Courage to Save

Lord, you opened the meaning of the scriptures to the disciples and set their hearts ablaze. By the power of your Spirit kindle our hearts as we hear your word proclaimed, that we may receive you with joy. Amen.

Today we are going to do something we do not normally do, we are going to start a sermon series. I felt we need something different to push us into spring and also to highlight some parts of the Bible we don't always get to focus on. So welcome to the sermon series I am calling Unthinkable Courage.

Unthinkable Courage is a sermon series all about women of the bible doing unthinkable things, not because they should not do something, but because they had the courage to help. The Bible is full of stories of the lives of women who play a unique role in the unfolding of God’s plans throughout history. From Eve to Deborah to Pheobe, these women introduce us to a variety of experiences, challenges and contributions. In some moments we see weakness and danger of falling into sin, yet in others we see acts of

courage. They were mothers, wives, leaders, prophets and more, shaping biblical history in profound ways. So today we look at these stories to see the lessons they have to share with us about faith, resilience, wisdom, obedience and redemption.

The goal of the series is looking at the stories of women in the bible to inspire courage in everyone. When we are solely focused on Jesus Christ, we can miss out on the people who came before him to get us to where we are. In addition, this series is a reminder that God works through all people, regardless of gender or status, to fulfill God’s promises. This inclusion of women throughout the Bible further enriches God’s message of love, grace and salvation for all.

To understand our series, we need to understand and define the word courage. First, it’s important to know that the word courage come from the Latin word cor, related to heart. We often hear the phrase “take heart,” when people are talking about courage. One definition tells us that courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. Another says courage is mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Still another says courage is the confidence to act in accordance with one's beliefs or to nerve oneself to perform an action. That’s a lot of definitions.

How do we choose a definition? We don’t. We take them together and discover courage is action. Courage is not idle but takes chances in the midst of danger. Courage is strength, bravery, confidence and more. Now that we understand the word we can look at our scripture today.

It has probably been quite some time since you last read or even heard the story of Moses’ birth in the book of Exodus so let me give you some context of where we are:

Before Exodus, there is Genesis the first book. The Book of Genesis tells the story of beginnings, of the world, humanity, and God’s relationship with His chosen people. In Genesis, we are introduced to a lot of people important to the Israelites story. We encounter the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah and the flood. Then the focus shifts to God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. It follows the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s sons, especially Joseph.

Joseph is how the Israelites get to stay in Egypt. Now his story is a sermon for another day, but it is important to know some details for our scripture this morning. The end of Genesis focuses on Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt and the reunion of his family. While in prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker—predictions that come true. Later, Pharaoh has troubling dreams, and Joseph is brought in to interpret them, foretelling seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Impressed, Pharaoh appoints Joseph as a high official to manage Egypt’s resources.

During the famine, Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food, not recognizing him. After testing them, Joseph reveals his identity and forgives them, seeing God’s hand in his journey. He invites his entire family, including his father Jacob, to settle in Egypt. I’ll stop there, but if you want to know more I encourage you to read the end of Genesis.

So, the Book of Exodus kicks off with the Israelites thriving in Egypt. We’re talking rapid growth. Big families, strong people, good vibes. They were having a good time. Here comes a brand-new Pharaoh… who has zero memory of Joseph and is not impressed by the Israelites. He looks around, sees how numerous the Israelites have become, and basically says, yeah, this feels like a future problem. So instead of welcoming them, he decides, let’s make their lives miserable! He enslaves them and puts them to work building massive cities. It’s harsh, exhausting, and unfair. But the more he oppresses them, the more they keep multiplying. Not exactly the result he was hoping for. Then Pharaoh escalates. He secretly tells two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: “Hey, if it’s a baby boy… don’t let him live.” The midwives want no part in this plan, they fear God more than Pharaoh, so they ignore his order and let the babies live. When Pharaoh asks what’s going on, they basically say, “Uh… Hebrew women are just really fast at giving birth. Nothing we can do!”

Pharaoh isn’t buying it, but instead of giving up, he goes even further. He orders everyone in Egypt: “If you see a Hebrew baby boy, throw him into the Nile.” And this is just the first chapter of the book.

