Important notice: Always check out what you hear and see for yourself, as it is up to you as a Christian to do your own studying. Never take anyone's word alone, including this website here, without first always checking it out for yourself. As 2 Timothy 2:15 says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Exodus 5
1 And 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.
2 And 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.
3 And 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.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
In other words, the Pharaoh was telling them to forget about worshiping and sacrificing to GOD, and to instead get back to work and quit distracting others from doing their work.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
Note that an officer (shôṭêr in the Hebrew) was an Egyptian title for scribes, who kept account of the work done.
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale (= measurement or tally) of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle (= lazy); therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
And so it was, the Pharaoh only added to their hard working conditions to try and make their lives worse. He figured if they had time to go worship GOD, then they weren't doing enough work.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
The Pharaoh figured if he could get the taskmasters and officers to give them more work, then they wouldn't have time to listen to Aaron and Moses, who in his eyes were speaking vain words. Remember it was GOD who gave Moses these words and here this Pharaoh is calling them "vain" words. Not a good thing to say.
10 And 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.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
They were commanded to get their own straw, while being told to still produce as much work and bricks as they did before.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
In other words, they were pretty much gathering any piece of weed they could in order to keep up the pace. Perhaps it was reed they grabbed.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
This was basically an impossible task for anybody to try and do.
14 And 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?
These officers (scribes) were to keep up and make sure the children of Israel were producing, and when the Pharaoh and his taskmasters saw that the numbers weren't being produced as they were before, the officers were beaten.
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
I.e. they stated "why deal with us in this way."
16 There 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.
Here these officers are letting the Pharaoh know that the blame is within him and his own people.
17 But he said, Ye are idle (= lazy), ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
This Pharaoh basically wanted everyone to worship him as he had them work for him non-stop. He didn't want them spending no time praising or worshiping anyone else.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale (= measurements or tally) of bricks.
The Pharaoh again commanded that they produce the original tally.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case (i.e. a bad situation), after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 And 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.
In other words, these officers are basically trying to lay the blame on Moses and Aaron as being bad representatives for GOD, and that because of them Pharaoh's becoming more evil and pushing harder workloads on them. They evidently didn't realize that it was GOD who did the speaking through Moses and Aaron, and that things will get better.
22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
It's okay to be curious at times, but you don't ever want to blame GOD as it seems here. When you attempt to commit your way to GOD, and satan realizes that you're no longer giving him the attention, he's going to do everything he can to spiritually oppress you and get your mind anxious, confused, and off focus from GOD. That is why we are told in Ephesians 6:10-18 to put on the whole armour of GOD (HIS WORD [TRUTH]), so that we won't find satan and his worldly pleasures enticing. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:10-18);". The closer you walk to and with GOD, the less room there is for satan to come in between. No matter what your present situation or circumstances may look like in life, you can be assured that with GOD, you're going to overcome and be victorious, as long as you dwell and stay close to HIM. Remain faithful and never doubt HIM. "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5)." See also: the rest of Psalm 37.
23 For 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.
When it seems things are getting out of hand and you wonder where our HEAVENLY FATHER is, just remember a teacher is always quiet during a test. As we will see in the coming chapters, HE will indeed deliver HIS people as promised (Exodus 3:20). Ever been in an overwhelming, stressful situation before and you wonder where GOD is and you're all confused in the moment, and then all of sudden right when you least expect it, everything works out for your good and you begin to understand why everything unfolded the way it did? Again, never doubt what our HEAVENLY FATHER can and will do in your life, as long as you're willing to allow HIM to use you. Remember, GOD is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) but instead peace and understanding. satan will do everything he can to tempt us, in attempt to make us weaker and bring the worst out of us, whereas GOD tests us, to make us stronger and bring the best out of us. Your trials may seem tough right now but we serve a GOD who's tougher; HE will never allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, without always giving you a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Fully rely on HIM and forever rely on HIM. HE knows what HE is doing at all times.
2 And 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.
3 And 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.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
In other words, the Pharaoh was telling them to forget about worshiping and sacrificing to GOD, and to instead get back to work and quit distracting others from doing their work.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
Note that an officer (shôṭêr in the Hebrew) was an Egyptian title for scribes, who kept account of the work done.
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale (= measurement or tally) of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle (= lazy); therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
And so it was, the Pharaoh only added to their hard working conditions to try and make their lives worse. He figured if they had time to go worship GOD, then they weren't doing enough work.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
The Pharaoh figured if he could get the taskmasters and officers to give them more work, then they wouldn't have time to listen to Aaron and Moses, who in his eyes were speaking vain words. Remember it was GOD who gave Moses these words and here this Pharaoh is calling them "vain" words. Not a good thing to say.
10 And 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.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
They were commanded to get their own straw, while being told to still produce as much work and bricks as they did before.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
In other words, they were pretty much gathering any piece of weed they could in order to keep up the pace. Perhaps it was reed they grabbed.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
This was basically an impossible task for anybody to try and do.
14 And 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?
These officers (scribes) were to keep up and make sure the children of Israel were producing, and when the Pharaoh and his taskmasters saw that the numbers weren't being produced as they were before, the officers were beaten.
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
I.e. they stated "why deal with us in this way."
16 There 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.
Here these officers are letting the Pharaoh know that the blame is within him and his own people.
17 But he said, Ye are idle (= lazy), ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
This Pharaoh basically wanted everyone to worship him as he had them work for him non-stop. He didn't want them spending no time praising or worshiping anyone else.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale (= measurements or tally) of bricks.
The Pharaoh again commanded that they produce the original tally.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case (i.e. a bad situation), after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 And 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.
In other words, these officers are basically trying to lay the blame on Moses and Aaron as being bad representatives for GOD, and that because of them Pharaoh's becoming more evil and pushing harder workloads on them. They evidently didn't realize that it was GOD who did the speaking through Moses and Aaron, and that things will get better.
22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
It's okay to be curious at times, but you don't ever want to blame GOD as it seems here. When you attempt to commit your way to GOD, and satan realizes that you're no longer giving him the attention, he's going to do everything he can to spiritually oppress you and get your mind anxious, confused, and off focus from GOD. That is why we are told in Ephesians 6:10-18 to put on the whole armour of GOD (HIS WORD [TRUTH]), so that we won't find satan and his worldly pleasures enticing. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:10-18);". The closer you walk to and with GOD, the less room there is for satan to come in between. No matter what your present situation or circumstances may look like in life, you can be assured that with GOD, you're going to overcome and be victorious, as long as you dwell and stay close to HIM. Remain faithful and never doubt HIM. "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5)." See also: the rest of Psalm 37.
23 For 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.
When it seems things are getting out of hand and you wonder where our HEAVENLY FATHER is, just remember a teacher is always quiet during a test. As we will see in the coming chapters, HE will indeed deliver HIS people as promised (Exodus 3:20). Ever been in an overwhelming, stressful situation before and you wonder where GOD is and you're all confused in the moment, and then all of sudden right when you least expect it, everything works out for your good and you begin to understand why everything unfolded the way it did? Again, never doubt what our HEAVENLY FATHER can and will do in your life, as long as you're willing to allow HIM to use you. Remember, GOD is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) but instead peace and understanding. satan will do everything he can to tempt us, in attempt to make us weaker and bring the worst out of us, whereas GOD tests us, to make us stronger and bring the best out of us. Your trials may seem tough right now but we serve a GOD who's tougher; HE will never allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, without always giving you a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Fully rely on HIM and forever rely on HIM. HE knows what HE is doing at all times.