Review of Exodus Chapter Four Exodus Chapter Five Exodus chapter four is divided into three sections: (1) Exodus 4:1-9: The Lord delegates power to Moses to perform three sign-miracles to convince Israel that He has spoken to Moses. (2) Exodus 4:10-18: Moses expresses typical Near Eastern exaggerated humility when speaking to God followed by Moses actual rejection of the commission. (3) Exodus 4:19-31: Moses accepts commission and returns to Egypt with his family. As we noted in Exodus 3:11 and 13, when responding to God s commissioning him to be His representative to the Israelites and the Egyptians, Moses expresses typical Near Eastern exaggerated humility to express his polite acceptance that God had bestowed upon. However, in Exodus chapter 4, the questions that Moses asks God with response to this assignment reveal a great uncertainty in his mind with regards to this task. His questions in this chapter express his unbelief. For example, his question in Exodus 4:1 expresses his unbelief because in Exodus 3:18, God explicitly tells Moses that the Israelites will in fact listen to him and will accept what God has told him to say to the Israelites. In Exodus 4:2-5, we have the first of three miracles which God performs in front of Moses, all of which involve changing something into something else. God commands Moses to throw his staff on the ground and the purpose of this miracle was so that the Israelites will know without a doubt that the God of the patriarchs had in fact spoken to Moses. Now, this first miracle like the two to follow are all designed to convince Moses to have faith in God s ability to give Moses the capacity to carry out the commission that God bestowed upon him. In Exodus 4:6-8, God performs a second which like the first involved God turning something into something else. This second miracle involves God turning Moses healthy hand into a leprous one and then turning back into a healthy hand. God says that if they don t believe the first miracle, they will believe this second one. The purpose of this second miracle was to produce confidence in Moses that he could, with God s power, carry out the task that God had assigned to Him. Verse 9 records the third and final miracle, which like the first two involved God changing something into something else. Here He changes the water from the Nile River into blood. The Egyptians regarded the Nile as the source of life and productivity. This miracle would show the Israelites that God had given to Moses power over the Nile. This sign would tell the Israelites that the one who sent Moses to them had power over the Nile and thus creation. It would tell the Israelites that indeed the Creator and God of their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had sent Moses to them and was speaking through Moses. 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1
The statement in Exodus 4:10 made by Moses to the Lord is again typical Near Eastern exaggerated humility and is figurative and not literal speech. When Moses says to the Lord that he was not eloquent in speaking and was slow in speech and slow of tongue he is not saying to God that he has a speech impediment or was unwilling to God to speak to the Israelites as God s representative. Rather, he is speaking figuratively in the sense that he is politely accepting the assignment given to him by the Lord. That Moses is speaking in figurative terms here and expressing typical Near Eastern exaggerated humility is indicated by the fact that Moses throughout the rest of the Pentateuch does most of the speaking to Israel and Pharaoh. Nowhere for the rest of Exodus do we see Moses showing the slightest hesitation in speaking to either the Israelites or to Pharaoh. In fact, Stephen in Acts 7:22 says that Moses was a powerful speaker. Exodus 4:14 records God s angry response to Moses plea to send someone else to the Israelites rather than himself indicates that Moses was no longer using figurative language but rather he is literally rejected the commission given to him by God. He was angry with Moses because Moses had no excuse for turning down the commission after being given sufficient proof with the miracles that God would give him the ability to carry out his commission to go to the Israelites and the Egyptians. God does not enlist Aaron as co-speaker to the Israelites because Moses could not speak well but rather to encourage Moses in carrying out his task of going to the Israelites. Exodus 4:30 and 5:1 indicate that initially Aaron spoke for Moses when dealing with the Israelites and then together when speaking to Pharaoh. However, after that Aaron is never said to speak for Moses. Evidently, after these initial encounters with the Israelites and Pharaoh, Moses gained in confidence that God was with him and did not enlist the services of his brother again. Exodus 4:18 brings an end to the second chapter and Moses life and inaugurates the third and final chapter. In Exodus 4:19 God reveals to Moses that the men who were seeking Moses life refers to Thutmose III as well as his relatives and members of his administration who would have been aware of Moses murdering one of their number in defense of a Hebrew slave. Thus far in the narrative of Exodus, only one son is mentioned. The other was Eliezer according to Exodus 18:4. In Exodus 3:10-22, God instructed Moses to perform the three miracles in the presence of the Israelites but now in Exodus 4:21-23 He is commanding him to do them in the presence of Pharaoh. God prophesies to Moses that he will harden Pharaoh s heart. In the Old Testament hardening results from the sinner s persistence in rejecting God s call or command. From this arises a state in which the sinner is no longer able to hear and in which he is irretrievably enslaved to sin and the devil. The 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2
