48_Standing for what is right Ex 1:7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong so that the land was filled with them. 15-22 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” In the late 1960s, Sergey Kordakov, a rising star in the Soviet Navy, was handpicked to be part of the Soviet secret police. His mission? To infiltrate and persecute underground Christian gatherings. One such raid brought him face to face with Natasha Zhdanova, a young woman whose resilience and joy struck a deep chord in him. Despite being repeatedly beaten, Natasha radiated a peace and courage that was impossible to ignore, returning undeterred to secret meetings after every release. At one of these raids, Kordakov tore apart a handwritten Bible, discarding the fragments in disdain. A torn page caught his attention—a passage from Luke 11, where Jesus teaches His disciples to pray. The words lingered in his heart: "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us." That simple but profound teaching began to chip away at the walls of hostility within him. Eventually, Kordakov fled the Soviet regime. During the last part of his escape, he leapt into the freezing waters off the American coast and swam to Canadian shores to seek refuge. He gave his life to Christ, leaving behind a haunting yet beautiful testimony encapsulated in his memoir, “Natasha, Forgive Me”. Like Natasha, Exodus 1:15–22 testifies to two women who stood for what was right, despite the cost. Jacob and his family had moved to Egypt under God’s guidance during a severe famine. After a honeymoon period of peace and plenty, and after the death of Joseph, a new Pharaoh, one who neither knew Joseph nor cared for his legacy, came to power. The clan of 70 soon multiplied into a mighty nation, fulfilling God’s covenant with Abraham. This growth was perceived by Pharaoh as a threat. The Israelites were a potential fifth column in times of war. Driven by insecurity, Pharaoh oppressed the