The Buddy System
“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live.”
~ Exodus 1:15-17
As I’ve watched my three kids grow and try new things, one pattern remains consistent they’re usually only bold enough to attempt something new if a sibling or friend is willing to try it with them. Strength, it seems, only comes in numbers. I can relate, and I imagine you can as well. Although I have done plenty of things on my own, even at forty-six, I would rather have someone by my side to experience something new.
Did you know that is exactly how God made us to be? From the beginning, God never meant for us to be alone because He is not alone. In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness” (emphasis mine). Who is God talking about? He is referring to the three other parts of the Trinity, the “Godhead three in one.” We are able to conclude this by looking in two different places. First, in verse two of Genesis, we find the “Spirit of God” hovering over the waters. Therefore, we now have God, who is speaking the creation into existence, and His Spirit, who is hovering over the water. For the third portion of the Trinity, we look at John 1:1-2. It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God… HE was with God at the beginning” (emphasis mine). Jesus was there at the beginning, and Jesus was with God and the Holy Spirit at Genesis 1. God was never alone, and when “God created man in His own image” (Gen 1:27), God created us to never be alone either.
Adam had a partner in Eve. Moses had a partner in his brother Aaron. Shadrack had two partners. God gives us community so that when we feel too weak to accomplish the tasks He has set before us, we might strengthen each other. Puah and Shiphrah were told by the Pharaoh to kill all the baby boys born to Hebrew women. Not following orders would likely end in death. Yet together they stood and chose to disobey the Pharaoh of Egypt. Together they concocted a plan, and together they thwarted his attempts to minimize the population growth amongst the Hebrews. God gives us community to strengthen us, to give us guardrails for life, and to remind us of His goodness and love.
We are made to be amongst sisters and brothers so that we might live fully, serve fully, and love fully as the body of Christ.