What does "make the work harder" reveal about Pharaoh's heart towards Israelites? Setting the Scene The people of Israel, already enslaved in Egypt, have just relayed God’s command—delivered through Moses and Aaron—to be released for worship. Pharaoh responds with intensified oppression. Scripture Focus “Make the work harder for the men so that they will keep working and pay no attention to lies.” (Exodus 5:9) Observations on the Command • “Make the work harder”—a deliberate escalation, not a disciplinary measure but a punitive one • “So that they will keep working”—Pharaoh’s goal is to drown out any hope with exhaustion • “Pay no attention to lies”—he brands God’s word as deceit, revealing open contempt for Yahweh What It Reveals about Pharaoh’s Heart • Callousness: Exodus 1:13-14 shows a pattern—“the Egyptians worked the Israelites ruthlessly.” Hard labor is Pharaoh’s habitual tool. • Prideful defiance: By labeling God’s message a “lie,” Pharaoh sets himself above the Lord (cf. Exodus 5:2). • Fear of losing control: Increased toil is a tactic to suppress an awakening people (cf. Exodus 1:10). • Spiritual blindness: Even after witnessing signs (Exodus 4:29-31), he refuses to acknowledge divine authority. • Hardened cruelty: Exodus 7:13 notes, “Pharaoh’s heart was hard.” His new order exposes a settled decision to oppose God and grind down God’s people. Contrast with God’s Heart • God hears and sees the suffering (Exodus 3:7). • He promises relief and rest (Exodus 6:6-8). • Matthew 11:28-30—Christ offers the opposite of Pharaoh: “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Implications for Israel’s Deliverance • Intensified oppression sets the stage for greater demonstrations of God’s power (Exodus 6:1). • The people learn that freedom will not come through negotiation but through divine intervention. • Pharaoh’s hardness magnifies God’s justice when judgment falls (Exodus 9:16). |
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