Shiphrah and Puah: Holy Insubordinates

Sometimes what is right is not what is legal. As a country, we have gone far too long acting as if the law is our moral compass. So if the laws are not our moral compass, then what is?

As Christians, we will often say that the Bible is our moral compass, but even that get's complicated when you try to put it into practice? What part of it should count? Jesus saying to love your neighbor and love God seems right, but how about the part where The Levitical Priests aren't to wear a garment of mixed linen and wool (Leviticus 19:19), or the rule where you should pearce the ear of a slave who refuses to accept freedom (Exodus 21:5-6).

It may even feel simpler to just stick to the 10 commandments, but then what about when someone speeds or runs a red light? What about the abolition of slavery or the legality of Abortion? Those are not mentioned in the 10 commandments. The problem is that Laws, including biblical laws, are merely tools for the governing of human behvaior. No law will ever change intentions or someone's heart. 

So if we don't turn to laws for our moral compass, then where should we turn?

This Sunday we will learn from the example of Shiphrah and Puah, two Egyptians midwives who broke Pharaoh's command to kill all the Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:8-22). Their choice to ignore the law and then lie about what they did to the Egyptian rulers was a holy act of insubordination that was fully in line with God's will. How did they know the right thing to do in that moment? What was their moral compass?

I pray we all are able to draw a little closer to God's will as a result of Shiphrah and Puah's story this Sunday. I for one am eager to allow it to do transformative work in my life.