Exodus 5 Summary: A Concise Overview in 5 Minutes

Exodus 5 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• Moses was born around 1591 B.C. and left Egypt at 40 years old (Acts 7:23).

• According to Exodus 7:7, Moses was 80 years old when he stood before Pharaoh as the representative of God.

CHARACTERS:

• Israelites (Hebrews) – The terms “Israelites” and “Hebrews” are used synonymously. They refer to the descendants of Jacob’s family that grew into a large nation. During this period of history, the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians.

• Moses – A Hebrew who grew up in the house of Pharaoh. He fled Egypt in Exodus 2 and went to live in Midian. God used him to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

• Aaron – Moses’ brother. He was a descendant of Jacob’s son Levi.

• Pharaoh – The king of Egypt who defied the commands of the Lord.

WHERE:

• The events recorded in Exodus 5 happened in Egypt.

OUTLINE:

• PHARAOH REFUSES TO LET THE ISRAELITES GO (5:1-5):

  • Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and asked him to let the Israelites go into the wilderness to hold a feast dedicated to the Lord.

  • Pharaoh scoffed at their suggestion and mocked the God of the Hebrews.

  • Pharaoh accused Moses of distracting the people from their work.

• NO MORE STRAW FOR THE HEBREWS (5:6-19):

  • As a result of Moses’ request, Pharaoh told the Israelites he would no longer provide them with straw for the brinks they were forced to make, instead they would need to source their own straw while maintaining their daily brick quotas.

  • Pharaoh said the Israelites dreamed of going into the wilderness to sacrifice because they were idle and didn’t have enough work to occupy their time, so he increased their workload.

  • The Israelite foremen asked Pharaoh to ease his requirements, but he refused to hear them.

• THE HEBREWS TURN ON MOSES AND AARON (5:20-23):

  • When the Israelites realized Pharaoh wasn’t going to relent, they turned on Moses and Aaron.

  • They accused the brothers of souring their relationship with Pharaoh.

  • Having made no progress with Pharaoh, Moses became irritated and asked God why He had sent him to Egypt in the first place.

APPLICATION:

• Don’t despair if your work for the Lord hits a dead end.

• Moses hit a dead end after his first conversation with Pharaoh, but that conversation was just one layer in a multi-layered story God was writing.

• If you are confident you are doing God’s will, you can rest in the assurance that God will reveal the next steps to you when He is ready.

• In the meantime, don’t despair or start questioning your work just because things aren’t moving as quickly as you would like.

• You may only be in act 1 of a 10-act drama.