Read Exodus 5
Bricks Without Straw
1 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.’”
2 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.”
3 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.”
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 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.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 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.11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 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?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 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.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19 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.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 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
22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 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.”
Go Deeper
As we know by now, the book of Exodus follows the Genesis account of God providing for Joseph’s family of 70 in Egypt. Some 400 years later, millions of their descendants have fulfilled God’s promise to multiply and fill the land. Still, the latest Pharaoh fears this populous minority of slave laborers might revolt against their masters. As we’ve seen so far, Exodus 1-4 describes Israelite oppression, the birth, discovery, upbringing, flight, calling, and return of Moses to rally the Israelites and reluctantly request relief for his people with the elder’s blessing.
In Exodus 5, Moses and Aaron prophetically tell Pharaoh to “Let my people go” to worship in the wilderness for three days (v. 1)—no small ask. Hard-hearted Pharaoh understandably objects. Why would he let all his labor force leave? To worship an unknown God of another nation (v. 2-4)? Pharaoh doesn’t pretend to know or care about God; he tells them point blank that he doesn’t know their God and he doesn’t have any interest in relenting. Unsurprisingly, Pharaoh acts like an unbeliever and presses his thumb on the Israelites all the more.
Instead of freeing them, he increases their workload, requiring them to gather straw without decreasing the quota of bricks they must deliver (v. 5-9). As the hours and beatings increase (v. 14), the Israelites confront their unrelenting taskmaster, blaming Moses and Aaron for angering Pharaoh (v. 21), causing Moses to accuse the Lord of neglect (v. 22).
Yet another example of self-interested blame-shifting in the Old Testament, Moses questions divine providence. Are you really in control? He questions divine justice. Why do the wicked prosper? He questions God’s severe mercy. Why are we, your chosen people, oppressed? And this from a hero of our faith (Hebrews 11). We often see plagues as judgment for evil. We seldom see divine discipline as a loving-kindness meant to restore right relationships. Lord, help us trust you, your ways, and your timing.
Questions
- Moses seemingly second-guesses God’s call on his life. How do we emulate Moses’ lack of trust?
- How have you seen God use incredibly tough circumstances to increase obedience?
- How is God using your current situation to increase dependence?
Did You Know?
The Hebrew slaves had two levels of overseers who supervised them: the Hebrew foremen and, above them, the Egyptian taskmasters. According to historical documents, the Israelite foremen were beaten because they could not bear to force their fellow Hebrews to fulfill the impossible quotas the Egyptians demanded.
7 thoughts on “Exodus 5”
“We seldom see divine discipline as a loving-kindness meant to restore right relationship.”
What a statement! I believe that sums up Christian attitudes in America today. God is always loving us and trying to draw us back into an intimate relationship with Him, and we continue to whine and complain with our selfish feelings. We are more than conquerors, IF we follow and obey God. IF and BUT are possibly two words most ignored by bible reafing Christians today.
Why have You sent me?
We/I need to be responding to that question. We/I should be seeking God alone, pouring out our hearts. We/I need to seek His strength, wisdom, and should be claiming His promises and doing His will even when everything seems to be against us. God will talk to us. He will guide us through the up and coming storms. God calls, meaning God will enable and what He begins, He will complete. We/I are all called. Remember the refiners fire, the struggles are real BUT GOD. C.S. Lewis “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.
God help me to be strong. There is a storm brewing. God, thank You for Your written Word. Thank You that I can seek You and find You. Thank You that I can (Proverbs 3:5-6.) Trust in You LORD with all my heart; And lean not on my own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge You God, And You will direct my paths. Your grace and mercy’s are new every morning, so thank You for being able to confess, repent and turn from my sin. Thank You God that I do a 180 and walk away from that which I repented. God thank You for Your Love. God I do not understand the depth of Your Love but what smidgen I do I know is beyond comprension and adjectives. God thank You for these minutes of this day. Thank You for not wasting one oppurtunity to speak about You, to see those around me through Your love goggles, and to be bold in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pharaoh may have not known the God of the Israelites as Egypt was full of pagan gods, but he was about to become fully aware of the one true God. The one who had grown his people base from 70 to 2 million was about to show himself as the great rescuer. Our present day culture often mimics Egypt, yet because of Christ we know how this story ends. It is the “in-between” time that we find ourselves in, often questioning, striving and resisting the unknowns. One thing for sure, we can humble ourselves, pray, seek his face and turn from our wicked ways. He promises to hear from heaven and heal our land. Let it be so, Lord Jesus!
(For our teachers: this one’s for you!)
How often do we see this happen?
Before Divine Deliverance, there’s usually a lot of earthly upset. Leaders in particular get pretty edgy.
“What if instability = I get overthrown?”
So they try to hold on to control by holding the people down. If these Exodus leaders can’t eliminate the people at birth … they’ll work them to death in life.
Before today’s BRP, I’d never noticed the Israelite overseers. Talk about being stuck between a rock (brick?!) and a hard place! No doubt about it, “middle management” is a thankless job — and sometimes it’s an impossible one.
This story hits me where I live. MY people do not have enough. Their lives have been “made bitter with harsh labor.” They’re expected to accomplish impossible tasks with woefully inadequate resources. And when they don’t, THEY are blamed and punished.
Meanwhile, here I am, stuck in the middle, “working with one hand and fighting with the other.”
Can you relate?
As we’ve been reminded so powerfully from the Harris Creek pulpit, we are subject to the governing authorities. We are to submit to those in authority over us.
AND we are also called to serve (protect, provide and speak up for) the “least of these” around us.
Which makes us all, in effect, “middle management.”
And sometimes it feels like we’ve been stuck here forever. The people are crying out! When will deliverance come?
We may not know WHEN — but we do know WHERE and HOW:
“I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realize that our true help and protection is only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.”
Psalms 121:1-2 TPT
“In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
Jeremiah 29:12-13 NLT
We are not stuck — God is ALWAYS on the move.
His deliverance IS coming!
so good sister!!❤
Thank you, Amy! Right back at you!
1 “Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
I’d forgotten that the original request of Pharaoh was simply that the Israelites be allowed to go worship for a few days, not that they be released from captivity. In hindsight, Pharaoh should have granted that request. Things were about to get much worse due to his stubbornness. I can relate!