From Exodus 5:1 through 7:16 the stage is set for the LORD to begin to make Himself known unto the Egyptians. Humbling [humiliating] Pharoah by sending the the judgments of the plagues in response to his objections to letting God’s people go exalted the true God beyond measure.
5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
The key detail in these first three verses in chapter five is found in Pharaoh’s question in verse 2: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” He then goes on to plainly declare: “I know not the LORD.” This first objection of Pharaoh identifies the foundational hostility of the world to the Truth. “Who is God? I don’t know God.” All of this is about to dramatically change. Everything that the true God does among fallen men has, as a primary purpose, to make Himself known among them.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
When confronted with Jehovah’s first demand to let His people go, Pharaoh further reveals Egypt’s “true colors.” Easily overlooked in these verses is another insidious lie of the Enemy, speaking through Pharaoh. It is in verse 9, where Pharaoh says: “…let them not regard vain words.” This is a strong denunciation of the words of God. God’s words are identified as “vain words.” This is a ploy of Satan that began in the Garden.[1]
Coupled with that statement about the words of God is the fact of added oppression that came as a result of God’s words being delivered unto the Hebrews and unto Pharaoh. It is as if Satan is actually saying, “Since you want to listen to the ‘vain words of God’ I will show you what that brings into your life.” Satan had already so fashioned this world system that those that listen to the “vain words of God” would pay dearly for doing so. It remains so today.
[1] Genesis 3:4. Satan lies about what God had said: “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.”