What is the meaning of Exodus 5:17? You are slackers! • Pharaoh’s charge echoes Exodus 5:8, where he first accused Israel of idleness. • He deliberately ignores the genuine spiritual desire behind the people’s request, twisting it into laziness—much like Satan’s tactic in Revelation 12:10, accusing the saints day and night. • By calling them “slackers,” Pharaoh seeks to shame them and justify harsher labor (Exodus 1:13-14). • This reveals a clash of kingdoms: Egypt’s oppressive system versus God’s call to worship (Acts 5:29 reminds us to obey God rather than men). Pharaoh replied. • The statement is not a private thought; it is an official royal verdict, shaping policy. • His response hardens the conflict Moses predicted in Exodus 4:21-23: “Let My son go, that he may serve Me.” • Pharaoh speaks from a throne that believes itself divine (Ezekiel 29:3 shows another Pharaoh boasting, “The Nile is mine; I made it”). • The contrast with the true King is stark: “The LORD is in His holy temple” (Psalm 11:4). Slackers! • Repetition intensifies the insult, showing Pharaoh’s stubbornness (cf. Exodus 7:13, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened”). • Scripture often uses repetition for emphasis—think of Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy,” or Jesus’ “Truly, truly” in John 3:3. • Here, the doubled accusation underscores Egypt’s refusal to recognize Israel’s God-given purpose (Deuteronomy 6:13, “Serve the LORD your God”). That is why you keep saying, • Pharaoh creates a false causal link: he claims their request springs from sloth, not faith. • Romans 1:25 describes exchanging truth for a lie; Pharaoh does that here. • Blaming the oppressed is a classic tyrant’s technique (1 Kings 18:17-18, where Ahab calls Elijah a “troubler of Israel”). • The ruler’s narrative combats God’s narrative, setting up the plagues that will expose who truly rules (Exodus 9:16). ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ • The petition is a direct act of obedience to God’s command in Exodus 3:18. • Sacrifice implies covenant relationship (Genesis 8:20; Exodus 24:5-8). • Worship is worth any cost; Hebrews 13:15 urges continual sacrifice of praise, even under pressure. • Pharaoh’s resistance foreshadows every earthly power that tries to hinder worship, yet Psalm 2:2-4 assures us the LORD laughs at such opposition. summary Exodus 5:17 shows an earthly king branding God’s people as lazy to quash their call to worship. His repeated slur, his authoritative tone, and his distorted logic reveal a heart hardened against the LORD. The verse highlights the age-old conflict between oppressive rule and divine command, reminding believers that worship isn’t optional labor but holy allegiance. God will vindicate His people, proving every worldly accusation empty when His purpose prevails. |
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