After delivering God’s message to the people and gaining their support, Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh with a message from the LORD. The God of Israel warned Pharoah to let His people go so they could hold a festival for Him in the wilderness. Pharaoh, however, questioned the authority of the LORD, and outright refused to even entertain the notion by saying that he did not know the LORD and would not release the Israelites.
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 the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.” – Exodus 5:3 (NIV)
Why are Moses and Aaron introducing the LORD as the God of Hebrews to Pharoah?
Moses specifically asked God what name he should use to introduce him to the people and got his answer that God Has no name but he still chooses to name God of the World as the God of Hebrews. The Pharaohs had God-like status and by belittling Yahweh to the only God of Hebrews to the Pharoah it would seemed like undermining His authority. Perhaps Moses believed that referring to God as the “God of the Hebrews” would help Pharaoh understand better and make him more receptive to the message.
This approach reflects an attempt to present God in a way that Pharaoh might relate to which was not what God wanted. However, in doing so, Moses unintentionally diluted the message by saying that God would strike the Israelites with plagues if they couldn’t worship freely, rather than warning Pharaoh that the Egyptians would face punishment. This suggests that Moses may have lacked the courage to reveal the full truth to Pharaoh, possibly feeling intimidated or uncertain about delivering the message exactly as God intended. In a similar way, we often soften or dilute God’s message, held back by fear of how it might be received or the potential backlash from those around us.
No Straw For You
Pharaoh questioned Moses and Aaron, demanding to know why they were disrupting the people’s labour and insisting they return to work. Acknowledging the large number of Israelites, he accused them of laziness, interpreting their plea to worship as an excuse to avoid labour. That same day, Pharaoh commanded the slave drivers and overseers to stop providing straw for brick-making, forcing the Israelites to gather their own while maintaining the same brick quota.
Was Pharoah right in assuming that the Israelites were lazy and thus wanted to leave?
In every society or civilization, when things are settled, especially during peacetime, people start searching for a deeper meaning to life and subscribe to a religion. Throughout history, all the magnificent temples, mosques, and churches have been a product of such periods. Even the temple that Solomon built is an example of people looking for God during peacetime. So Pharaoh’s assumption is not totally baseless.
By accusing the Israelites of laziness, Pharaoh was not only justifying his refusal to let them worship but also undermining Moses’ leadership and demoralizing the people. His response—demanding more work without reward—was meant to reinforce his power, drive a wedge between Moses and the people, and deepen their dependence on him. Far from seeking God out of laziness, the Israelites’ request was a call for freedom and dignity, which Pharaoh tried to suppress by branding them as indolent.
Straw played a crucial role in brick-making, acting as a binding agent that strengthened the clay and made the bricks more durable. When chopped and mixed with clay, straw served as a stabilizer, creating a fibrous structure that reduced cracking and improved structural integrity. This technique was commonly used in ancient times and provided the foundation for Egyptian civilization to construct their impressive buildings, as the straw fibres helped the clay retain its shape and withstand environmental stresses.
Following Pharaoh’s orders, the slave drivers informed the Israelites that they would no longer receive straw and had to gather it themselves without any reduction in their workload. The people then scattered across Egypt to collect stubble to use as straw. The slave drivers continued to pressure them, demanding they meet the daily quota as before. When the Israelites fell behind, the Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers, accusing them of failing to meet the required production for each day.
The Straw That Broke The Israelites
The Israelite overseers appealed to Pharaoh, protesting the harsh conditions of making bricks without straw and facing punishment for circumstances beyond their control. However, Pharaoh accused them of laziness, citing their desire to worship their God in the desert and take time off as proof. He insisted they meet the full quota without any reduction. Realizing Pharaoh would not relent, the overseers understood the severity of their situation and saw these repercussions as a result of Moses and Aaron’s demands to the king on their behalf.
When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 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.” – Exodus 5:20-21 (NIV)
The Israelites’ attitude toward Moses and Aaron shifted quickly when their situation became more difficult. Initially, they were hopeful, seeing Moses and Aaron as deliverers sent by God. But when Pharaoh increased their workload instead of granting freedom, they quickly blamed Moses and Aaron, forgetting God’s promises and the hope of liberation. This rapid change in attitude reflects human tendencies to be shortsighted, especially when faced with immediate hardships.
