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Exodus 5:1–2
“Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.” ’ But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.’ ”
Israel has just received Moses as their leader who, with the assistance of his brother Aaron, will go to Pharaoh and call for their release from bondage (Ex. 4:27–31). Thus, in today’s passage, Moses and Aaron secure an audience with the king of Egypt, seeking to gain the freedom of the Israelites.
As we see in Exodus 5:1, Moses and Aaron present Pharaoh not with a request but with a demand—he must let the people of the Lord go so that they may “hold a feast” to God in the wilderness. Yet, they are not making this demand on their own authority. They are but spokesmen for the Lord, His ambassadors to Pharaoh’s court. Hence, they preface their speech to the king with “Thus says the Lord.” What we are seeing is not really an interchange between Moses and Pharaoh but one between the Lord and Pharaoh. In reality, as commentators note, we are actually seeing an interchange and ultimately a battle between the God of Israel and the gods of the Egyptians, for the pharaoh was thought to embody and represent the Egyptian deities.
This leads Pharaoh to ask the question that is the real theme of the upcoming plague narratives and really the most important question that anyone can ask: “Who is the Lord?” (v. 2). In one sense, God’s war against Pharaoh to secure the release of Israel is not about Israel’s freedom at all, at least not in any ultimate way. The point of the confrontation with the king of Egypt is to answer these questions: Who is the Lord, the God of Israel? Is He but one deity among many equals, or is He the one true God and Lord not only of Israel but also over Pharaoh and all the earth? Exodus 9:16 tells us as much—God raised up Pharaoh so that the Lord could reveal Himself in all His glory and power to the world. Who is the Lord? He is the only true God; all other deities are mere pretenders (see Isa. 44; 1 Cor. 10:19–20).
The plague narratives also ask the second most important question anyone can ask: What will we do with the knowledge that the Lord of Israel is the only true God? This question appears indirectly in Pharaoh’s question regarding why he should let the Israelites go and in his statement that he will not obey God (Ex. 5:2). Once we know who the Lord is, as Pharaoh will soon learn, will we bow to Him as King and follow His Word, or will we, like Pharaoh, harden our hearts to our own destruction?
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
All people must decide what they are going to do with the knowledge that the Lord of Israel, the God of the Bible, is the one true Creator of all. The only proper response is to trust in Him, love Him, and obey Him. But people will respond that way only if the Lord first gives them the new birth and grants them new hearts to believe His Word (John 3:1–8). If you have bowed the knee to the Lord, then He has given you a new heart. Pray that He will give such a heart to others.
For Further Study
- 2 Samuel 22:32
- Psalm 96
- Mark 4:35–41
- 1 Corinthians 8:4–6