Exodus Chapter 5
Moses Meets Pharaoh; Israel’s Burdens Are Increased
After God’s call and commissioning, Moses and Aaron now face Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler in the known world. This marks the beginning of the confrontation between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt, as represented by Pharaoh.
A. Pharaoh Receives Moses and Aaron and Responds with a Command
1. Exodus 5:1–3 (NKJV)
Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”
Moses and Aaron, standing before Pharaoh, demonstrate extraordinary courage and obedience. Their message was not their own but carried divine authority: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel.” This declaration directly challenged Pharaoh’s authority and Egypt’s religious system. The Pharaohs were considered divine beings, “sons of the sun,” who ruled as gods on earth. An ancient inscription captures this blasphemous claim: “I am that which was, and is, and shall be, and no man has lifted my veil.” Pharaoh saw himself as the ultimate authority, but Moses stood before him as a servant of the true and living God, whose power infinitely exceeded Egypt’s gods.
The command, “Let My people go,” was not a polite request but a declaration of ownership. Israel did not belong to Pharaoh; they belonged to Yahweh. This was the first open declaration of spiritual emancipation. God’s people must never remain bound to a worldly master. The LORD was not negotiating—He was asserting His claim over His covenant people.
Pharaoh’s reply reveals his spiritual blindness: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” His ignorance of the LORD was not innocent; it was defiant. Pharaoh recognized many gods but not the one true God. Ironically, he asked the very question that would define the Exodus narrative. The coming plagues would serve as God’s answer to Pharaoh’s question, revealing the LORD’s power and sovereignty over all creation.
Moses’ statement that the LORD might “fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword” shows that even this first appeal was humble and reasonable. God initially presented Pharaoh with a small request—a three-day journey for worship—to remove any excuse for refusal. Pharaoh’s rejection was therefore an act of hardened rebellion, not misunderstanding.
2. Exodus 5:4–9 (NKJV)
Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.” And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!” So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”
Pharaoh viewed the request to worship as laziness. His pride and greed blinded him to the spiritual dimension of what Moses declared. In his eyes, religion was a distraction from productivity. Pharaoh’s statement, “Get back to your labor,” exposes how tyranny always values output over human dignity. To the Egyptian economy, the Hebrews were not people—they were property.
Pharaoh mocked their faith by calling their words “false.” This response mirrors how the world often treats the message of God’s truth—with contempt, disbelief, and mockery. Instead of loosening their burden, Pharaoh increased it. He ordered that no straw be provided for brickmaking while maintaining the same quota. This was not only cruel but also impossible, an intentional act of oppression to break Israel’s spirit.
Archaeological findings in Egypt confirm the use of straw in sun-dried bricks. Straw’s acidity strengthened the clay, preventing cracks as the bricks dried in the sun. Some ancient bricks contain chopped straw; others contain roots or stubble, showing that lower-quality materials were sometimes used—consistent with the biblical record. As one historian notes, “Chopped straw was mixed in with the clay to make the bricks more pliable and stronger by binding the clay together and releasing humic acid as it decayed.”
Pharaoh’s words—“They are idle; therefore they cry out”—reveal the mindset of oppressors in every age. When people seek freedom or spiritual rest, tyrants interpret it as laziness. To counter the Israelites’ hope, Pharaoh drowned them in labor so that they would “not regard false words.” Satan often uses the same tactic today: he fills believers’ lives with distraction, toil, and pressure so that they have no time to reflect on truth or seek deliverance.
This encounter sets the stage for the great conflict between God and Pharaoh. It is not merely a political struggle, but a cosmic one—a confrontation between divine authority and human arrogance. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, but God was about to demonstrate that no ruler, however mighty, can resist the purposes of the Almighty.
3. Exodus 5:10–14 (NKJV)
And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’” So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”
The harsh decree of Pharaoh was immediately executed by his taskmasters. Their words, “Thus says Pharaoh,” stand in sharp contrast to Moses’ earlier declaration, “Thus says the LORD.” It was now a contest of authorities—the word of man against the word of God. Pharaoh’s pride led him to place his own command on equal footing with the divine message, revealing his spiritual rebellion and arrogance.
