There are some people in the Bible who appear for only a short period of time, but give us very precious lessons to apply in our own lives.

Two of them, Shiphrah and Puah, tell us the kind of bravery that pleases God.

In this article, we'll talk about who they are and what we can learn from them.

Unlikely heroes

Shiphrah and Puah have a short appearance in the Bible. We read their story in Exodus 1:15-21, before Moses was born.

These two women served as midwives in Egypt. They saved many lives during a time when the Pharaoh had issued a decree that would lead to the death of many:

"Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive." (Exodus 1:15-17)

Pleasing the Lord

Shiphrah and Puah defied the very decree that the Pharaoh made. God took notice of their bravery in the midst of possible danger, and was pleased with what they did.

"So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?"

And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them."

Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them."

Lessons from their defiance

These two midwives give us very important lessons on morality and fear of God. Here are some key lessons we all need to learn from them.

1) We must fear God more than men

The two midwives risked their necks to defy the Egyptian king. And why would they defy him?

It's because they feared God.

Shiphrah and Puah's fear of the Lord allowed them to stand against the king's order and defy him. If we fear no one but God, we can also stand against any injustice.

2) We need to value life

The midwives valued the lives of the children they were commanded to kill. These little ones and their parents weren't related to them (except in that they were all Hebrew), but they defied the king for their sake.

These midwives teach us to value life. We have to stand up for those who can't defend themselves. Proverbs 31:8-9 commands us,

"Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

3) God sees our every thought and actions

These two midwives did not obey their king's ungodly and evil command, and does did what pleased the Lord.

It's not just the actions that matter to God, though. God sees us and knows us all so well.

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether." (Psalm 139:1-4)

God sees every detail of our lives. We ought, then, to live a life that is pleasing to Him - even if it means risking our own lives in defiance of what is wrong and not pleasing to Him.