Scriptures teach that God hardened Pharaoh (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8). There were prophecies that God would do this to Pharaoh (Exodus 4:21; 7:3). However, the Scriptures also teach that Pharaoh would harden himself (Exodus 7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34, 35). God s hardening of Pharaoh is the result of Pharaoh first hardening himself in the sense of rejecting over and again God s command to release the nation of Israel from her bondage to him in Egypt. Exodus 4:22-23 records for the first time in Scripture God describing Israel corporately as His first-born son which means that God was bestowing upon Israel a privilege status among the nations of the world. Also, by conferring this status on Israel, God was saying that the Israelites no longer serve Pharaoh but Him and Him alone. This first-born status also meant that Israel would have a responsibility to serve God and represent in a fashion that was pleasing to God. It meant that they were to be devoted to God and that God was identifying with Israel as His personal possession. Exodus 4:23 is a prophesy referring to the tenth and final plague. Exodus 4:24 records God seeking to kill Moses. Why would God seek to kill Moses after He just commissioned him to go to the Israelites and the Egyptians? The key to understanding why God sought to kill Moses is found in Genesis 17:14. Genesis 17:14 But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant. (NASB95) Cut off is the verb kā rǎṯ ת),(כּ ר which means to kill since God sought to kill Moses for not circumcising his boys. In Exodus 4:25, we see that Moses wife, Zipporah circumcises her boys but she does so grudgingly. She was raised in a different tradition in Midian, even though her father was a priest and worshipper of Yahweh. Evidence demonstrates that the Egyptian practiced circumcision but was performed at the age of twelve. Abraham s descendants, the Israelites were to perform the ritual on the child when he was eight days old, which is quite different than the custom of the Midianites, thus Zipporah thought it repulsive and cruel to circumcise an infant. Thus, her statement you are a bridegroom of blood is not a term of endearment as some suggest but rather in fact a derogatory statement. In Exodus 4:27, we have the record of God speaking to Moses brother Aaron. While God was giving instructions to Moses, He was also do the same way with his brother Aaron. God tells Aaron to go meet Moses in the wilderness where they reunite. In verses 29-31, we have the account of Aaron being Moses spokesperson and the Lord performing the miracles through Moses in the presence of the Israelites who responded by worshipping the Lord in thanksgiving for His concern and care 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3
for Him and the great revelation they had received from Him through Moses and Aaron. This response of the Israelites expresses their faith in the Lord. God s prophesy to Moses that they would respond to his message from Him has been fulfilled as recorded in verse 31. Exodus Chapter Five Exodus chapter five is divided into four sections: (1) Exodus 5:1-5: Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh for the first time to present God s demands that he free Israel from Egypt. (2) Exodus 5:6-18: Pharaoh s responds to God s demands by intensifying the Israelites labor. (3) Exodus 5:19-21: The foremen of the Israelites respond angrily to Moses and Aaron as a result of Pharaoh intensifying their suffering. (4) Exodus 5:22-23: Moses and Aaron return to the Lord and express their frustration at the result of the Israelites angry response to them. Exodus 5:1-5 Exodus 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness. 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go. 3 Then they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword. 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors! 5 Again Pharaoh said, Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors! (NASB95) These verses present to us Moses and Aaron obeying the Lord s instructions to demand that Pharaoh release the Israelites to worship Him in the wilderness. History tells us that the Pharaoh at this time was Amenhotep II. Unlike Thutmose III, he has no intention of exterminating the Israelites but rather views them as useful labor whose productivity is important to the economy of the Egyptians. This is indicated by the response of Amenhotep II to Moses and Aaron communicating God s demands to him. At this point, we must question as to why Pharaoh would even waste his time with Moses and Aaron or even let them live after making such a bold demand. It is very doubtful that Moses would call upon his previous status of being adopted by Hatshepsut since her reign was rejected by Egyptians because of Thutmose III. 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4
Furthermore, Moses would not want to draw attention to his previous days in the royal house of Pharaoh because of his murder of the Egyptian. Moses and Aaron gained an audience with Pharaoh because in the traditional legal system of the ancient world, kings were expected to make themselves available to the lowliest and poorest in society as well as the rich and influential. This is seen when king Solomon granted an audience with two prostitutes to settle a dispute between the two (1 Kings 3:16-28). The prophets of Israel took advantage of this right of audience and often times in highly critical and confrontational ways (cf. 2 Samuel 12:1-14). Nathan confronted David with his sin of murdering Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 12:1-15). In verse 1, we see for the first time in Scripture the phrase thus says the Lord. Moses demand in verse 1 is in accord with what the Lord told Moses in Exodus 3:18. The Lord warned Moses ahead of time that Pharaoh would stubbornly resist His demand to let Israel go (see Exodus 