The Gospel in Exodus: Satan’s War on Babies

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States is hearing the first case that truly challenges the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973.  Worldwide there is an abortion almost every second, and it looks like we are on track to exceed 40-50 million abortions worldwide in 2021.  There are almost a million abortions per year in the US.  An estimated 1.5 billion people have been killed by abortion worldwide in the last 50 years.  In the Bible we see that the war on babies is not a new thing.  It even shows up in the Exodus story, when Pharaoh tries to commit genocide by killing the Hebrew baby boys.

“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”“  (Exodus 1:15-12)

There are two times in the scriptures when God has a deliverer coming into the world and satan tries to stop God’s plan by killing baby boys.  The first time we see this is when Moses is born.  Pharaoh is moved by satan to kill all of the male children born of the Hebrew women.  The second time we see this is when Jesus is born.  We read in Matthew chapter 2:

“Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”  So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.”  (Matthew 2:13-16)

In the Exodus story, Moses is saved by his mother putting him into a basket and placing it in reeds in the Nile river, where he is rescued and raised by Pharaoh’s daughter.  In the story of Jesus’ birth, God warns Joseph in a dream to flee, which he does, in order to save Jesus from the hand of Herod.  We see several other similarities in these two stories.

Both times, the chief instigator of the evil is tricked by key people around them, which kept them from killing God’s deliverer.  Pharaoh is tricked by the midwives, and God blesses the midwives for their courage and their unwillingness to go along with Pharaoh’s evil plan.  And King Herod is fooled by the wise men, who fail to return to him and report to him where the baby is.  This reminds us that what we do matters.  Our lives can make a difference in the lives of those around us, and that God can and does use anyone – even Egyptian midwives and Zoroastrian wise men – to accomplish His purposes.  The choices and decisions we make matter, and God notices.  There were many people who were alive during Moses birth whose names are not mentioned in the bible, but these midwives names are mentioned, even though we are not given Pharaoh’s name.

Another thing we see is the providence and omnipotence of God – that He is in control at all times, regardless of how bad things look.  He is all-powerful, and no one can stand against Him and His will.  His plans cannot be thwarted.  In both stories we have a king, the most powerful person in the story, determined to kill a baby, the weakest and most helpless person in the story, and yet the baby prevails over the king in both instances.  Moses and Jesus both survive satan’s attempt to destroy them through a king’s efforts.  God is so powerful and capable that in his hands even a helpless baby is safe from the most powerful person in the land.  This reminds of us of the verses in Romans 8:28-39 – that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose; that if God is for us, who can be against us; and that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Starting last century, satan began a new war on babies through the rampant use of abortion on a worldwide scale. It makes us wonder who is he trying to stop from coming into the world this time?  Does God have some special people who have been born into the world recently, and the abortion epidemic was merely satan’s war on babies firing up again in an effort to thwart God’s plans?  Time will tell.  It is certainly something to think about.  It is good to see that this evil Supreme Court decision is finally being challenged, and as the leader of the world, if we choose to restrain this great evil, perhaps other countries will follow us and do so as well.

There is one other aspect of this part of the Exodus story that we must consider, and that is whether or not the deliverer has been born into our lives personally.  Has the Christ-child been born into your life, or is satan still keeping that from happening in your life?  We are nearing the time of the year where we celebrate Jesus birth into the world, and the question to ask ourselves is whether or not Jesus has been born into our lives?  Has Jesus and the power of the gospel come into our lives and delivered us from slavery to sin, or are we still in bondage? Has God worked His miracle of deliverance in our lives?  Is Pharaoh winning the war for our heart, or has God’s deliverer set us free?  Our answer to this question is the most important thing that there is in our lives. I encourage you to ask God to send His deliverer, Jesus the messiah, into your life today, that you may be freed from bondage and walk in newness of life.

Lord God almighty, I come before you in Jesus name, and I ask that the Christ-child would be born into me.  I pray for deliverance from slavery to sin.  Come into my life, just as Moses and Jesus came into the world.  Perform your mighty acts of deliverance in my life, through the power of Jesus Christ, and through the power of Your gospel.  I pray that you would thwart satan’s efforts to oppose Your plan in my life, just as you did in the times of Moses and Jesus.  And we pray that you would end satan’s war on babies once and for all – that Your kingdom would come, here on earth as it is in heaven.  In Jesus name I pray, amen.