Like the Israelites, we often assume that following God means we’ll be protected from all difficulties. When challenges arise, we can forget past blessings and assume that God’s presence means a life without struggle. In reality, even when we are on the path God sets before us, trials can still occur, often as part of a greater purpose. During such times, we may be tempted to look back on moments of “comfort” and question God’s guidance, even though He is leading us to something better. If we place our trust fully in God, understanding that trials are part of His plan, we can persevere without succumbing to worldly pressures. But without this trust, we risk giving in to discouragement, forgetting His promises, and seeking temporary solutions that pull us away from His purpose.
Moses Questions God
Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” – Exodus 5:22-23 (NIV)
In his frustration, Moses expressed his anger to God. He had envisioned that his mission would succeed effortlessly, believing Pharaoh would listen and that the Israelites would embrace him as a hero. However, the strong opposition from Pharaoh the lack of support and the line of questioning from his own people left Moses confused and disheartened. He couldn’t understand why God had uprooted him from his life in Midian, and made him journey all the way to Egypt, only to face humiliation.
Moses was angry with God because he felt humiliated and frustrated. He had obeyed God by confronting Pharaoh, but instead of seeing any improvement, the situation for the Israelites worsened as their workload increased. Moses likely felt responsible for this setback and questioned why God had allowed things to become harder instead of delivering His promised help.
Misinterpreting the Word of God
Moses had not delivered God’s message to Pharaoh exactly as instructed, yet he directed his frustration toward God rather than reflecting on his own approach. God instructed Moses to go and tell the people that He would deliver them from Egypt, though He also warned that Pharaoh’s heart would be hardened. Moses seems to have ignored that warning from God and the tribulations that were to come, expecting instead instant deliverance. However, at the first sign of resistance from Pharaoh, Moses returned to God, feeling humiliated.
This reflects a common tendency: people often pray or act without fully aligning themselves with God’s will, yet when things don’t go as they hope, they are quick to question or blame God rather than examining their own role in the situation. Moses’s frustration was human, but it also highlighted his need to fully trust and obey God’s plan, even when the path to fulfillment wasn’t immediate or straightforward.
We often find it difficult to endure humiliation for the sake of our faith. No one wants to feel embarrassed or ashamed because of their stance for God, especially when things don’t go as expected. For example, if we boldly tell a friend or acquaintance that God will heal them, but they remain unhealed, we feel deeply humiliated as if God has failed us. We start to question our own faith and wonder if we misrepresented God’s promises, especially when our words seem to go unfulfilled.
People often believe that witnessing signs and wonders will strengthen faith, and Moses likely thought the same. He hoped that the miracles God performed in Egypt would firmly root the Israelites’ trust in God. However, even after witnessing extraordinary displays of power, the Israelites’ faith quickly crumbled at the first sign of hardship. This reveals that while miracles can inspire awe, they are not enough to sustain genuine, lasting faith.
True faith requires more than just witnessing wonders; it needs a deep, personal connection with God. Without this relationship, faith remains shallow and easily shaken by difficulties. Signs and miracles might capture attention, but only a sincere, ongoing connection with God can nurture a resilient faith that endures through both blessings and trials.
We often overlook God’s guidance and instructions for our own lives, choosing instead to imitate the faith of others around us or depend on signs and miracles. Without fully understanding the reasons behind God’s actions, we try to offer solutions to those in need, only to make their plight even worse than before. Unlike Moses, rather than misinterpreting, misrepresenting God’s words and becoming angry with Him, let us approach Him humbly, seeking to understand the plan He has for us and those around us.
Discussion Questions
- Why are Moses and Aaron introducing the LORD as the God of Hebrews to Pharoah?
- Was Pharoah right in assuming that the Israelites were lazy and thus wanted to leave?
- How quickly does the Israelite’s verdict about Moses and Aaron change. When faced with problems why are we quick to forget God’s promises?
- Why was Moses angry with God and how can we relate to him?
The Jordan Valley 
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