Dave Burnette's Commentary

Exodus Chapter 5

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses
Date Penned: (1450-1410 BC)
Overview: The Record of God's Deliverance of Israel (c 1-40)
Theme: Israel in Egypt (c 1-12)
Message: God Sends Moses to Pharaoh (v 1-23)

Exodus 5 Commentary

(5:1-2) Pharoah Underestimates the God of Israel - Pharaoh was familiar with many gods (Egypt was filled with them), but he had never heard of the God of Israel. Pharaoh assumed that the God of the Hebrew slaves couldn't be very powerful. At first, Pharaoh was not at all worried about Moses' message, for he had not yet seen any evidence of the Lord's power.

(5:3) Pharaoh Does Not Respect God - Pharaoh would not listen to Moses and Aaron because he did not know or respect God. People who do not know God may not listen to his Word or his messengers. Like Moses and Aaron, we need to persist. When others reject you or your faith, don't be surprised or discouraged. Continue to tell them about God, trusting that he can open minds and soften stubborn hearts.

(5:4-9) Pharaoh Rejects God's Message - Moses and Aaron took their message to Pharaoh just as God directed. The unhappy result was harder work and more oppression for the Hebrews. Sometimes hardship comes as a result of obeying God. Are you following God but still suffering-or suffering even worse than before? If your life is miserable, don't assume you have fallen out of God's favor. You may be suffering for doing good in an evil world.

(5:7-8) Israel Feels the Wrath of Pharaoh - Mixing straw with mud makes bricks stronger and more durable. Until this point, Pharaoh had supplied the slaves with straw, but now he made them find their own straw and keep up their production quota as well.

(5:10-21) Israel Turns On Moses - The officers were caught in the middle. First, they tried to get the people to produce the same amount; then they complained to Pharaoh; finally, they turned on Moses. Perhaps you have felt caught in the middle at work or in relationships in your family or church. Complaining or turning on the leadership does not solve the problem. In the case of these supervisors, God had a larger purpose in mind, just as he might in your situation. So rather than turning on the leadership when you feel pressured by both sides, turn to God to see what else he might be doing in this situation.

(5:22-23) Moses Doubts God - Pharaoh had just increased the Hebrews' workload, and Moses protested that God had not rescued his people. Moses expected faster results and fewer problems. When God is at work, suffering, setbacks, and hardship may still occur. In James 1:2-4, we are encouraged to be happy when difficulties come our way. Problems develop our patience and character by teaching us to (1) trust God to do what is best for us, (2) look for ways to honor God in our present situations, (3) remember that God will not abandon us, and (4) watch for God's plans for us.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Forgetting the Blessings of God


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of Exodus with Chapter 5 and in today's text we see Moses obeying God and going to Pharaoh with the message of the Lord to let His people go. What catches my eye is the response of Pharaoh: "Who is the Lord that I should obey His Voice"  What a sad statement. It had only been a few generations since the Egyptians had experienced the blessings of Joseph's dreams that allowed prosperity in their land. Now these Egyptians have placed Israel into slavery and will not experience blessings but rather judgement. Pharaoh doesn't know the Lord, nor will he obey the God of Israel. In making application today we also see countries who have forgotten the blessings of the Lord. They too, forget what God did for them with blessing their families and land. As a result they experience the judgement of God verses the blessings of God due to their forgetfulness. How about you? Do know the Lord and Obey His voice? Do you remember the blessings of the Lord and His workings in your life? Let us learn from our text today and the life of Moses to see that we are to obey His Voice, Remembering how He has worked in your life and the lives of your past generations to see that the Lord has blessed you and your family, then follow the Lord to continue in You blessings life lest we end up like Egypt that experienced the judgement of God because we forgot the Lord. 

 

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Exodus 5


Exodus 5

 1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

 2And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

 3And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

 4And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

 5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

 6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

 7Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

 8And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

 9Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

 10And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

 11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

 12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

 13And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

 14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

 15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

 16There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

 17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

 18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

 19And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

 21And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

 22And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.