Old Testament: Exo 5.4–9

To read the Bible in a year, read Exodus 4–6 on January 23, In the year of our Lord Christ 2022

By Don Ruhl 

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and asked that he let the people go into the wilderness that they might sacrifice to God. However, Pharaoh thought they were not working enough, thinking that is why they wanted to go and sacrifice: 

Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.” And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!” So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”

– Exodus 5.4–9 

Israel was working plenty hard and putting in enough hours. They just wanted to do what Pharaoh and his people wanted to do, worship their God. 

However, Pharaoh misunderstood just who the God of Israel is, and he would find out the hard way. 

Questions: 

• Why do you want to worship God? 
• Is it a waste of time to worship? 
• How would you answer people who think worship is a waste of time? 

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