4:21, 23). The Lord did this to prepare Moses in order that he would not be taken aback or frustrated by Pharaoh s response. Exodus 5:22-23 record Moses getting emotional with the Lord and expressing his frustration of the Israelite response. Moses had forgotten the Lord s promise and prediction that even though Pharaoh would stubbornly refuse, God would compel him to release Israel but only after taking the king of Egypt s firstborn son. Moses gets frustrated and emotional because he is focused on his circumstances rather than God s promises. Moses employs the phrase the Lord, the God of Israel when addressing Pharaoh whereas the latter uses the phrase the God of the Hebrews. The term Hebrew was used by foreigners when speaking of the covenant people of God. Moses uses the term Yahweh, Lord which is the covenant name of God and expresses His immanency. This confrontation with Pharaoh is the direct result of God honoring His covenant promises to the patriarchs. Notice that Moses identifies the Lord as God when speaking to Pharaoh, thus making the latter aware of the fact that Moses and Aaron are speaking on behalf of God. Pharaoh s response to God s demands is sarcastic and arrogant since he does not honor or worship the God of Israel but rather the gods of Egypt. He rejects the idea that the God of Israel possesses authority over him. Little does he know that he in reality is a servant of God who is disobedient (cf. Romans 13:1-7). He also scoffs at the idea that there would be severe consequences for rejecting the God of Israel s demands. In verse 3, Moses and Aaron communicate all that God had told them to say to Pharaoh but add a clause. They communicate the Lord s demands that Pharaoh release the Israelites to worship. Then, Moses and Aaron say something to Pharaoh that the Lord did not tell them to say, namely, they say that if Pharaoh does not let the Israelites go, then the Lord would fall on them, the Israelites with pestilence or 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5
with the sword. Pestilence and the sword is the figure of synecdoche for defeat and death in battle. However, it was the Egyptians that were defeated in battle and died and not the Israelites. So they are saying that the Lord will judge us Pharaoh if you don t let us go to worship the Lord. This evidently was to get Pharaoh to understand that the God of Israel was to be respected. Moses and Aaron are expressing to Pharaoh their respect for the Lord in the hopes of convincing Pharaoh to release the Israelites. In verses 4, Pharaoh accuses Moses and Aaron of causing the Israelites to shirk their responsibilities to him as a result of them organizing the Israelites. The word of course would have gotten back to him that these two met with the Israelites and performed miracles in their presence and that the people were excited about the ability of Moses and Aaron to affect their release from bondage. In verse 5, Pharaoh expresses Egyptian xenophobia (cf. 1:9-14). In the past, Thutmose I feared the Israelite population was a military threat to the nation (1:8-10, 22). The Egyptian policy for decades had been to suppress their population with hard labor. This had not worked but still did not stop the Egyptians brutalizing the Israelites. Undoubtedly the Egyptians benefitted economically as a result of this slave labor. Thus Amenhotep II, unlike, his predecessors viewed the Israelites as vital to the economy of Egypt more than a military threat. This is why he would not release the Israelites. Now, the reader must understand that in reality this confrontation is between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt, which are the creation of Satan and the kingdom of darkness rather than a confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh or God and Pharaoh. The latter was a devotee to the gods of Egypt and Satan is behind these gods. Satan sought to suppress the truth of God in Egypt by creating and promoting the worship of these gods. Exodus 5:6-9 Exodus 5:6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, 7 You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9 Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words. (NASB95) In these verses, we have Pharaoh expressing the hardness of his heart by making the burden upon the Israelites even more oppressive. His argument is that the Israelites are dreaming of freedom because they have too much time on their 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6
hands. For decades there had been no resistance from the Israelites but now with the appearance of Moses and his brother, the silence had been broken. He considers Moses and Aaron s words as lies. He calls the Israelites lazy and this is why they cry out they want to worship their God. Therefore, he increases the labor by shifting the responsibility of the Egyptians providing straw for the bricks for the Israelites to the Israelites doing it themselves. The straw was mixed with clay and sand in order to cause the clay to be more durative. Interestingly, modern excavators have recovered a good number of such straw fibered bricks, which date from the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries B.C. A good portion of these bricks bear the stamp of the cartouche and contain the name and titles f the reigning Pharaoh. These can be observed in the Oriental Institute of Chicago University. Exodus 5:10-14 Exodus 5:10 So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I am not going to give you any straw. 