills in females. Soldiers could kill a baby out of duty, but women would have to betray their natures, go against their very souls, to let a baby perish. To that end, I am utterly dumbfounded as to how any woman could work at an abortion clinic. The whole process goes against the nature of a woman at her deepest core.

In the words of one rabbinic commentary, “Pharaoh’s plans for the annihilation of the Israelite children are defeated by women: the human feelings of the midwives, the tender sympathy of a woman of royal birth, and a sister’s watchful resourcefulness in the face of extremity. It was to the merit of pious women that Israel owed its redemption in Egypt.”

I would add: G_d directed the hearts of those women to respond in the way He created them to, naturally.

Do you struggle beneath the weight of this world? Do you find it more and more difficult to honor G_d in your thoughts and actions, because of the “enemy’s” intimidation? Perhaps, it will help to remember the simple Proverb that we teach our children:

“Trust in the L_rd with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” Proverbs 3:5-7

Sometimes, when it seems the L_rd has allowed us to drift into the enemy’s hands, it is there that He provides our shelter and eventual deliverance. It is comforting to know we don’t have to save ourselves. Salvation does not depend on our resourcefulness, strength or piety. We need only to trust and obey the L_rd with all we have, and let Him guide our “basket” downstream, into the arms of His deliverance.

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Monday, March 3, 2014