Women of Valor: Puah, The Midwife with Great Faith

by David Chadwick

I love the special women God has put in my life. I have seen biblical strengths of women of valor in my own mom, my wife, my daughter, my daughters-in-law, my granddaughters, and many others. I believe strong, Godly women play such an important role in God’s story. Women are made uniquely in the image of God, just like men, but carry unique parts of his heart that men don’t have.

We are looking at some of the women of valor in the Bible, particularly in the book of Exodus. Yesterday, I told you about a woman named Shiphrah. And if you were reading her story in Exodus 1, you probably noticed that I waited to mention the other midwife of this story.

I feel like both midwives were so significant that they each deserved their own day.

In Mark 6:7, when Jesus called the twelve disciples, he began to send them out two by two. There is something significant about two people standing together in strength and courage.

Shiphrah was strong, but probably stronger because she stood next to Puah. And vice versa.

Alongside Shiphrah, Puah protected and oversaw the birth of male babies in spite of Pharaoh’s edict to have all Hebrew baby boys murdered. Puah is another true heroine of the faith and a woman of valor.

Along with her probable friend and fellow midwife, Shiphrah, she stood against a dark and evil force. Because of her great faith, male babies lived, the nation of Israel grew and grew. Over time, these people entered the Promised Land and eventually ushered Jesus into the world.

This Jesus is the one who crushed the head of the serpent in the Garden of Eden who stimulated sin into the world. No wonder the enemy motivated Pharoah to kill the male babies in Egypt. The enemy was trying to thwart the birth of Jesus later on.

Note as well that like Shiphrah, Puah, too, was blessed by God with her own family! You really do reap what you sow. Because Puah sowed seeds of life, protection, birth of babies and children to families, God gave her a great family.

Puah’s great faith is rewarded. Her great faith helped form a nation. And through this nation God brought in Jesus, the Savior of all of the world.

Shiphrah and Puah: two midwives purposefully appointed by God to show us all the importance of faithful obedience to God and his sovereign plan for the world.