Links for today’s readings:
Read: Exodus 2 Listen: (3:18), Read: Matthew 13 Listen: (7:23)
Scripture Focus: Exodus 2:6, 10
6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. …
10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
Reflection: Subverting a King’s Order
By Erin Newton
The final words of Exodus 1 are a genocidal edict from Pharaoh. An entire generation of foreign workers were targeted simply because there were a lot of them. The king thinks the Hebrew community will “join my enemies,” thus prejudging them as a sort of problem.
But we see the subversive plan of God at work in chapter 1 when many babies were saved, because Shiphrah and Puah saw each person as valuable and defied the pharaoh’s orders. And just a few verses later, a baby survives by the hands of an Egyptian woman!
Here she is—a member of the powerful, royal family and the majority ethnic group—looking at a Hebrew baby with compassion. In the narrative she stands as a parallel to the same bravery displayed by Shiphrah and Puah.
Pharaoh’s daughter defies her father’s order, not out of some hormonal weakness, but because she sees value in humanity. Despite her family—her community of influence—she made a choice based on principles.
Shiphrah and Puah are among the targeted community. Their actions are strategic, successful, and brave. Pharaoh’s daughter is among the abuser’s community. Her actions are thoughtful, merciful, defiant, and morally right. Shiphrah, Puah, and Pharaoh’s daughter looked at the law of the land, saw it for the evil it was, and did the opposite.
As in ancient history, leaders today are promoting decisions that cast people out, labeling them as the enemy, and pursuing any avenue to eliminate them. When leaders (even leaders we like) choose power over people, over peace, or over principles, we don’t have to follow them or obey them.
For many of us, we are not in the demographic targeted by these decisions. Pharoah’s daughter couldn’t overturn the mandate, or save everyone, but she did what she could for who she could.
When laws or policies are cruel or unjust, what can you do where you are for those affected? Can we be like the brave women of this story? Are we speaking Pharaoh’s words, “throw them into the Nile” or his daughter’s, “I drew him out of the water.”
We are standing by the Nile. The cries of the children and their parents call out. We can stand against evil edicts and save lives or stand by and watch the once-cleansing waters soon turn to blood.
Choose principles over power. Be ready to recognize when your own people are wrong.
Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus said: “In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” — John 8.34-36
– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: Exceptional Emperors
Nero was an exceptionally bad emperor but Peter made no exception for the character his readers must demonstrate.
Read more: Resisting in Faith
In the midst of one of the most powerful and evil governments in history, Daniel understood…Their calling was to speak to power, not to strike at it.
