What is the meaning of Exodus 5:2? But Pharaoh replied • In the opening words, the earthly king answers the command of the heavenly King. Exodus 4:22-23 had just presented Israel as God’s “firstborn son,” yet Pharaoh counters as if the Lord were an equal negotiator rather than the sovereign Creator. • Exodus 1:8 showed a new Pharaoh “who did not know Joseph,” and now this successor proves he does not know Joseph’s God either. • Psalm 2:1-4 pictures rulers raging against the Lord and His Anointed; Pharaoh embodies that spirit, seated on a throne yet already outmatched. • Acts 7:35-36 later recalls this scene to demonstrate that God’s chosen deliverer (Moses) is often rejected before being vindicated. “Who is the LORD • The question is not genuine curiosity but arrogant dismissal. Like Job 21:15, “Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?” it drips with contempt. • The covenant name the Lord revealed in Exodus 3:14-15 (“I AM … the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”) is unknown only because Pharaoh refuses to acknowledge what has been plainly declared. • Romans 1:21 describes people who “knew God” through His works yet “neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks.” Pharaoh’s ignorance is willful, not innocent. • Jeremiah 9:6 laments, “they refuse to know Me,” a perfect commentary on Pharaoh’s heart. that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? • Pharaoh measures obedience by self-interest: “What benefit is there for me?” His calculus mirrors Psalm 73:11—“How does God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” • Obedience is not negotiable; 1 Samuel 15:22 declares, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Yet Pharaoh’s worldview leaves no room for submission to a higher authority. • Proverbs 9:10 teaches that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” highlighting the folly of Pharaoh’s response. • Exodus 3:19 had already predicted this hardness: “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.” The contest is underway. I do not know the LORD, • “Know” in Scripture often conveys relationship, not mere awareness. Judges 2:10 speaks of a generation that “did not know the LORD,” leading to idolatry. • Hosea 4:1 indicts Israel for “no knowledge of God in the land,” the same vacuum now displayed by Egypt’s ruler. • 1 Samuel 3:7 notes that young Samuel “did not yet know the LORD,” yet he was teachable; Pharaoh is defiantly unteachable. • Romans 3:18 summarizes it: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” and I will not let Israel go.” • The statement seals Pharaoh’s rebellion and triggers the showdown of the plagues. Exodus 7:14 records God’s verdict: “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go.” • Each subsequent refusal (Exodus 8:15, 8:32, 9:34, 10:27) deepens the judgment, illustrating Proverbs 29:1, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken.” • Isaiah 42:8 reminds us why God acts: “I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another.” By the end of the plagues, even Egypt will “know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 7:5). • Revelation 16:9 shows a similar obstinacy in the last days: people “cursed the name of God… and did not repent.” summary Exodus 5:2 records more than a royal retort; it unveils a collision between human pride and divine sovereignty. Pharaoh’s dismissive “Who is the LORD?” exposes a heart that will not recognize God’s rightful rule, refuses to obey His clear command, and thereby invites judgment. Through the ensuing events God will answer Pharaoh’s question unmistakably, proving that He alone is the living, covenant-keeping Lord who rescues His people and overthrows every rival power. |
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