In Moses’ story there are many women who come to his rescue. In the first chapter alone, we see Shiphrah and Puah, who knew what Pharaoh was trying to do and chose to be courageous to save all children. In our scripture today we meet three unnamed women who will be the reason Moses survives and becomes the leader he is supposed to be.

First, Moses’ mother. What should be a joy-filled moment in her life and for her family has become more dangerous than she had ever imagined. She is just trying to survive in a place where her people are oppressed, her family is probably struggling, and she already has other children. When she should be preparing to love this little one, she instead must hide herself and the baby. However, she shows us the first act of courage. She gave birth to a baby boy and chooses to keep him. Then she does the unthinkable in hopes that someone would have pity on him, she placed him in a basket and sent him down the Nile. This was intentional because everyone uses the river, especially women. No one would have known where the baby came from and someone with a big heart would find him and care for him. This is a bold choice to be sure that her son had a chance to live.  

Second, Moses’ sister. After watching her mother give up her young brother, Moses’ sister can’t bear just watching him float away, so she follows him watching to see what would happen to him. We don’t know how old she was when all this was happening, but she was old enough to know the Israelite were in danger, especially the babies. As the oldest of my siblings, I understand the feelings of Moses’ sister. To experience the joy in a family when a new baby is on the way and be excited for a new friend to play with, but if anything were to happen to them it would be devastating. This was her act of courage to watch over her little brother as he floated down the river and then she witnessed Pharaoh’s daughter find him in the basket.

However, her bold unthinkable courage was stepping in and asking if she could go get the baby’s mother, while knowing it was her brother. That takes bravery and good nerves not to reveal who she is. This is a child with a big heart. Because she was there, her brother is going to be reunited with their family.

Third, Pharaoh’s daughter. What a coincidence that she would be the one down at the river when the baby is placed in a basket and left. She is there to bathe and certainly would not be expecting anyone around, except for her attendants. Then she sees the basket and tells them to bring it to her. “⁶ She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him.” Pharaoh’s daughter would know exactly what was going on and we can tell she did not agree with what her father was doing.  “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. She says this because she knows guards were searching for children to get rid of them. So, to see a child in a basket floating down river she knew the mother had no other choice. Her first act of courage was to find someone to care for the child and pay them to do so. This is not her child, but she cares for him after seeing him and she wanted to give him the chance to live. It is important to note here that if her father found out that she did something like this both she and the child would be in danger. But she does it anyway.

Then she does the unthinkable and adopts the child. She paid Moses’ mother to take care of her own child and then when he is older, she adopts him and names him. Now the man who hated the Israelites is the grandfather of a Hebrew child and he has no idea. If this isn’t bold and courageous, I don’t know what is.

So, what are these women teaching us? These women are some of the quiet heroes we often overlook. None of them hold formal power, but together they preserve life, resist injustice, and move God’s story forward.

Five women. Five women are the reason the Israelites would later escape Egypt. Shiphrah and Puah, are obedient to God and not Pharaoh. Moses’s mother gave birth, hid her child and sent him down river to be found. She teaches that courage isn’t always loud; sometimes it’s choosing to protect life in small, faithful ways. Moses’ sister watches over her little brother to make sure he would be safe. When the moment comes, she steps in wisely. She shows attentiveness and timing. Even young voices can shape outcomes when they speak with courage. Pharaoh’s daughter takes in a child she knew her father hated for unjust reasons. She models moral courage: doing what is right even when it goes against the culture or authority around you.

Most of these women remain unnamed in this chapter. Still, their impact is enormous. They teach that significance isn’t tied to visibility. Because of their courage, not only is a life saved but the Israelites are saved too. They remind us that even in oppressive systems, individuals, especially those overlooked, can resist, protect life, and participate in something much bigger than themselves.

This is courage. This courage is unthinkable. This courage is unthinkable because who in their right mind would willingly put themselves in harm’s way. Who would take an unnecessary risk with no guarantee of a real reward? Who would think that because of their courage someone else would be saved? Well Jesus Christ did. This unthinkable courage models the character of Jesus Christ himself.

Courage can look like many things and many different people. But courage can also look like you, and you and you. Don’t be afraid of what life puts in your way, don’t be afraid of where God may be leading you, don’t be afraid of trusting in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because one day it may save another person, one day it could save you. Amen.