WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
August 25th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Never Without a Choice”
Exodus 1:8-2:10
It is a story that begins like most stories. From a young age we hear stories about kings, queens, princesses and princes. We imagine ourselves as valiant prince who save helpless princesses or that we are a princess in need of the knight in shining armor. These are children’s stories but they continue to shape our lives. Most of what we read and watch on television is the minutiae of the rich and famous. The trivia of their lives is continually presented as important news. This foolishness has captured our imaginations and it is a sign that we, like the king of Egypt, have forgotten all about Joseph. Joseph is the former slave who becomes the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Because we have forgotten this story, we have come to believe that unless we are important like Brad Pitt, Angelia Jolie, or Oprah Winfrey, that we cannot make an impact in the world. But before I say more about this, let take this text and do what we do best, focus on the rich and famous, the king.
It looks like the king is gets a bad rap in this story. After all, why should he worry about some fellow from the past? Joseph is long since dead and there are more important things on which to focus. This king has a vision, a goal and worrying about the past only gets in the way. The goal of this king is to build two great cities and in doing so he can insure his legacy. The king gathers his advisors, sets the vision, and begins to address the challenges. What is necessary to build cities?
The answer is simple but not be easy. The simple answer is labor, a lot of cheap labor. It is an age old problem that until just over a hundred and forty years ago meant slave labor. There are two ways to get slave labor, purchase or go to war. Since both ways are rather costly the king comes up with a solution a little closer to home. But, enslaving the Hebrews presented another problem. People are not enslaved willingly so the king must enlist the help of the Egyptian people. But the majority of people are seldom motivated to enslave others simply over economics. So faced with this hurdle the king rolls out the propaganda machine.
The king uses the oldest trick of government propaganda: Fear! Making the Hebrew people a threat to national security helps to motivate the people. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As a result of this simplistic but effective message, the people sign up for the work of being taskmasters. It is so effective that the people throw babies in a river because they are a threat to national security. Not once are the people told that the real goal is to build cities because this truth would not have served as such a good motivator. And, even if people did know the truth what could they have done?
The good news is this horrific story is that not all the people act helpless in the face of the kings’ propaganda. In fact, the real good news of this story is that the mighty king does not have the last word. This is a story of our faith which reminds us that no one is too small or too insignificant to change the world. And, we must also know that we are never helpless when faced with the propaganda of the powerful.
It all really begins with two midwives; Shiphrah and Puah. Because of their faithful actions their names are actually remembered. No one else in this story has a name not even the king. But, I suppose when it comes to the king, if you have seen one king you have seem them all. When the king commands them to kill the male Hebrew children they refuse. They will not participate in the murder their own people because they know the God of Joseph. When questioned by the king they simply admit they just couldn’t keep up with the work because the Hebrew women are so much more vigorous than the Egyptian woman. It is one of my favorite lines. These seemingly powerless and insignificant women make a difference and stand up to the mighty king and use the power they have.
The king has been outdone by these simple midwives. As a result he turns to his greatest tool, propaganda. The Hebrew people are more trouble than we thought. The danger is too great so great that, for national security purposes, we must enlist the help of all the citizens in this effort.’ All people are deputized to deal with this great threat posed by Hebrew baby boys. And they people comply for the good of the nation.
In the midst of this genocide, a child is born. Two people, two Levites refuse to give up hope and give birth to a child, a baby boy. The king might have his laws but they will not give over their hearts and minds. So, a Hebrew woman, and her daughter break the law to save this child. The mother carefully creates a basket and his sister places the basket in the water, near the place where Pharaoh’s daughter normally bathes in the hope that they too might help to change the world, or at least their world.
The king is powerful but not powerful enough to make his own daughter comply with the law. When she comes face to face with the crying child she is moved to compassion. She uses her power to save one child. Then, she even pays his mother, out of Pharaoh’s own treasury, to raise this child to weaning. And because she used what power she had, the world is changed forever.
This story may begin with a king but it is all about those who the world sees as insignificant. None of these people make the pages of history books, not even the daughter of Pharaoh. But their actions set into motion a mighty storm. And this mighty storm, in a few short years, brings the entire Egyptian economy and the nation to its knees. Trading the lives of children for economic development is revealed to be an unwise choice.
But, I am left wondering some things. What if these women had decided they couldn’t break the unjust laws, or stand up to the whims of the powerful or simply accepted the kings’ propaganda at face value? Would Moses never have been born or brought into Pharaoh’s home? Are these particular women extraordinary and unlike us? The answer is a resounding no. In this story there are many, unnamed and unknown persons who do not “know Joseph” or “fear God.” These are the people who simply submit not knowing there is any other option. But there were a few women, who were not extraordinary, except for their faithfulness and their willingness to stand up and do what they had the power to do. As a result the world is changed.
We always have a choice in this world, to use what little power we might have, to make the difference in the lives of others. Those whom the powerful ignore or see as tools for economic growth or as threats to national security are the people for whom God speaks. But unless we remember the truth of our faith we will be easy prey for the propaganda. So we are left then with these questions: Will we be known as people who remember Joseph and fear God? Will we be known as those who stand up and claim our power and place in this world? Will we stand up with these sisters of the faith who showed us the way? Amen? Amen!