11 You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced. 12 So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters pressed them, saying, Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw. 14 Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously? (NASB95) The bureaucracy of Egypt carries out Pharaoh s decree. The situation has gone from bad to worse. The people trusted in the promises of the Lord, yet they are now suffering even more than before. Moses and Aaron faithfully carried out the divine directives, yet nothing appeared to be accomplished except even greater suffering for the Israelites. This teaches the Christian that carrying out God s will as revealed in His Word does not always increase their comfort. In fact, it oftentimes increases their suffering undeservedly. It often results in opposition from the world, which is the case here with Pharaoh opposing the Israelites. Again, Moses was warned by the Lord of Pharaoh s resistance and that the Lord would still deliver the Israelites. The gathering of the straw caused the Israelites to be scattered throughout the countryside preventing them from meeting their quota of bricks. Stuart writes, Straw is preserved plant stalks from the more rigid long-stalk grains and vegetables. Straw comes from those plants that are harvested but whose stalks are inedible to humans and/or animals. Stubble is the very short remaining 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7
stalks of plants after harvesting: the bit between the root and where the reaping scythe or sickle cut the plant. It was only a relatively poor substitute for straw, making the process of producing suitable bricks much harder, but it also was much harder to gather from harvested fields even when the season is right (requiring careful, tedious hand pulling and cutting) as compared to the purposely preserved (and usually bundled) straw and was almost hopelessly difficult to gather in the off season. As Job said, referring to a fruitless endeavor, Will you frighten a windblown leaf and pursue dry chaff? (Job 13:25 nrsv). The fact that the Israelites under the new rules simply could not meet their brick quotas is not surprising: Pharaoh had made the task virtually impossible. When the foremen, even under the penalty of being beaten, could not get the people to produce any more bricks (vv. 13 14), the situation was obviously intolerable. It is not surprising that an anguished appeal to Pharaoh for relief followed (vv. 15 16), even though such an appeal was essentially an act of desperation, presumably having little chance of success. 1 Exodus 5:15-19 Exodus 5:15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, Make bricks! And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people. 17 But he said, You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. 18 So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks. 19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, You must not reduce your daily amount of bricks. (NASB95) The Israelite foremen desperately seek an audience with Pharaoh to complain about his unreasonable demands upon them. They were being beaten for not meeting their brick quotas because of a lack of straw. They argue that they couldn t meet the quota because of their need to collect the straw, which was previously the job of the Egyptians. However, they get nowhere. Pharaoh stubbornly holds to his decree and demands. He will not budge. Three times the Israelite foreman use the expression your servants in order to express their loyalty and respect to Pharaoh. But this does not move Pharaoh. Quite a picture is being painted here by the writer Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites are desperate. They are in an impossible situation. All appears hopeless and they are helpless, which opens the door for the Lord to 1 Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (165). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8
operate for it is only when we are helpless and hopeless and recognize our own human impotence that God can manifest His omnipotence. The Israelites and Moses and Aaron are being taught that when they are weak then they are strong for God s power is manifested through human impotence (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:10-12). God has brought them all to an impossible situation so that they see that all things are possible with God and that there is nothing to difficult for God to accomplish even causing stubborn Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Exodus 5:20-21 Exodus 5:20 When they left Pharaoh s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them. 21 They said to them, May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us. (NASB95) Here we have the Israelite foremen turning on Moses and Aaron who are the Lord s messengers. In reality they are rejecting the Lord and not Moses and Aaron whom the Lord sent to Pharaoh. It was the Lord who is making this demand that Pharaoh release the Israelites from bondage. Thus, their complaint and accusations are directed toward the Lord. Exodus 5:22-23 Exodus 5:22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all. (NASB95) Moses returns to give the Lord a report of the disaster that has struck the Israelites as a result of communicating His demand that Pharaoh let the Israelites go into the wilderness to worship Him. Moses questions his ability to lead and to accomplish what God has sent him to do. However, he has faithfully carried out what the Lord wanted him to do. He just hasn t seen any fruit. He will learn that even though he might faithfully communicate God s Word to people, this doesn t guarantee that people will respond to the message (cf. Luke 8:4-15). He is learning that being a faithful prophet of God and communicator of the Word of God results in suffering undeservedly. Moses complains that God has not delivered Israel and in fact he blames God for the unbearable suffering of the Israelites. He is wrong in accusing God of blame. First of all, God had warned Moses beforehand that Pharaoh would reject His demands. Secondly, He promised that eventually He would cause Pharaoh to 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9
