Exodus - Part 8 - Exodus 5:1-3

Moses and Aaron are in the land of Egypt and are about to begin a battle of wills between Pharaoh and God. God also uses it as a test of faith for Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites to prepare them for what is to come. That faith allowed Moses to speak boldly before Pharaoh to tell him to let the Israelites go to worship the Lord. He proclaimed that it needed to be a three day journey into the wilderness. This alone would have told Pharaoh the Israelites had no intention of coming back.

Moses was bold in his speech and that came from faith. Faith requires submission to the unseen God. This is not a faith Pharaoh had. Egypt was full of gods and statues to them. Pharaoh believed in the gods he could see and he was unwilling to submit to the Lord, whom he could not see. Why would he let Israel go based on the word of the Lord? It’s a fair question. But he would soon learn what it meant to disobey the voice of God.

Moses and Aaron respond to Pharaoh’s open challenge to God, telling him exactly what would happen. If Pharaoh didn’t let the Israelites go to worship the Lord, God was going to unleash pestilence and the sword on the people. Pharaoh ultimately denied their request. Moses and Aaron were likely not the only ones that heard everything Pharaoh said in this interaction. Any other Hebrews present realized that God was getting ready to deliver them to the Promised Land.