Exodus 1:15
And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
The verse names Shiphrah and Puah as the two Hebrew midwives whom the king of Egypt addressed. After hard labor failed to lessen Israel, Pharaoh ordered them to kill every Hebrew boy at birth. Satan was the mover behind the order, seeking to destroy the male children to defeat God's purpose to raise up a deliverer and rescue Israel from oppression. The midwives feared God and refused to murder the children, saving the male children alive, and God approved and prospered them for disobeying the king. When his command was disobeyed Pharaoh was very angry and made it more urgent and extensive, charging all his people to kill every newborn Hebrew son by casting him into the river while saving every daughter alive. The verse also establishes the appointed pattern of women attending women in childbirth, calling for women to be thoroughly trained, entrusted, and valued as midwives and physicians for childbirth and women's health.
Pharaoh's Command and Response
The verse names Shiphrah and Puah as the two Hebrew midwives whom the king of Egypt addressed. After hard labor failed to lessen Israel, Pharaoh hardened his heart and went further, ordering the midwives to kill every Hebrew boy at birth. Satan was the mover behind the order, knowing that a deliverer was to be raised up among the Hebrews and thinking that destroying the male children would defeat God's purpose to rescue them from oppression.
The midwives feared God, dared not murder the children, refused the king's command, and saved the male children alive. God approved the midwives' course and prospered them because they disobeyed the king. When Pharaoh learned his command had not been obeyed, he was very angry and made it more urgent and extensive, charging all his people to keep strict watch to kill every newborn Hebrew son by casting him into the river while saving every daughter alive. This history of the Israelites is to be considered by God's people living in the last days.
Precedent for Women's Work
The naming of Shiphrah and Puah as Hebrew midwives addressed by the king of Egypt establishes the biblical pattern of women attending women in childbirth. Midwifery was women's appointed work of caring for women, with women in Bible times taking responsibility for the care of women in childbirth. The account presents women serving at childbirth as the precedent for training women and entrusting them with midwifery and care for women during childbirth. In that service of caring for women, the Lord worked with the women.
The example calls for women to be thoroughly trained and educated as midwives and physicians for women. They are to be entrusted with responsibility for childbirth, for women's private medical care, and for women's health and medical practice generally. Women are to be educated to handle childbirth cases and to provide skilled midwifery and medical care for other women. This practice of women attending women in childbirth should always be followed.
By this principle men should not perform this work. Men physicians are to intervene in childbirth cases only when circumstances require it. The work of women trained to care for women's health should be valued and paid in proportion to their service.