The result of Pharaoh’s command was swift oppression. The Israelites were scattered throughout Egypt, desperately gathering “stubble instead of straw.” Stubble refers to the short, rough remnants left after harvest—useless fragments compared to the long, durable straw normally provided. This vivid description portrays the desperation of the people as they struggled to meet an impossible demand. Their situation was not only physically exhausting but psychologically crushing.
When Pharaoh said, “Yet none of your work will be reduced,” the cruelty was complete. The command demanded full production without the necessary resources, a deliberate act to break the spirit of the people and discredit Moses. Often, when God begins to deliver His people, circumstances may appear to worsen. This is not failure but a test of faith. The way of deliverance frequently passes through deepening difficulty before final freedom.
The taskmasters “forced them to hurry,” showing how oppression often comes with relentless urgency and pressure. In contrast, God grants rest to His people. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28–29, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” The contrast between Pharaoh’s tyranny and God’s compassion could not be greater.
The officers of Israel, who served as overseers under Pharaoh’s Egyptian taskmasters, were beaten for failing to meet impossible demands. This demonstrates that the struggle for deliverance involved all levels of the people—from the laborers in the mud pits to the foremen who mediated between Israel and Egypt. Freedom for the nation would require suffering from the nation. As Trapp observed, “Things commonly go backward with the saints before they come forward, so the corn groweth downward ere it groweth upward.” Growth and victory are often preceded by affliction and apparent setbacks.
B. Pharaoh Troubles the Children of Israel
1. Exodus 5:15–19 (NKJV)
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.” But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, ‘You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.’”
In desperation, the officers of Israel appealed directly to Pharaoh, crying out against the cruelty of his policy. Yet their mistake was in appealing to the wrong authority. Instead of crying out to God, who had already promised deliverance, or to Moses, God’s chosen leader, they went back to the very oppressor who caused their suffering. Their faith faltered under pressure, and they sought justice from the unjust.
Their words, “The fault is in your own people,” show their attempt to reason with Pharaoh. They presented a logical argument: the fault was not in the Hebrew workers but in Pharaoh’s Egyptian administrators who withheld materials. Yet Pharaoh’s response was filled with scorn and mockery: “You are idle! Idle!” This repetition underscores his contempt. In his mind, worship was laziness, and devotion to God was rebellion. Pharaoh’s worldview reduced all human worth to productivity, a reflection of the world’s mindset that values people only for what they produce, not for who they are before God.
Pharaoh’s accusation—“Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD’”—shows his hatred of God’s people and their desire to worship. The carnal mind always resents any request that acknowledges divine authority over human power. Pharaoh’s command that they “go now and work” reveals his goal: to keep Israel so burdened that they could not even think of freedom or worship. Oppression, both physical and spiritual, often works through exhaustion, filling life with so much labor that there is no time left for reflection or faith.
The officers “saw that they were in trouble,” recognizing that Pharaoh would not relent. Archaeological evidence confirms that brick quotas were indeed enforced in ancient Egypt, with hieroglyphic inscriptions recording production requirements and punishments for failure. The Bible’s record aligns perfectly with historical reality. The officers’ realization that their situation was hopeless marks a turning point—before deliverance, the bondage must be fully recognized for what it is. God allows His people to feel the weight of slavery so that they will long for freedom and trust His deliverance completely.
Pharaoh’s cruelty and Israel’s despair set the stage for God’s intervention. The LORD would soon reveal His power through judgments that would answer Pharaoh’s question, “Who is the LORD?” Once God was finished, Pharaoh—and all Egypt—would know His name.
2. Exodus 5:20–21 (NKJV)
Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, “Let the LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
As the officers of Israel left Pharaoh’s court, their frustration and despair turned toward Moses and Aaron. These men had initially believed that Moses was God’s chosen deliverer, yet now that their circumstances worsened, their confidence collapsed. Their rebuke, “Let the LORD look on you and judge,” was not merely anger but an accusation of spiritual failure. They felt betrayed by Moses, blaming him for the increased cruelty of their oppressors.