release the Israelites. Thirdly, Pharaoh has caused the Israelites to suffer because it was his decision and not God s to intensify the Israelites suffering. The expectations of Moses were not in accordance with God s Word and His perfect timing since God warned Moses of Pharaoh s refusal and also promised him that despite Pharaoh s resistance, He would deliver Israel. Thus, God is not at fault. Pharaoh is causing the suffering by his bad decision to reject God s Word. God is going to alleviate the suffering despite Pharaoh s negative decision. In fact, God in His infinite wisdom is going to use Pharaoh s rejection of His Word to bring about the deliverance of the Israelites. God has figured Pharaoh s negative decisions into His plan. What Moses does not at this time is that in the divine decree, God has ordained that the volition of mankind will co-exist with His sovereign will. The decree of God is the chosen and adopted plan of all God s works. Therefore, the fact that Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting between Moses and Pharaoh was part of God s chosen and adopted plan for not only Moses but the Israelite nation whom he would deliver. The decree of God is His eternal purpose according to the counsels of His own will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained whatever comes to pass. Therefore, the fact that Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting was part of God s eternal purpose according to the counsels of His own will for His own glory. The decree of God is the sovereign choice of the divine will (His attribute of sovereignty) and mentality (His omniscience) by which all things are brought into being and controlled, made subject to His pleasure, and producing His glorification. Therefore, the fact that Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting between Moses and Pharaoh was the result of God s sovereign will and omniscience by which all these events were brought into being and were controlled and made subject to God s pleasure and glorified Him. The decree of God is His eternal, holy, wise and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, courses, conditions, successions, and relations and determining their certain futurition (i.e., that they will certainly take place). When I say comprehending I mean that the omniscience of God is the source of the divine decrees by determining I mean that the sovereignty of God chose before anything existed which things would actually become historical events. Therefore, the omniscience of God comprehended at once in eternity past that Pharaoh would refuse to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting. God also comprehended at once in eternity past the course that these events would take and their conditions and relations and determined that these events would take place. All history was yet future at the time of the divine decree. 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10
Therefore, the fact that Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting was known by God in eternity past before anything was created and was sovereignly determined by God to take place at the time these events did. The decree of God is His eternal and immutable will regarding the future existence of events, which will happen in time and regarding the precise order and manner of their occurrence. Therefore, it was God s eternal and immutable will to permit Pharaoh to refuse to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting. God decreed that these events would take place in time and the precise order of events leading up to these events and the manner in which these events would transpire. The will of God in common usage refers to what God desires of an individual or group in a particular situation. The will of God in relation to the divine decrees refers to the decision God made in eternity past, from His attribute of sovereignty, which established that certain things would actually come into being while other things would not. The will of God is His sovereign choice as to what will take place in time. God from His sovereignty decided in eternity past that to permit Pharaoh to refuse to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting and He decided that these events would take place in the exact time that they did. God in eternity past decreed that angels and human beings would have volition and would be allowed to make decisions contrary to His sovereign will and without compromising His justice. In giving angels and men volition, God decreed that their decisions, whatever they might be, would certainly take place-even those that are contrary to His desires. Therefore, God decreed that the decision of Pharaoh to refuse to release the Israelites would take place in time, which was contrary to His desires. Being omniscient, God had the good sense to know ahead of time what men and angels would decide, and He not only decreed that those decisions would exist but He also decreed the exact manner, consistent with His integrity, in which He would handle our decisions. Since God is omniscient He knew ahead of time the decisions that Pharaoh would make and decreed that those decisions would exist and He also decreed the exact manner in which He would handle their decisions. Therefore, the fact that Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites as a result of this first meeting between Moses and Pharaoh, was a part of God s sovereign will that is based upon His omniscient knowledge of all the facts concerning what will take place in the future. The Lord knows perfectly, eternally and simultaneously all that is knowable, both the actual and the possible and thus has all knowledge of every event in human and angelic history. Therefore, the Lord looked down the corridors of time and decreed that Pharaoh s decision to not release the Israelites would take place. 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11