Exodus 1:18-19

And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

Pharaoh was not used to being disobeyed, so he called the midwives in and demanded an explanation. Why had they done this thing? Why were the baby boys still being allowed to live? The question itself shows how serious the moment was. These women were standing before the ruler of Egypt, a man who had the power to punish them severely, and yet they had chosen the fear of God over the fear of man.

Their answer is striking. They told Pharaoh that the Hebrew women were not like the Egyptian women, but were lively, delivering before the midwives could even arrive. In other words, by the time they got there, the child was already born and the opportunity had passed. It was a practical answer, and one that turned Pharaoh’s attention away from their refusal and toward the strength and vigor of the Hebrew women themselves.

What stands out to me here is that the same thing Pharaoh was trying to suppress kept showing itself anyway. He was trying to stop life, but life kept breaking through. He was trying to control the future of Israel, but he could not get his hands around it. Even the births themselves seemed to testify that God was preserving His people in spite of the plans of the king.

That is often the way the Lord works. The enemy schemes, threatens, and presses hard, but in the end he still cannot stop what God has determined to bring forth. Pharaoh sat on a throne and issued commands, but he was still powerless against the preserving hand of God. He could question the midwives, intimidate them, and try to tighten his grip, yet the children kept being born.

Life kept breaking through.

There is something beautiful in that. These women stood in a dark place, under real pressure, and yet the Lord gave them wisdom for the moment. They were not powerful in the eyes of Egypt, but they were walking in the fear of God, and that made all the difference. Pharaoh may have thought he was the one in control of the story, but heaven was already showing otherwise. The line of promise would not be extinguished. The purposes of God would not be aborted by the threats of a king.

So even in this tense exchange, we see the same lesson again. Man can oppose the work of God, but he cannot overthrow it. Pharaoh could summon the midwives and question them, but he could not stop the God who gives life, preserves His people, and moves history exactly where He intends it to go.