Bible Discussion Thread

Chapter 5 is fairly short and to the point. Moses and Aaron get an audience with Pharaoh. They request a three day release of the Israelites to go out into the wilderness and worship the God of the Israelites. Pharaoh says that He does not know this god at all. He refuses Moses and Aaron's request. They leave from the Pharaoh. Pharaoh instructs the taskmasters over the Israelites to not supply straw as before for brickmaking with mud. So the Israelites had to scavenge for straw/stubble and still needed to meet their daily quota of bricks. Moses and Aaron meet the Israelites on their way back from the Pharaoh. The officers (leaders) of the Israelites went to Pharaoh asking him why he had made their work harder. Pharaoh says that they are idle and need to work harder and not concern themselves with serving their God. The Israelite leaders meet Moses and Aaron and inform them that their has been made so much more difficult as a result of the request made to Pharaoh The leaders wonder why God would allow this and not deliver them the first time Moses and Aaron petitioned Pharaoh for their release.

I think the interesting thing to me was that Moses and Aaron did not do anything miraculous at this meeting. Instead they warned Pharaoh that God had met with them and sent them to him. They ask Pharaoh again to let the people go three days journey into the wilderness to serve God and if not, God would bring pestilence and the sword upon them.

It is obvious that Pharaoh had no respect for the true God. He probably thought all of the gods of Egypt could defeat Him, so he thought God was insignificant compared to the greatness of Egypt backed by all of those idols. So, he was prideful and smug. And God knew this about Pharaoh and hardened his heart further.