Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go?

Exodus 5:1-23

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” 

Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”

Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

The first request to Pharaoh merely aggravates the situation. The people turn against their 'deliverer', Moses in his frustration turns once again to god. And God renews his calling, reminding Moses of who God is and telling him what he intends to do.

This seems less than the whole truth, but it is in the nature of a test case. Israel had to leave Egypt in order to sacrifice because the nature of their sacrifice was offensive to the Egyptians. Pharaoh's reaction reveals his implacable hostility, already predicted by God.

Why?

It is the result God has told Moses, Pharaoh refuses Israelite to go out of Egypt to worship their Lord.

In contrast, Pharaoh give heavy burden to Israelites and asked them to make the same amount of brick and did do support them with the material to make it.

Moses complained to the Lord, you have not rescued your people at all. This is the common response for our request did not be satisfied after we asked the Lord. But God has his plan and his way.

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法老不答應反而更加害以色列人：法老的反應是一般國王的反應，不但不准而且更虐待以色列人。你們要敬拜神，就去倚靠祂啊！如果立即成功了，後人會如何想1)法老是賜恩的王，法老的德政2)摩西的功勞。幾乎沒有人會感謝神。神早就已經對摩西預告了。法老愈反對更顯出神的掌權。

我們不要對世界的政權有所期待，我們過的好不好，與政權無關。我們的盼望在於我們的神，取決於我們和神之間的關係。愈是求法老，法老愈跋扈。

這件事神一直在其中。有神同在、帶領，就不會有困難嗎？可能會有更大的困難，更多顯示神的權柄、榮耀、作為。十災也在回應法老的話，這個神是誰，我不認識。

有神的呼召，不一定保證順利，但是一定保證神的同在。經歷神的帶領。

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How?

God is good, God's way is beyond ours. Trust in the Lord, and obey God's command is the best way of blessing.