From Bad to Worse (Exodus 5:15-23)

15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” [Pharaoh is completely intransigence. He will need something stronger than words to get him to change his mind.] 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” [Apparently, the foremen had an audience with Pharaoh because Moses and Aaron had been barred or because they went behind the brother’s back. Either way, Moses and Aaron are waiting outside to hear the results. The foremen’s frustrations boil over into accusation. Moses and Aaron must not have represented God well. They had mishandled the case and should be judged by God.]

22 Then Moses turned to the Lord [taking his frustration privately to the Lord in prayer rather than in the sight of the foremen] and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? [The foremen had blamed Moses and Aaron, now Moses blames God.] Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh [suggesting a passage of time] to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” [Moses had been warned that Pharaoh would be stubborn, but he did not anticipate the retribution on his people, making him look bad in their eyes. Additionally, Moses thought God would act quickly to rescue his people. Moses is impatient for their deliverance. Why is God waiting?]