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In Exodus chapter 5, the brothers, Moses & Aaron, went to Pharaoh and proclaimed God’s words to go three (3) days journey into the wilderness to sacrifice t their God. Pharaoh refused and made the Israelite slaves work even harder by gathering their own straw.
Moses was shaken up by the lack of results and by the anger directed at him from the Israelite peoples. Moses then goes to God with some words that are very revealing. He says, “God, You are responsible for this, You should not have sent me, and You failed on the promise You made and have made things worse than they were.”
At a quick glance, it only looks like complaining and finger-pointing. A closer look reveals that the heart of Moses is becoming more compassionate. At the burning bush, Moses did not want to go lead the rescue. Now his heart is broken when his people are being abused by Pharaoh. Now he seems to be claiming to have more compassion for the Israelites than God does.
5.15.2022 – Life & Times of Moses, “It Happened on the Way to Sinai, Teaching Grace,” part 1 – Rick Bickel
The Lord Provides Water – ’22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named I.e. bitternessMarah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lordshowed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.” 27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.’ Exodus 15:22-27 NASB