EXODUS FIVE
Dealing With Adversity
I. Greetings: <
For crowd interaction you might want to have the whole chapter read through like a play. You will need to select readers for the following parts: You will need five readers and you could ask for volunteers and ask them to write the following verses down or have the verse numbers printed on cards before the meeting starts and hand out the card to each person who volunteers. Each card would have the characters name and the appropriate verses.
Moses = 1,3,22,23
Pharaoh = 2,4,5,7,8,9,17,18
Narrator = 6,12,19
Taskmasters (slave drivers) = 10,11,13,14
Foremen = 15,16,20,21
II. Smooth Beginnings, People respond favorable: Exodus 4:31.
Q How many times has a tough or long task had a smooth beginning?
>>>> Have someone read about Moses’ beginning of ministry in Egypt: Exodus 4:31.
Q How did the people first respond to the message of Moses and Aaron?
An = The people believed, bowed and worshipped. What a great beginning! All the worry about the people not responding was sweep seemingly away with the performing of the signs and the people’s worship seemed to have been spawned by the speech of God’s concern for their plight. One could not ask for a better beginning. Note what follows.
III. First Dialogue Between Moses/Aaron and Pharaoh: Exodus 5:1-5.
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:1-5.
Q Were Moses and Aaron bold when they first spoke to Pharaoh in 5:1?
An = Yes they were. They spoke out boldly the Word of the Lord. They quote the Lord directly in 5:1. They obey! They deliver the message!
>>>> Read again Exodus 5:2.
Q What is Pharaoh’s response?
An = Pharaoh says “Who is the Lord?” “Why should I obey Him, I do not know Him?” Then Pharaoh flatly refuses. Those of you who have loved ones with addiction, the world will not easily give them up without a fight. The Pharaoh’s of this world will not easily give in.
Note: Actually Pharaoh asks the key question: “Who is the Lord”. And before too many days are over, Pharaoh will have plenty of information about God.
Q How would you have felt if you were Moses and Aaron and received the answers that Moses and Aaron received?
An = I am sure this rocked Moses and Aaron for they responded sort of weakly in Exodus 5:3. They now say the just want a three-day journey and God will hurt them big-time (cause damage to Pharaoh’s assets) if they are not allowed to go.
Q Doesn’t such a speech make God look bad?
An = I think it does. To say that if the Israelites do not obey his little whim about sacrifice he will kill us with plagues or battle?
Q Is Moses and Aaron’s second speech a command or a request?
An = Notice that the second speech was a request, no longer a command. Some of the confidence is lost. It seems that Moses and Aaron ad-lib here and it sounds sort of weak but this usually happens when we are sharing God’s truth and someone does not believe us. We embellish the deal a bit with some poor assertions about God’s character.
>>>> Have someone re-read Exodus 5:4-5
Q Is Pharaoh impressed with Moses and Aaron’s second little speech in 5:3?
An = Notice Pharaoh is not the least bit impressed with the threat of the death of his slaves and says the real problem is getting the work done. Do not stop the work. Do not stop the status-quo. The people’s numbers bother Pharaoh, and he wants them under control.
Note: The real issue is, “who will Israel serve?” Those we love, who will they serve: God or this world, God or money, God or Satan? Whom will Israel serve? Seven times in the rest of the chapter the root of word “service” or “servant” will be used.
IV. The Results of Moses’ Dialogue With Pharaoh. Exodus 5:6-14.
Note: Now the author moves quickly to show us the results of Moses and Aaron’s speech.
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:6.
Q How fast did Pharaoh act?
An = Pharaoh loses little time: “that same day”.
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:7-9
Q Pharaoh’s speech in verses 7 and 8 open with a series of commands, what are they?
An = 1) give them no straw, 2) make Israel gather straw, 3) Keep quota of bricks the same, 4) Do not drop quota. The plan is clear: no straw, but same expectations. Make life more intense, more difficult.
Q What is Pharaoh’s reason for the tough measures that he enacts?
An = According to him the people are lazy and the religious longings for sacrifice are a cover for laziness. Pharaoh thinks that hard work will keep the people’s minds off the “opiate of the masses”, religion, to quote a famous Russian communist term. Hard work will drive religion from their minds.
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:10-14.
Note: It seems God is quoted and He is seemingly ignored. Pharaoh’s words are quoted and that has immediate affect in the actual lives of people.
Q Are evil people who have power more effective than God?
An = At times it certainly seems so. I think the author deliberately quotes God with the formula in 5:1: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says:” and then deliberately quotes Pharaoh with the formula in 5:10: “This is what Pharaoh says:”. This is what we often experience in life and the Bible faces it squarely.
