TUESDAY
This part of the narrative is primarily setting the scene for our main topic this week, which we will come across tomorrow.
Exodus 4:29-5:21
29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to Yahweh our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ ” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Once Moses arrives in Egypt, he and Aaron bring together the leaders of Israel and the people believe that God has met with Moses in the desert. They believe and they worship. At this point Moses is probably riding high. As we saw last week, convincing the Israelites was one of his biggest insecurities. That happened pretty easily. But then Moses and Aaron go ahead and talk to Pharaoh. Their confidence is spewing from their words in 5:1, likely thinking the signs will be sufficient to convince Pharaoh. They may have been thinking this task would be easier than they thought. But, in spite of their confidence, Pharaoh’s response is polar opposite the the Israelites.
His response is the big idea of this section. ”Pharaoh said, ‘Who is Yahweh, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh and I will not let Israel go.’” (Ex. 5:2) Ironically, this is the question the book of Exodus is answering—who is Yahweh? The ten plagues, the parting of the sea, the covenant at Mt. Sinai are Yahweh’s way of saying, “Let me introduce myself.” His introduction is rather spectacular!
Pharaoh isn’t asking in a curious manner; he is asking in an arrogant, defiant manner. He refuses to obey God’s imperative. He declares that he does not know Yahweh. The word know in Hebrew implies an experiential knowledge. So Pharaoh is here not only saying, “I have never heard of this Yahweh” theoretically. He is saying that he does not recognize Yahweh as having any authority over him. This is then a challenge of authority and power. Pharaoh fancies himself the physical manifestation of the sun god. He obeys no one but himself.
Pharaoh proceeds to taunt God by flexing his authority over God’s people. He stops giving them straw to make bricks and expects the same number of bricks to be made. This is an impossible feat that accomplishes two purposes that Pharaoh likely intended—1. the people scatter to find straw so they cannot mobilize, and 2. the people turn on Moses and Aaron. They quickly pivot from believing and worshipping to now cursing them (v. 21)
So the lines have been drawn. Pharaoh has denied God’s authority and oppressed God’s people. God’s people have now turned on Moses and seemingly lost faith in him. Things aren’t looking so good yet again for God’s people and God’s deliverer.
Reflection
Think of a time things didn’t go as you expected. Perhaps you thought God was calling you to a new job and it was more difficult than you thought. Perhaps you thought God had called you to witness to a friend but they never responded favorably. Perhaps you thought God called you to a ministry but you didn’t see any fruit from it. For today, just think through that time when you realized it wasn’t going as you thought. How did you respond? What were your thoughts and emotions?