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Ten Plagues of Egypt
161
Sabbath observance had come to the notice of their oppressors. (See
Appendix, Note 1.)
The king, thoroughly upset, suspected the Israelites of a plot to
revolt from his service. He would make sure that no time was left to
them for dangerous scheming. He immediately took steps to make
their service harder and crush their independent spirit. The most
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common building material was sun-dried brick, and great numbers of
the slaves were involved with making bricks. Because they mixed cut
straw with the clay to hold it together, large quantities of straw were
required. The king now ordered that no more straw be supplied; the
workers must find it for themselves, but the same amount of bricks
must be made.
The Egyptian taskmasters appointed Hebrew officers to oversee
the work. When the requirement of the king was put in force, the
people scattered to gather stubble instead of straw, but they found
it impossible to produce the usual amount of brick. Because of this
failure the Hebrew officers were cruelly beaten.
These officers went to the king to about this unfair situation.
Pharaoh met their complaint with a taunt: “You are idle! Idle!
Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’” He ordered
them back to their work—their burdens were not to be lightened at
all. Returning, they met Moses and Aaron, and cried out to them,
“Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us
abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to
put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Moses was distressed. The sufferings of the people had been
increased. All over the land a cry of despair went up from young
and old. All united in blaming him for the disastrous change in their
condition. In bitterness of soul he went before God. “Lord, why
have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent
me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done
evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”
The answer was, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.
For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand
he will drive them out of his land.”
The elders of Israel tried to encourage the sinking faith of their
brethren by repeating the promises made to their fathers and the
prophetic words of Joseph predicting in advance their deliverance