The Lord told Moses’ brother, Aaron, to go and meet Moses’ at Mount Horeb. When he got there, Moses ’told him all about everything that had happened and what God had said for him to do.
Moses and Aaron went together to Egypt and talked with the Israeli leaders, and showed them the two miracles. He threw down the shepherd’s rod and it became a snake; then he put his hand into his coat, and it became white with leprosy. When the leaders saw these two miracles, they believed that God had sent Moses and Aaron, and that Moses was to lead them out of Egypt.
Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Let my people leave Egypt and worship Me in the desert.’
“Huh!” Pharaoh scoffed. “Who is the Lord, and why should I obey him? I’ve never heard of that God, I certainly won’t let these Israeli people out of my sight.”
Moses and Aaron begged Pharaoh to let the people go. They said that God would punish Pharaoh to let the people go. They said that God would punish Pharaoh if he didn’t obey. But Pharaoh was angry. He asked Moses and Aaron what right they had to get the people all excited about going on a trip and keeping them from their work. “Stop this foolishness right now,’ He shouted.
“Get out of here, and get to work!”
One of the jobs of the Israeli slaves was to dig clay and make bricks by drying the clay in the sun. The clay was mixed with pieces of straw to make the bricks tougher and stronger. This straw was given to them by Pharaoh.
But now Pharaoh was so angry that he said from now on they must get their own straw, but still make just as many bricks as before. Pharaoh said they was lazy, and that was why they wanted time to go and worship their God.
So, the people of Israel went out into the fields and gathered straw. But though they worked very hard, they could not make as many bricks as when the straw was brought to them. Some of the people were brutally beaten because of this.
The leaders of the people of Israel told Pharaoh that he wasn’t being fair. How could he expect them to make as many bricks now that he was not giving them the straw?
He replied, “Your lazy! You’re lazy! That’s why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord..’’ And he told them to get to work, for no straw would be given them anymore.
Then the Israelis saw that they were in real trouble, and some of them went to Moses and Aaron and accused them of making things worse for them instead of better.
Moses complained to the Lord about it and asked why He had sent him? He had only made things worse for the people, and now the Egyptians were more cruel than before.
“Just wait,” the Lord told Moses, “and you’ll see what I am going to do. Tell my people that I will rescue them from their slavery, and they will be my special people. I will lead them into the land I promised long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Moses told the Israelis what God said, but they wouldn’t listen to him anymore.
Then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron to talk to Pharaoh again.
“When Pharaoh tells you to do a miracle, throw your shepherd’s rod on the ground,” the Lord said, “and it will change into a snake, just as it did before.”
So, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. Aaron threw down his rod, and sure enough, it changed into a snake. They brought some shepherds rods and threw them down, and their rods changed into snakes too. The Lord let the magicians do just as Aaron had done!
But Aaron’s snake swallowed up all the other snakes! Yet even so Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people go.
Questions:
Who was Aaron?
What two miracles did Moses’ perform in front of the Israeli leaders?
What did Pharaoh do to make the work harder for Moses’ people?
What happened when the magicians threw down their sticks?
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“Bricks Without Straw”
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” 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.” But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.” That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.” Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’” So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.” The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 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.”
“God Promises Deliverance”
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 Chapter 5
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"Only Life Changes" 