Moses Before Pharaoh

Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and stated that the Lord God of Israel commanded him to let His people go to hold a feast in the wilderness (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh replied that he did not know the Lord and would not let Israel go. Moses and Aaron repeated the request, stating that the God of the Hebrews had met with them, and they asked to go a three days' journey into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord (Exodus 5:3). Pharaoh accused Moses and Aaron of hindering the people from their work and commanded them to return to their burdens.

That same day, Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters and officers to no longer provide the people with straw to make bricks. The text does not say how the straw was previously gathered, but Pharaoh ordered that the people must now gather straw for themselves while maintaining the same daily output of bricks (Exodus 5:7-8). The taskmasters informed the people of this decree, and the Israelites were scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. When the required number of bricks was not met, the officers of the children of Israel were beaten by Pharaoh's taskmasters (Exodus 5:14).

The officers of the children of Israel appealed to Pharaoh, asking why they were being treated in this manner and noting that their own people were being beaten although the fault lay with Pharaoh's servants. Pharaoh dismissed their plea, calling them idle and repeating the command to work without being given straw (Exodus 5:17-18). As the officers left Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron and stated that the two men had made them abhorrent in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants. Moses then returned to the Lord and asked why he had been sent, as Pharaoh had done evil to the people and the Lord had not delivered them (Exodus 5:22-23).