August 25th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Never Without a Choice”
Exodus 1:8-2:10
It is a story that begins like most stories. From a young age we hear stories about kings, queens, princesses and princes. We imagine ourselves as valiant prince who save helpless princesses or that we are a princess in need of the knight in shining armor. These are children’s stories but they continue to shape our lives. Most of what we read and watch on television is the minutiae of the rich and famous. The trivia of their lives is continually presented as important news. This foolishness has captured our imaginations and it is a sign that we, like the king of Egypt, have forgotten all about Joseph. Joseph is the former slave who becomes the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Because we have forgotten this story, we have come to believe that unless we are important like Brad Pitt, Angelia Jolie, or Oprah Winfrey, that we cannot make an impact in the world. But before I say more about this, let take this text and do what we do best, focus on the rich and famous, the king.
It looks like the king is gets a bad rap in this story. After all, why should he worry about some fellow from the past? Joseph is long since dead and there are more important things on which to focus. This king has a vision, a goal and worrying about the past only gets in the way. The goal of this king is to build two great cities and in doing so he can insure his legacy. The king gathers his advisors, sets the vision, and begins to address the challenges. What is necessary to build cities?
The answer is simple but not be easy. The simple answer is labor, a lot of cheap labor. It is an age old problem that until just over a hundred and forty years ago meant slave labor. There are two ways to get slave labor, purchase or go to war. Since both ways are rather costly the king comes up with a solution a little closer to home. But, enslaving the Hebrews presented another problem. People are not enslaved willingly so the king must enlist the help of the Egyptian people. But the majority of people are seldom motivated to enslave others simply over economics. So faced with this hurdle the king rolls out the propaganda machine.
The king uses the oldest trick of government propaganda: Fear! Making the Hebrew people a threat to national security helps to motivate the people. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As a result of this simplistic but effective message, the people sign up for the work of being taskmasters. It is so effective that the people throw babies in a river because they are a threat to national security. Not once are the people told that the real goal is to build cities because this truth would not have served as such a good motivator. And, even if people did know the truth what could they have done?
The good news is this horrific story is that not all the people act helpless in the face of the kings’ propaganda. In fact, the real good news of this story is that the mighty king does not have the last word. This is a story of our faith which reminds us that no one is too small or too insignificant to change the world. And, we must also know that we are never helpless when faced with the propaganda of the powerful.
It all really begins with two midwives; Shiphrah and Puah. Because of their faithful actions their names are actually remembered. No one else in this story has a name not even the king. But, I suppose when it comes to the king, if you have seen one king you have seem them all. When the king commands them to kill the male Hebrew children they refuse. They will not participate in the murder their own people because they know the God of Joseph. When questioned by the king they simply admit they just couldn’t keep up with the work because the Hebrew women are so much more vigorous than the Egyptian woman. It is one of my favorite lines. These seemingly powerless and insignificant women make a difference and stand up to the mighty king and use the power they have.
The king has been outdone by these simple midwives. As a result he turns to his greatest tool, propaganda. The Hebrew people are more trouble than we thought. The danger is too great so great that, for national security purposes, we must enlist the help of all the citizens in this effort.’ All people are deputized to deal with this great threat posed by Hebrew baby boys. And they people comply for the good of the nation.
In the midst of this genocide, a child is born. Two people, two Levites refuse to give up hope and give birth to a child, a baby boy. The king might have his laws but they will not give over their hearts and minds. So, a Hebrew woman, and her daughter break the law to save this child. The mother carefully creates a basket and his sister places the basket in the water, near the place where Pharaoh’s daughter normally bathes in the hope that they too might help to change the world, or at least their world.
The king is powerful but not powerful enough to make his own daughter comply with the law. When she comes face to face with the crying child she is moved to compassion. She uses her power to save one child. Then, she even pays his mother, out of Pharaoh’s own treasury, to raise this child to weaning. And because she used what power she had, the world is changed forever.
This story may begin with a king but it is all about those who the world sees as insignificant. None of these people make the pages of history books, not even the daughter of Pharaoh. But their actions set into motion a mighty storm. And this mighty storm, in a few short years, brings the entire Egyptian economy and the nation to its knees. Trading the lives of children for economic development is revealed to be an unwise choice.
But, I am left wondering some things. What if these women had decided they couldn’t break the unjust laws, or stand up to the whims of the powerful or simply accepted the kings’ propaganda at face value? Would Moses never have been born or brought into Pharaoh’s home? Are these particular women extraordinary and unlike us? The answer is a resounding no. In this story there are many, unnamed and unknown persons who do not “know Joseph” or “fear God.” These are the people who simply submit not knowing there is any other option. But there were a few women, who were not extraordinary, except for their faithfulness and their willingness to stand up and do what they had the power to do. As a result the world is changed.
We always have a choice in this world, to use what little power we might have, to make the difference in the lives of others. Those whom the powerful ignore or see as tools for economic growth or as threats to national security are the people for whom God speaks. But unless we remember the truth of our faith we will be easy prey for the propaganda. So we are left then with these questions: Will we be known as people who remember Joseph and fear God? Will we be known as those who stand up and claim our power and place in this world? Will we stand up with these sisters of the faith who showed us the way? Amen? Amen!
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