Moses First Confrontation With Pharaoh
October 15, 2019
Commentary
After Moses and Aaron (both in their eighties) had talked with the Jewish leaders, they went to Pharaoh and asked him to let the people go (v. 1). In those days Pharaoh was the most powerful king on earth. He must have been very surprised that anyone would dare to speak to him this way. He questioned the God of Israel as having any authority and refused to let the people go (v. 2). They said the Lord God of Israel has appeared to us (v. 3). Please let us go three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to Him, and if you don’t He may strike us down with terrible troubles.
The king asked Moses and Aaron why they were keeping the people from working and told them that everyone must get back to work (vv. 4-5). That same day the King gave orders to his slave bosses not to give any more straw to put in their bricks but for them to find their own straw wherever they can (vv. 6-7). The straw made the mud bricks stronger and kept them from shrinking, cracking or losing their shape. However they are to make the same number of bricks as before (v. 8). He accused them of being lazy because they begged him to let them go and sacrifice to their God. He told the slave bosses to make them work so hard that they won’t have time to listen to these lies (v. 9).
Seven times in these chapters, God says to Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” This command shows that Israel was in bondage; God wanted them to be free that they might serve Him. This is the condition of every lost sinner that is enslaved to the world, the flesh and the devil.
Application
Am I willing to speak up for the Lord even when this world lacks respect for God’s Word and will often make fun of me?
Exodus 5:1– 9 (NET)
1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said, ‘Release my people so that they may hold a pilgrim feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him by releasing Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel!” 3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword.” 4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? Return to your labor!” 5 Pharaoh was thinking, “The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor.”
6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people: 7 “You must no longer give straw to the people for making bricks as before. Let them go and collect straw for themselves. 8 But you must require of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before. Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. That is why they are crying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the men so they will keep at it and pay no attention to lying words!”