Exodus 1-6 I Come Follow Me I Handmaidens, Harems and Heroines I Lynne Hilton Wilson

Scripture Central

Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 914 Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2026

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of Handmaidens, Harems, and Heroines, Lynne Hilton Wilson explores Exodus 1–6, where the story of Israel shifts from refuge to oppression in Egypt. Centuries after Jacob’s family was welcomed during Joseph’s lifetime, their descendants had grown into a large and thriving people. A new Pharaoh, fearing their numbers, subjected the Israelites to harsh bondage. Yet even in this dark moment, the narrative highlights the courage and faith of remarkable women who quietly but powerfully advance God’s purposes. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah refuse Pharaoh’s command to kill newborn Hebrew boys, choosing reverence for God over obedience to an unjust ruler. Their bravery becomes the first act of resistance in the Exodus story, demonstrating how faithful women can stand as protectors of life and covenant. The account then centers on the women who preserve the life of the infant Moses—Jochebed, his faithful mother who entrusts him to the Lord; Miriam, his watchful sister who helps ensure his safety; and Pharaoh’s daughter, whose compassion leads her to rescue and adopt the Hebrew child. In these opening chapters of Exodus, women act with moral courage, compassion, and spiritual insight, preparing the way for Israel’s deliverance. As God begins to raise up Moses to lead His covenant people, these heroines remind us that divine work often begins through quiet acts of faith. For Latter-day Saint readers, their stories testify that obedience to God—especially in moments of risk—invites His protection and moves His covenant purposes forward.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	And Zipporah becomes an advocate of the covenant in what we keep reading in Exodus chapter 4.
0:07.0	And on this journey back to Egypt, the Lord becomes extremely angry at Moses.
0:14.0	We see Zippora rising to an occasion that she did not want to do.
0:19.0	Whether they're squatting or kneeling or standing, this is part of women's heritage.
0:23.6	And whether you're a single woman, you were born via a woman.
0:27.6	Whether or not you've ever had a chance to give birth, you were born this way.
0:30.6	And this is part of what links us to this heritage, this wonderful heritage of women across all history of the world,
0:38.9	is that their life is at stake as they are willing to give life.
0:43.7	Now, I think this is quite ironic that the Pharaoh said,
0:47.0	put your sons in the Nile.
0:48.8	And that's exactly what Jacobin is doing here.
0:51.2	But she is putting him in a basket in an arc.
0:54.1	She is saving him. She is becoming a type of our Christ as well as a savior of many.
1:04.0	Hello, welcome back to Scripture Central. I'm Lynn Hilton Wilson, excited to talk about the beginning of Exodus.
1:10.0	We're in chapters 1 through 6 today, and as we look at the handmaidens and the harems and the heroines, we've got a lot to look at. We have midwives, Shepora and Purra. We've got Jehachavad, prophet Moses's mother. We've got Zippora, his wife. And we've got others as we go through the text. I don't know if we'll have time to go through
1:28.2	all of them, but my hand out will have all of them. And the daughter of Pharaoh is an unnamed woman.
1:33.8	Her maidens are unnamed women. The seven daughters of the priest of Midian, who are Zaporah's
1:38.8	sisters, will mention as well as we go through. But let's look at this text in focusing on finding our Savior.
1:46.8	As we go through, I hope you can also enjoy these texts as they are so rich in historical information.
1:55.5	In fact, this is dramatic transition from Israelite history. You know, they go from being the honored guests in Egypt now
2:02.5	to absolutely enslaved people crying out for deliverance, you know, for centuries after Jacob's
2:09.6	family. They are now in a horrific situation of slavery. They've multiplied a lot. They have a vast
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Scripture Central, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Scripture Central and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.