God Vs. Pharaoh, Round 1 (Exodus 5:1-23) Series

This morning, we find ourselves working in Exodus 5. Before we jump in, I just want to help you in two different ways.

First, one of the things I have to do, for biblical stories to hit me the way they should, is try to put myself in the shoes of people involved in the story. And I assume you are like me. Today's story is about a people-- the nation of Israel-- who are worked ruthlessly as slaves. They are called lazy. They're criticized. Their requests are rejected. At the start of the chapter, life was already hard for them. But it's going to get worse.

For this story to grab you the way it should, you need to try to imagine what that would be like. Maybe, some of you had a really bad boss at some point, and you can immediately sympathize. You had a boss who didn't appreciate you. Who belittled you. Who was actively looking for reasons to discipline you. Who never listened to you. Who tried to make life as difficult as possible for you.

And if you've never had a boss remotely like that, I feel sorry for you this morning. Everyone should have a truly horrible boss, at one point or another, just so they can appreciate Exodus better. And if you've never experienced this, you're just going to have to work a little harder this morning.

The second thing I want to do, before we start, is reread Exodus 4:21-23:

(21) and Yahweh said to Moses,

"When you go to return to Egypt, see all of the wonders that I have set/put in your hand,

and you shall do them before Pharaoh,

while I shall strengthen his resolve/heart,

and he will not send out the people,

(22) and you shall say to Pharaoh,

"Thus has said Yahweh: My firstborn son [is] Israel,

and I said to you, send out my son so he may serve me,

and you have refused to send him.

LOOK! I am killing your firstborn son.

Verse 22 serves as sort of a summary of everything that will happen from chapter 5, up through chapter 12. This verse tells Moses everything he will say, big picture, over the coming weeks (?). It anticipates Pharaoh's refusal to let Israel go, as well as the killing of the firstborn son.

What I want you to focus on, though, is the first part of what God wants Moses to say to Pharaoh. "Send out my son so that he may serve me."

That's really where the (main plotline of the) story leaves off.

This brings us to Exodus 5, verse 1:

(1) And after this, Moses and Aaron came,

and they said to Pharaoh,

"Thus has said Yahweh the God of Israel:

"Let my people go, so that they may hold a feast for me in the wilderness,"

A few people reading verse 1 are really bothered by the fact that what God commanded in Exodus 4:22, isn't exactly what Moses says in 5:1. "Serving" isn't exactly the same thing as "holding a feast in the wilderness." But I'm inclined to give Moses the benefit of the doubt. I assume that Moses is obedient, and that he speaks the words God teaches him to say (Exodus 4:12). And the slight variation here I think maybe is just good story telling-- it's part of keeping readers engaged, and interested.

So Moses says to Pharaoh, in very formal language, "Thus has said Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go."

And this formal language, is something you're going to want to try to remember.

Verse 2:

(2) and Pharaoh said,

"Who is Yahweh, that I should heed his voice to let Israel go?"

I don't know Yahweh,

and, what's more, Israel I shall not let go,"

Pharaoh responds to Moses with a double "no," basically. First, he doesn't know this God "Yahweh." And so he has no reason to obey Yahweh.

Now, this will change. Pharaoh is going to get to know Yahweh a lot better than he'd like. But, for right now, he is ignorant.

The second part of Pharaoh's "no" here, is that he won't let Israel go.

In verse 3, Moses and Aaron try again:

(3) and they said,

"The God of the Hebrews has appeared to us.

Let us go, please, on the road three days into the wilderness so that we may offer sacrifices to Yahweh our God, lest He strike us with pestilence or with a sword,"

In this verse, Moses and Aaron soften their language, saying "please," and they clarify their initial command in four main ways:

(1) They clarify that Yahweh is "the God of the Hebrews." Now, we maybe find ourselves wanting to say that Yahweh is "the God of the heavens and the earth, the God of all people." But they describe Yahweh in a way that Pharaoh will understand, and maybe accept. Yahweh, their God, has appeared to them, and He wants something from them.