Dale Ridge church of Christ

In the Book of Exodus we read of how the king of Egypt commanded the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah to kill the Hebrew baby boys as soon as they were born (Ex. 1:15-16).  We know from history that to disobey the king was punishable by death.  Yet, we read in verse 17 how these two midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered.  They saved the male children alive, and we see in verses 20 and 21 how God dealt well with the midwives and even made them houses.  We know from verse 18 that the king of Egypt even questioned them about their behavior towards the Hebrew male babies, but yet, the midwives were not killed for their disobedience. 

 In Acts  5:27-29we are told how when Peter and the other apostles were brought before the Jewish high council and was reprimanded for teaching about Jesus after they had been told not to do so, they responded by saying “We ought to obey God rather than man.”  After saying this and preaching about Jesus to the council, Peter and the other apostles were taken and beaten and then were told again not to speak in Jesus’ name; yet, we read in verse 42 of Chapter 5, how they “ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” in the temple and in every house. 

In our lives as Christians, we need to ask ourselves:  whom do we serve?  God or man?  Do we allow our Christianity to take a back seat when persecution arises?  Or do we continue to obey God even in the face of opposition?  Let us always remember what Paul wrote in II Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”  May we always choose to serve God rather than man.

Published by Michael  Email This Post  Print This Post
Filed under: Uncategorized on November 1st, 2009