Exodus 6

Exodus 6

Summary

After Moses had mouthed off to God in Exo 5:22-23, God now boasts of who he is. How he appeared to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. How he promised them Canaan. How he now hears the groaning of his people. God tells Moses to tell this to the Israelites and how he will free them.

But, of course, they don’t listen to him. So God tells Moses to go and tell the Pharaoh. Moses once again begs off because due to his lack of speaking skills.

Now we read  a truncated family record of 3 of Jacob’s sons, Reuban, Simeon and Levi down to Moses and Aaron.

Moses once again complains about his speaking ability.

Commentary

It’s nice that God didn’t try to kill Moses again for complaining (see Exo 4:24), but God wants Moses to try to convince the Pharaoh with words. Why didn’t Moses use the signs God gave him with the Pharaoh. Now he wants him to go back again to speak to Pharaoh? Words clearly aren’t working, but of course they woudn’t, since God says it is him who is hardening the Pharaoh’s heart. Which means this can only escalate.

The family record of the first 3 sons of Jacob (Israel) hear is instructive of the timeline.  Moses is only the 3rd generation of Israelites born in Egypt since the sons of Jacob moved there. It also tells us that he is the product of incest, as his mother was also his great aunt. (His father Amram married his aunt,  Jochebed)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *