Exodus 5 - Printer Friendly

What does Exodus 5 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

This passage describes the first meeting between Moses and Aaron and the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh. The two men deliver a message from the Lord (Exodus 3:18). While the goal is Israel's liberation (Exodus 3:10), this request is for some-thing less: leave to worship for a while in the wilderness. As expected (Exodus 3:19), Pharaoh sneers at the idea of Isra-el's God and refuses. Instead, he dismisses the two messengers with a command to get back to work (Exodus 5:1–4).

The request appears to irritate the pharaoh. He muses that perhaps he's not being harsh enough on the Israelite slaves. So, he spitefully commands that they no longer be given straw—a necessary compo-nent for their work making bricks (Exodus 1:13–14). Yet they will be held accountable for the same level of produc-tion. This is impossible, which is exactly the point. This is a "power move" meant to humiliate Israel, to remind them of their place, and to intimidate them from listening to men like Moses (Exodus 5:5–9).

The slave driv-ers placed over the Hebrews (Exodus 1:11) pass this command to the Israelite men assigned as supervisors for their fellow slaves. The people are frantic. They search and scrabble to find enough straw to mix with mud and sand to make bricks. While Egyptians are brilliant farmers, the land itself is not lush. Grasses are not found easily. Without leftover stalks to use for straw, the Israelites have no chance to scavenge enough on their own. When the quotas are not met, the foremen are beaten and blamed for failure (Exodus 5:10–14).

When the abused Israeli foremen appeal to Pharaoh, they realize what has happened. They are told that the problem is not a lack of straw, but a lack of effort. This is obviously false; Pharaoh cruelly says that if the people have time to ask for leave, they must not be working hard enough. The point is clear: Egypt has power, not Israel, and you will suffer if you challenge it (Exodus 5:15–19).

This re-sults in a backlash against Moses and Aaron. The people are angry because Pharaoh is retaliating, and they blame God's two messengers for provoking their new suffering. This foreshadows a common theme in the book of Exodus: when things become difficult, the people turn against Moses with complaints and accusations (Exodus 14:11; 15:24; 16:2; 17:3; Numbers 14:2–4). For now, the infighting is another part of Pharaoh's plot to keep the Hebrews subjugat-ed. Moses is disappointed and confused. He sees no reason things should be worse when he's following the Lord's commands (Exodus 5:20–23).

In the next passage, the Lord gives reassurance (Exodus 6:1).

Exodus 5:1–14 describes the first encounter between Moses and Egypt's ruler, Pharaoh (Exodus 4:21–23). When Moses asks that Israel be released for a period of worship (Exodus 3:18), Pharaoh flatly refuses. In fact, he retaliates against the Hebrews by forcing them to make the same quota of bricks (Exodus 1:13–14) without being provided the usual raw materials. This is impossible; the cruel punishments which follow are exactly what Pharaoh intended with his spiteful command.

Exodus 5:15–23 records the aftermath of Moses and Aaron's first encounter with Egypt's king. Rather than agreeing to let Israel go, the Pharaoh spitefully cut off access to raw materials while demanding that the enslaved people (Exodus 1:13–14) maintain production. This leads to a backlash against Moses and Aaron; the people blame them for making their lives even harder. Moses experiences doubt. He wonders why the situation is worse, not better. The Lord will respond with reassurance (Exodus 6:1).

Chapter Summary:

Moses and Aaron have their first meeting with Egypt's king, the pharaoh. Though they are there to free Israel entirely (Exodus 3:10), they begin with a much less dramatic request: three days to worship their God in the wilderness (Exodus 3:18). Pharaoh refuses. Instead, he spitefully cuts off supply of raw materials—straw—while demanding the same output from the Hebrew slaves. This increases the peoples' burden and gives Pharaoh's taskmasters excuse to abuse them. When the Israelites turn against Moses, he expresses confusion to God.

Chapter Context:

Moses encountered the Lord (Exodus 3:4–6) during his exile (Exodus 2:15). God commanded Moses to return to Egypt and demand the freedom of the nation of Israel (Exodus 4:21–23). The people had come into Egypt in the days of Joseph (Exodus 1:1–7). Later, they fell into slavery and oppression (Exodus 1:13–14). The first request, in this chapter, is not received well. God will soon bring disasters on Egypt and its stubborn ruler (Exodus 3:10) until His peo-ple are finally released (Exodus 12:41).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.

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