Exodus’s story of oppression and liberation opens with a reference to the nation forgetting its history.  Here is a quick recap!  Abraham and Sarah’s grandson Joseph was a dreamer, young, fashion forward, a bit braggadocious, and a snitch. His brothers sell Joseph into slavery. Driven, cunning, and wise, Joseph overcame slavery to save Egypt, becoming the day-to-day ruler, only answering to Pharoah.  Egypt was the superpower and breadbasket of the ancient world!  Joseph’s unlikely dreams came true.  Decades passed and a famine ravaged Israel. Joseph’s now middle-aged brothers caravanned to Egypt hoping to buy grain to simply survive.  The brothers must appear before Joseph. Instead of exacting revenge or maybe justice, Joseph forgives his brothers and gives them sanctuary inside Egypt. Joseph buys them farmland, seed and oxen. Joseph’s dad, Israel, along with his 11 brothers and their many wives and children migrate to Egypt, settling in the land of Goshen. 

In Goshen these Hebrews stood out with a different religion, language, accent, clothing and style. There were new vegetables, flavors and foods at the Goshen farmer’s market.  Surely some murmured about these early monotheists and their strange resistance to Egyptian customs and gods.  Decades passed and a new king came to power who forgot about Joseph saving the nation. Pharaoh feared these immigrants growing power and whispered “Let’s push these people down, but we let’s be smart about it, not too obvious”  The Egyptians used violence and cruel labor practices to harass the Hebrews locking them into low-paying hard labor, making them built cities that others got to enjoy.  “But (hear the Good News) the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they grew and spread.” Unmoved,“the Egyptians started to look at the Israelites with disgust and dread. So the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites. They made their lives miserable with hard labor, making mortar and bricks, doing field work, and by forcing them to do all kinds of other cruel work.”  

What did Hebrew life look like before the redlining, racist sheriffs, and roving midnight gangs? Was it like Tulsa in 1921 when white gangs conspired with local lawmen to destroy what was once called  “black wall street?”  Exodus is a story of systemic oppression and God’s response. We see God’s response In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses through the Burning Bush; “I have heard the people’s cry on account of their taskmasters and I am sending you to free my people!”  

Our baptismal vows ask us: “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?”

It is easy to focus on our Christian duty to resist evil and overlook the hopeful promise “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you?” God gives us all freedom and power.  In Exodus’s telling, Moses will wield fantastic powers like a creation-powered superhero: stick to snake, Nile River to blood, two million frogs, endless lice, days of flies, livestock pestilence, a pandemic of boils, wheat destroying hail, legions of crop eating locusts, darkness all day, and worse. The plagues or “blows’ come on like an  escalating protest slowly breaking Egypt’s economic backbone and forcing Pharaoh to end slavery. 

When I read of Burning Bushes or Moses dividing the Red Sea, I sometimes wonder if I have a clear enough call and enough power to challenge and change a broken system? Our baptismal vows promise that God has given us freedom and power to resist and overcome evil, injustice and oppression.   Jesus goes so far as to promise the church, “that the gates of hell will not be able to stand against you.”  (Matthew 16) 

In our story the king of Egypt orders Shiphrah and Puah to commit genocide- just the two midwives assigned to the Hebrews.  Evil often avoids open proclamations. Evil likes to hide its intentions- evil should be embarrassing.

Now the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order. 

Shiphrah and Puah simply respected God; they did not need a Burning Bush moment or to string together a series of Bible verses in order to disobey the king’s order. Their moral compass is enough. “they respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order.” They act on their God-given freedom and power to change a broken system.  What power do Shiphrah and Puah hold? These midwives are attentive, empathetic, ethical, courageous, and clever.  They have a strong enough moral compass to risk their careers and even their lives.  They are willing to bend and even break rules in order to do what is right. 

Now the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order.

On Monday at least 50 Belmonters encircled the Tennessee Legislature offering up prayers for sensible gun reform.  As we marched up the steps a counter-protester stood there peacefully holding up a sign: “don’t shred the constitution”.  I thought about their sign and how deeply we venerate the constitution, then I remembered that we had come to pray and how: “the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the king’s order.” No matter how wonderful any constitution may be, ultimately we answer to a higher calling. . 

In 1963, Dr. King wrote from inside a Birmingham jail, “There are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. ‘An unjust law is no law at all.’ (St. Augustine) .

Now the two midwives respected God so they didn’t obey the Egyptian king’s order. 

So the king of Egypt called the two midwives and said to them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you not following my orders?” Now, many stridently preachers, prophets and advocates might demand that Shiphrah and Puah tell the truth and face the consequences. I can hear them judging these bold enough women.  What if these midwives openly refused to obey the law? Pharaoh surely would have installed two new midwives.  So Shiphrah and Puah lie, “The Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women. They’re much stronger and give birth before any midwives can get to them.” That lie is even a bit of a burn on the Egyptians. 

So what are the consequences for these lies? “God blessed Shiphrah and Puah” for all they did to resist evil and preserve life.   It is easier when everything is black-and-white, clearly spelled out and we know exactly what to do. When is life as simple as that? Life confounds us with  many less than ideal options. And we must rely on the freedom and power that God has  baked into our inner moral compasses. Not everything is as simple as finding the right Bible verse and plugging it into the moment.  Our passage shows us a verse as straightforward and good as: “Do not lie” at times is not the ethical solution. And yet, God is with us: we can find our way even through the grayest moments of moral ambiguity.  

Fueled by their respect for God, Shiphrah and Puah, find their way, muster their courage, and boldly resist evil.  If we read on, Pharoah will get worse before things get better.  But, surely  Shiphrah and Puah’s story inspired Moses’s mom to hide that beautiful baby, float Moses’ basket right into Pharaoh’s daughter’s arms, so that the racist and evil king will help raise a Hebrew grandchild, who will one day undo Egyptian slavery. That is a brilliant resistance to evil, injustice, and oppression.    

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? Not every morally demanding moment involves national politics, plenty of little systemic injustices dot our families, our workplaces, the teams our children play on, our social media and our real world conversations.  Interestingly, Shiphrah and Puah seem to keep on working for an evil boss like Pharoah! Judge them if you enjoy judgment.  (Matthew 7) They did what they could. We may not be able to unleash a swarm of locusts on the legislature or that unsettling uncle, but God has given us all the freedom and power to do what we can do.  We don’t always need a burning bush or even black and white answer, because maybe a deep respect for God and love for our neighbor is enough light to guide us through the grayness of days.  Your kind words, your standing with the oppressed, your listening to the hurting, your advocating, your refusal to comply, your making a basket, your hiding in the reeds, your peace-making, your vote, your call, your presence, your prayers, your service, your gift, and your witness might be enough to begin remaking the world. God has given us freedom and power to resist evil, injustice, and oppression. Let us use it! Amen