Bible ReadingExodus 1:15-21 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”
[50:46] But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
[50:47] So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”
[53:57] The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
[54:24] So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.
[58:18] And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
[55:34] John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
[42:24] Genesis 22:1-14 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
[56:27] He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
[56:31] So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
[56:48] On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
[56:50] Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”
[56:52] And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.
[56:59] And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
[57:03] Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
[57:10] When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
[56:52] Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
[56:52] But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
[57:13] He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
[57:17] And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns.
[57:19] And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
[57:19] So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
[57:19] Observation questions- In Exodus 1, what exactly does Pharaoh command the midwives to do, and what do they actually do instead?
- What details in the passage show that Shiphrah and Puah’s resistance was quiet and repeated rather than loud or dramatic? [50:56]
- In John 16:33, what two things does Jesus say will both be true at the same time for His people?
- In Genesis 22, what does Abraham do and say that shows he is obeying God even before he understands how God will provide? [57:10]
Interpretation questions- Exodus says the midwives “feared God.” If that fear is reverence, love, and not wanting to lose connection with God, how does that change the way their courage should be understood? [56:18]
- Pharaoh has public power, but the midwives have influence in the hidden place of the delivery room. What does that suggest about where faithful obedience often happens?
- Shiphrah and Puah do not see the whole outcome, yet their obedience becomes part of Israel’s redemption. Why is it important that God often calls people to faithfulness before showing them the full result? [58:59]
- Jesus says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” How does that keep courage from becoming mere optimism or denial? [01:03:27]
Application questions- Many people feel anger, sadness, and powerlessness when they look at the world. Where has that been most real lately, and what would it look like to “take heart” there instead of giving way to despair? [41:09]
- The fear of God can grow so large that the fear of man begins to lose its grip. In what setting is the fear of people strongest right now—work, family, friendships, or somewhere else—and what makes it hard to speak or act truthfully there? [01:04:24]
- Everyone has a kind of “delivery room,” a place where pressure meets obedience. Where is that place right now: a conversation, a pattern at work, a family story, or a relationship built around silence? [59:35]
- Quiet courage is often more faithful than dramatic courage. What might the next right thing be in a situation where there is no applause, no guarantee, and no clear ending yet? [01:04:43]
- Shiphrah and Puah resisted in a way that made courage imaginable for others too. Has someone’s steady faithfulness ever helped make obedience possible for you? How might your obedience strengthen someone else? [58:10]
- Jesus knows fear from the inside. When fear feels physical, heavy, or overwhelming, how does it help to remember Gethsemane and the cross? [01:01:12]
- Small obedience can bend history even when its impact is hidden. What is one act of faithfulness that feels too small to matter right now, and what would it look like to trust God with it anyway? [01:03:43]