This reaction reveals how quickly faith can turn to fear when circumstances contradict expectations. Earlier, Exodus 4:31 records, “So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.” That worshipful confidence evaporated the moment trials intensified. Their focus shifted from God’s promises to their pain, and from faith to frustration.
When they said, “You have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh,” they revealed a tragic misunderstanding. They believed that their bondage had been tolerable and that Pharaoh had once looked upon them favorably. But this illusion was shattered the moment they sought freedom. When Israel served Pharaoh obediently, they mistook his exploitation for benevolence. Once they resisted his control, they saw his true nature. In the same way, Satan appears to be a gracious master only as long as one remains his servant. When a believer begins to walk in freedom through Jesus Christ, the enemy retaliates with intensity, seeking to destroy or discourage.
The phrase “to put a sword in their hand to kill us” expresses how threatened the Israelites felt. They interpreted Pharaoh’s anger as an immediate death sentence. Yet they failed to see that this opposition was part of God’s design. The LORD could have delivered Israel instantly, but He chose to shape their faith through conflict. God’s people were being weaned from the security of Egypt’s system and taught dependence on His power.
This principle is timeless: deliverance is often preceded by distress. Before the dawn of freedom, there is usually a night of testing. God was not failing them; He was preparing them. Through adversity, Israel would come to understand that true liberty comes only from submission to God, not from the permission of men.
3. Exodus 5:22–23 (NKJV)
So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”
Moses’ heart was heavy with discouragement. Having faced Pharaoh’s rejection and Israel’s anger, he turned to the only One who could answer—God Himself. His words, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people?” were bold yet honest. This was not rebellion but perplexity. Moses could not reconcile God’s call with the worsening condition of His people. He had forgotten the warning given earlier in Exodus 3:19–20: “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.” God had told him it would be hard, but like many servants of God, Moses hoped for an easier path.
Even in doubt, Moses did something right—he brought his complaint to the LORD. Faith is not the absence of questions but the decision to take those questions to God. As G. Campbell Morgan observed, “Happy is the man who, when he cannot understand the divine movement and indeed doubts it, has yet faith enough in God Himself to tell Him all his doubt.” Moses’ openness before God shows the heart of a true servant, one who struggles but does not abandon his calling.
Yet Moses also faltered by forgetting God’s previous assurance. When he said, “Why is it You have sent me?” the old insecurities resurfaced. He had already wrestled with self-doubt at the burning bush, asking, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11). Now those same fears returned—perhaps he was not the right man, perhaps God had made a mistake. But God had not changed His plan; rather, He was deepening Moses’ faith through hardship.
As F. B. Meyer insightfully wrote, “The agony of soul through which Moses passed must have been as death to him. He died to his self-esteem, to his castle-building, to pride in his miracles, to the enthusiasm of his people—to everything that a popular leader loves. As he lay there on the ground alone before God, wishing himself back in Midian, he was falling as a grain of wheat into the ground to die, no longer to abide alone, but to bear much fruit.” The refining process of leadership never ends; adversity continues to strip away self-reliance and pride until the servant is wholly dependent upon God.
Finally, Moses said, “Neither have You delivered Your people at all.” His disappointment was real, but his perspective was limited. God’s plan was already in motion; deliverance had begun the moment He revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush. But Moses, like Israel, measured God’s progress by immediate results rather than by faith in His word. The LORD was not only freeing His people from Pharaoh but transforming them into a nation fit for His covenant. Before Israel could possess the Promised Land, they had to be delivered from the mindset of Egypt.
This pattern holds true in every believer’s life. When God begins to deliver, He often allows things to worsen first so that His people learn endurance and trust. The apparent silence of God is not abandonment but preparation. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Moses’ cry of confusion would soon be answered—not with rebuke, but with revelation. God would reaffirm His covenant name, display His mighty power, and remind Moses that the deliverance of Israel was not in human hands but in His own.
