Exodus 5-7
Moses and Aaron came to speak to the Israelites in Egypt. They told the people all that God had said to Moses. They performed miracles before the people and the people were convinced.
Then Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh and said to him, "The God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us go a distance of three days into the wilderness to worship our God."
But Pharaoh answered, "You are distracting the people from their work!" Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters, "You will no longer provide the slaves with straw to make their bricks. From now on they will have to gather straw for themselves. But do not reduce the daily amount required. They are lazy. That is why they want to stop working and go sacrifice to their God. Let them work harder so they will not have time to listen to such false promises."
So the people had to work even harder. And when they did not make the required amount of bricks, the taskmasters beat them. Then the Israelite guards came to Moses and Aaron and said to them, "May God punish you! You have put a sword in the hands of the Egyptians to kill us."
Moses turned to God and said, "Why have You brought harm to Your people? And why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt even worse with them. And still You have not freed Your people."
God said to Moses, "You will soon see what I will do to pharaoh. He will let the people go because of a power greater than his. In fact, he will drive them from his land. Go to Pharaoh and act as God before him, and your brother, Aaron, will serve as your prophet. Tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave his land. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will refuse, and then I will show Egypt that I am God. I will stretch out my hand and bring the Israelites out of their midst."
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With a partner or on a sheet of paper, respond to the following questions:
1. Moses and Aaron are sent by God to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery. But first they must convince the Israelite people that God actually sent them to do so. How do Moses and Aaron convince the people? Why is this necessary?
2. When Moses and Aaron first ask that the Israelites be released from their work to leave Egypt and serve God in the wilderness, what does Pharaoh do to the people?
3. Why do the Israelite guards curse Moses and Aaron, saying, "May God punish you! You have put a sword in the hands of the Egyptians to kill us"?
Instead of just freeing the Israelites, God decides to draw out the process by hardening Pharaoh's heart. Even after nine plagues sent to strike pharaoh and the Egyptians, Pharaoh's heart is hardened and refuses to let the Israelites go. It is not until the tenth and final plague (when God kills the first born sons of every Egyptian household) that Pharaoh finally let's the people go.
What do you think it means to harden someone's heart?
But I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will refuse, and then I will show Egypt that I am God. -- According to Rashi, God chooses to harden Pharaoh's heart because God will then have the opportunity to show how powerful God is -- by sending ten terrible plagues. God wants to show the Israelites what will happen if they behave like the Egyptians. This, Rashi says, is God's way: God punishes sinful nations so that God's people, the Israelites, will see this punishment, become fearful, and choose to behave differently.
Why do you think God chooses to harden Pharaoh's heart? Is this fair of God to do? Why or why not?Do you agree with Rashi's interpretation? Why or why not? (Post your response below in the comment section.)
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