In the Bible, women have a strategic role in God’s plan and purpose. Praise God for all women of faith who accomplish marvellous things. In the plan of redemption, God would create a nation from the descendants of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. However, they would be slaves in Egypt until the Promised Land was ready to spew out the wicked nations that dwelt there. (Genesis 15:16-21) God prepared Moses to be the leader, deliverer, prophet and lawgiver. God used many women in his life to shape him to be useful to the Lord.
1) Shiprah and Puah: The Egyptian Pharaoh commanded the Midwives to kill all the male children. Shiprah and Puah refused to do the wicked thing, as they feared God. (Exodus 1:15) In God’s plan, Moses’ life was preserved by the Lord.
2) Mother Jochebed (Exodus 6:20): Moses’ mother was a strong woman of faith. She discerned Moses as God’s chosen child and hid him for three months. (Hebrews 11:23) God enabled her to be his parent paid by Pharaoh’s daughter. That helped her to instil godliness in him.
3) Sister Miriam (Exodus 2:1-10): Twelve-year old Miriam was a brilliant girl. She was watching standing afar off, three-month-old Moses among the bushes in a basket. When Pharaoh’s daughter saw Moses, Miriam volunteered to speak, and got permission to bring a Hebrew woman to be parent of the boy. Wisely, she brought Jochebed, and Moses was restored to family, but as surrogate family.
4) Pharaoh’s daughter: God sent Pharaoh’s daughter and her friends to the Nile river and they reached where they could find Moses. She became Moses foster mother, sponsor for her studies and benefactor.
5) Wife of Moses: Zipporah, the wife of Moses was a brilliant woman. Moses living in Midian did not circumcise his son. (Exodus 4:24-26) Moses had to be saved from death by Zipporah as he was about to be punished for not fulfilling the covenant; she circumcised their son.
Am I thankful to God for the contribution of women in God’s plan?