Historical Material

• Scholars suggest that this account of Moses has a greater ring of authenticity to it than later material where he is presented with magnified power and importance. It is typical of historical records that their historicity depends on when they were written. As time passes a hero becomes more idolised.
  
  
• This early record regarding Moses does not feel obliged to exaggerate Moses' greatness because at this stage he has not really distinguished himself before the people and so it seems to give a more accurate account of Moses' visit to Pharaoh, especially since it appeared to fail. This passage was not 'adjusted' by later editors to cover up what might appear as weakness on the part of Moses.
  
  
• All historical material has to be assessed for its likely accuracy. The Bible is no different and requires the same investigative skills as any other ancient historical document.

Divine Purpose and Plan

• The Bible records the unfolding of God's purposes for the universe. It is not quite as simple as it sounds because God's plans necessitate working through people, who prove not to be as co-operative as they might be!
  
  
• In this episode, God's plan initially appears thwarted but in reality God makes use of temporary setbacks to achieve a greater victory (6:1). Later it is explained that God himself has hardened Pharaoh's heart (4:21), so this episode is all part of God's longer-term plan. It could be argued that God's plan to get the Pharaoh himself to order the Israelites (Exodus 12:31-32) out was indeed a clever ploy. The authors make sure God does not appear to fail.

A God who Punishes

• Exodus 5:3 states that if God is not obeyed 'he will kill us by disease or war'.
  Exodus 5:21 states 'The Lord has seen what you have done and will punish you for making the Pharaoh and his officers hate us...'
  
  
• The Old Testament / Hebrew Bible highlights the theme of punishment for sin. God's justice has to condemn sin and the consequence is punishment. Further, disasters, wars and personal suffering needed an explanation. It was believed these must be God's means of punishing people for their wrong-doing.
  
  
• In Hebrew the word frequently used for 'punishment' is the word for 'sin' which shows how closely the Hebrews connected the idea of sin with its consequences. They knew that sin had its inevitable sequel in punishment through pain, suffering or death, and so they connected the two in thought as well as word.
  
  
• It is this way of thinking that led the Hebrews and later the Jews (even in Jesus' time see John 9:1-12) to associate physical and mental illness with punishment from God for sin committed. Also it needs to be understood that in Old Testament / Hebrew Bible times there was not a developed belief in an after-life and so it was believed punishment took place then and there.
  
  
• However, along with the belief in God's justice requiring punishment, there was the development of belief in God's offer of forgiveness through repentance, which would avoid the deserved punishment.
  
  
• As medical science has improved our knowledge of the causes of illnesses, this connection of illness with sin has virtually disappeared. However there is of course still a link, in that some negative behaviour can produce ill health e.g. the abuse of alcohol. Also rather strangely, people do still blame God for their illnesses, even saying it is God's will and wondering what evil they have done to deserve it.

The Prophetic Role

• A prophet is someone who speaks for God. God places words in the prophet's mouth. Moses now takes on that role. Increasingly as time passes, God self-reveals less in a direct anthropomorphic way (appearing in 'humanly' described form) but more through people, especially the prophets, whom God chose and inspired with spirit and words. Prophets saw themselves as merely channels through which God spoke, not the author of their messages.

Complaining to God

• It is sometimes thought that religious people are submissive, obedient servants of God. They accept whatever happens without complaining because they do not see it as their right to question or doubt God. This is a distorted picture of religion because it denies the struggle that the believer often has with their belief and the stormy relationship which they can have with God.
  
  
• Far from being built on certainties, religion in a sense is built on doubts. There is a doubt element in faith! Just as in human relationships life is not always tranquil, so in the relationship with God, anger, disappointment, frustration etc. can surface and find expression.
  
  
• One of the amazing aspects of Moses' leadership is the insight the Hebrew Bible gives of the frustrations and difficulties he has with the volatile Israelites themselves and how he turns to God to share these with him e.g. Exodus 17: 1-7. The relationship between God and Moses is anything but passive.

Power, Oppression and Exploitation

• One of the themes running through the Bible is the presence of the power of evil in the world and here it manifests itself in the oppressive and exploitative way human beings treat each other. Those with power are in a position to exploit or oppress others - through poverty, lack of justice or, as here, through slave labour - so that they are crushed emotionally and physically. Oppression comes in many guises.
  
  
• As soon as the Pharaoh felt his power was threatened he reacted by oppressing the slaves even more, making their job impossible by stopping their supply of straw.
  
  
• The Bible emphasises that everyone is ultimately subjected to God's power, which in its goodness contrasts with the Pharaoh's. God's good power seeks to support and protect the vulnerable and bestow freedom and fullness of life, not encourage abuse and deprivation.