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The first nine verses of chapter six contain the LORD’s answer to Moses’ complaint to the LORD. First, he receives the answer as to why LORD has not fulfilled His promised deliverance. The following verses then answer the question concerning who the source of the commands to leave Egypt is and repeats the promised deliverance.

Moses was upset by the confrontation with the foremen and the possible repercussions. He prayed to the LORD, asking why He caused things to be worse for His people. In other words, Moses blamed the LORD for his failure and for the Israelites’ situation going from bad to worse.

The burden of the new work rules was so bad that the Israelite foremen came before Pharaoh himself to inquire as to why this added work of gathering their own straw was imposed on them. Pharaoh told them they were lazy for and commanded them to go back to work. They then confronted Moses and Aaron, wishing the LORD’s judgment upon them. Moses then inquired of the LORD about this apparent failure.

Pharaoh immediately retaliated against the Israelites by making the already oppressive work even worse. He commanded that no straw be given to the Israelites, making them have to gather it themselves. On top of that, the quotas that the Israelites had to meet were not adjusted for the new task, so it simply made their plight much worse. When the daily quotas were not met, the Israelite foremen were beaten by their Egyptian taskmasters.

Exodus 5:1-5 contains the account of Moses’ confrontation with Pharaoh. Moses begins by demanding that Pharaoh allow the Israelites to go into the wilderness to worship the LORD. Pharaoh flatly denies their request. Moses and the others try to convince Pharaoh that it is a matter of life-and-death. Pharaoh then concludes that this is just an excuse to avoid their labor.

All of Moses’ objections have now been answered, and he was convinced that the LORD would be with him as he goes back to Egypt. But there was another confrontation between the LORD and Moses concerning his son not being circumcised. Once that issue was resolved, Moses and Aaron could return to Egypt and speak to the leaders of Israel in Egypt, persuading them through Aaron’s words and Moses’ miraculous signs. There are four sections to this passage:

Moses’ fifth objection can be summarized by the phrase “Find someone else.” Even after the LORD’s promise of His abiding presence with him as he does what He has told him to do, Moses rejects him. The LORD got angry at Moses, but even so, He graciously provided even more support in the form of Aaron his brother.

Moses’ fourth objection centers around his feeling of inadequacy for the job God wants him to do. The job involved quite a bit of speaking, often in the presence of people in authority, like Pharaoh and the elders of Israel. Moses cites what might have been a speech impediment. It was his faulty view of God’s ability to overcome his speech problem that caused him to offer this objection.

Moses’ third objection deals with unbelief on the part of the Israelites. “What if they do not believe me?” seems to be the issue. The LORD answers him with three miracles.

Whereas the first answer involves who God is, the second answer contains a description of what He does.

In his first objection, Moses asks “Who am I?” His second objection asks God, “Who are you?” Moses wants to be prepared if (and when) confronted by the Israelites concerning where he gets the authority to tell them what to do.

Moses is not convinced that he is the right person for the job of delivering the Israelites. In fact, he responds to the LORD with five objections (3:11-4:17). The LORD constantly and repeatedly assures Moses that He will equip him for the job and promises His constant presence.

God tells Moses that He is aware of the plight of the Israelites and tells Moses that He is sending him to Pharaoh.

When Moses was shepherding Jethro’s flock around Mount Horeb, God appears to him in the form of a bush that is burning but is not consumed.

Exodus 2:23-25 sets the stage for the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt.

Exodus 2:16-22 records how Moses settles in the land of Midian and is welcomed by a family there.

Exodus 2:1-10 describes the hiding of a Levite baby in the reeds on the Nile River and how Pharaoh’s daughter went to bathe in the Nile and saw the basket with the baby Moses inside.

The second plan was even more severe — the midwives were to kill all the male Hebrew sons when they are born. But this plan also failed because the midwives feared God more than Pharaoh.

Many years before the birth of Moses, the Egyptians got concerned with the Israelites flourishing in their land. They decided to oppress the Israelites with hard labor.

Exodus 1:1-7 focuses our attention on the Israelites who are to be delivered later in the book of Exodus. It connects them to the children of Jacob that had migrated to Egypt some 400 years earlier. During this time, they multiplied and became prosperous in Egypt, both of which are indications of God’s blessing.