Exodus 1:20-21
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
These verses show us something very beautiful about the heart of God. The midwives feared Him, and the Lord took note of it. Pharaoh may have been enraged with them, but God was pleased with them. The king of Egypt stood for death, but these women stood on the side of life, and the Lord honored them for it. The text says plainly that God dealt well with the midwives, and that because they feared Him, He made them houses. In other words, He blessed them. He cared for them. He rewarded the reverence and courage that had moved them to do what was right in His sight.
The point here is not that God approves of deception, as though lying were suddenly a small matter. Scripture never encourages us to treat sin lightly. But that is not the emphasis of the passage. The emphasis is that these women feared God, refused to become instruments of murder, and put themselves at risk in order to protect life. That is what the Lord highlights. That is what He chooses to honor. He saw the reverence in their hearts and the courage in their actions, and He responded to that.
That ought to encourage us, because it says something about the gracious way God deals with His people. He is not blind to our faults, and He certainly knows where correction is needed. He convicts, He disciplines, and He calls us to repentance when we go astray. But He is not harsh in the way He looks at His children. He is not eager to crush them under the weight of every imperfection. He has a way of seeing what is good, what is sincere, what is born out of a heart that fears Him, and He delights to honor that.
That is a great comfort.
If the Lord dealt with us only on the basis of where we fell short, who could stand? If He fixed His eye only on every flaw, every mixed motive, every stumble, and every weakness, we would have no hope at all. But our Father is gracious. He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. And in His kindness, He often looks upon the work of faith, the movement of obedience, the desire to honor Him, and He blesses what was done for His sake.
That is part of what Paul was getting at in Philippians 1:10 when he spoke of approving the things that are excellent. There is a way of living that is always searching for what is wrong, always ready to magnify failure, always eager to point out defects. But that is not the spirit of our Father. He is truthful, but He is also kind. He is holy, but He is also generous in mercy. He does not ignore sin, but neither does He refuse to acknowledge what was done in faith.
So when I read about these midwives, I do not just see two women in ancient Egypt. I see a picture of the kindness of God. He saw their fear of Him. He saw the danger they embraced in order to do what was right. He saw their willingness to value life when the world around them valued power. And He said, in essence, I see that, and I am going to honor it.
That is our God. He is far kinder than we are. He knows how to correct without crushing, and He knows how to commend what was done in faith. He dealt well with the midwives, and that same gracious heart is still seen in the way He deals with His people today.