Q What is the two fold fall out or result of Pharaoh’s orders?
An = The effect is two fold: 1) the Israelites scatter about trying to find even the stubble of straw to get the job done. 2) the Israelite foremen get beaten because the quota of bricks was not met. These foremen are clearly identified as Israelites. This is favorite procedure of oppressors. Use those oppressed to help in the work of keeping their own people down.
Note: Notice how willing the Israelites try to obey Pharaoh, it is only when it is impossible that they complain. We are often comfortable in our sin.
V. The Dialogue Between Pharaoh and the Israelite Foremen: Exodus 5:15-19
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:15-19.
Q What is the appeal of the foremen to Pharaoh?
An = The foremen appeal to reason with the Pharaoh. They were trying to get their jobs back to a reasonable pace, because now Pharaoh wants too much. They blame Pharaoh’s own people for dropping the ball. They cannot understand why there has been a change in the old “status quo”.
Q What is Pharaoh’s response to their request?
An = Pharaoh’s response is now to bring up the lazy issue. The Israelites are accused of laziness because of their religious desires. Pharaoh basically says that religion that interferes with the “status quo” will be a costly endeavor. Things will be worse now because of your leaders desire to have you involved in religious worship. There must be a separation of state and religion, says Pharaoh and religion therefore takes a back seat.
Q How smart is this Pharaoh?
An = He is pretty smart! He has “all the cards.” Moses and Aaron are no match for him. He has now divided the foremen from there supposed leader and savior: Moses. With the “no-straw” policy Pharaoh has basically said: The real reason for the more difficult situation is the religious talk of Moses and Aaron.
Note: The foremen now see that they are in trouble. Notice what they do next?
VI. Encounter Between Moses and Aaron: Exodus 5:20-21.
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:20-21.
Q Are the Israelites still impressed with God’s looking at their miserable condition of slavery?
An = No, they are concerned about their situation getting worse. They want something now: They want God to see something else. They are sure if God will see what Moses and Aaron have done to their condition and safety that He will judge them.
Q Can you imagine how Moses and Aaron must have felt?
An = They must have felt like dirt.
Q Why do you think Moses and Aaron did not answer the people after what the people said?
An = Could anything have been said? Perhaps Moses was as disappointed as they were and agreed that he had caused trouble rather than brought good to their lives. His silence may have indicated he did not know what to say. Notice what he does next though.
VII. Dialogue Between Moses and The Lord: Exodus 5:22-6:1.
>>>> Have someone read Exodus 5:22-23.
Q What do you think of Moses’ speech to Almighty God?
An = Pretty bold speech to make to almighty God. Moses basically tells God three times that He is wrong. In 5:22 Moses accuses God of hurting the people. Then in 5:23 Moses indirectly accuses God of hurting the people by saying that only when Moses spoke in God’s Name did Pharaoh hurt the people. Finally, Moses accuses God of inaction in 5:23 by saying that God has done nothing to deliver His people.
Q What is more, does Moses now questions his very call?
Q What has happened?
An = The people began by believing, and worshipping God. They liked that God had seen their trouble. Now after just one day on the job, Moses has three different groups no longer believing: 1) Pharaoh has not come around. He certainly does not believe: 5:2
2) The foremen of Israel are convinced that Moses and Aaron are to be judged.
3) Moses himself has lost all confidence.
Q Has this ever happened to you?
Q Have you tried to do the right thing for your church or family and it seemed to have blown up in your face?
Q Is ministry hard? Will it always run smoothly? Will there be opposition?
An = The Bible says repeatedly that “Noble things are difficult”. There will be opposition.
Note: In the verses we have read there is a curious use of the word “to see”. In 4:31 the people are moved to worship because of what God “sees” of their misery. In 5:19 the Israelite foremen “see” that they are in trouble because of what Moses and Aaron said to Pharaoh. In 5:21 the foremen want God to now “see” what Moses and Aaron have done and they are sure that God will judge them. Now let us try and notice if the word is used one more time:
>>>> Read Exodus 6:1.
Q How does God answers Moses?
An = He wants Moses to wait and see. He does know what Moses and Aaron have done and He is not ready to judge Moses but He does want Moses to “see” something. He wants Moses to see what He will do. Real ministry is all about what God does anyway.
Note: There are people here now who are discouraged and who long to see the deliverance in their own lives or in the lives of their loved ones.
Remember three things:
1) It will not always go smoothly. God predicted this in Exodus 3:19 way back at Mt. Sinai.
2) It will take place if God has decided it will because He will accomplish what He promised He will do. We need to watch Him.
3) The key is to go to God with our confusion, without doubt, with our disappointments.