This is part of a video series covering the entire Bible in 4 years, one chapter at a time. Start at the beginning with Genesis 1 (Youtube link: https://youtu.be/wC2qD4RGOdo) and work through the playlist. Or go to https://www.peace.org.au/bible.html for more information.
In this video listen to Exodus 5 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.
In Exodus 5 Pharaoh’s real name is deliberately left out by Moses. Moses clearly knew it, and being trained and educated in Egypt did this on purpose. God either instructed him to do so, or there was a cultural reason. Dr David Downs thinks that this Pharaoh is Khasekemre-Neferhotep. Other archaeologists think it is Rameses II.
Pharaohs thought they were the incarnation of God, and all of Egypt thought it too. So as Moses approached Pharaoh with God’s request a battle of divine wills begins. And this is one possible reason why Pharaoh is not named, so as not to give him unwarranted significance.
Pharaoh asks who is Yahweh? When he finds out that Yahweh is the God of the Hebrews, he must have felt great disrespect, for a god of slaves cannot be any god at all. He has not regard or desire to listen. So he makes things worse for the slaves.
So we see that the first response to prayer of the Israelites for deliverance is that things get worse for them. Sometimes when we pray this is exactly what happens. The opposite is the first result. We must trust God because he has a process so as to bring about an even better outcome than we can imagine.
But the Israelites don’t trust, and don’t understand, so they begin by blaming their leaders, Moses and Aaron. Yet Moses was just obeying God. How sad for pastors when their people blame them because of misunderstanding. Hebrews 13:17 says “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” Hebrews 13:17
Feb 25, 2021 | Message by David Alley