After Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron to plead with Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go, the king hardened his heart against his slave population and doubled down on their suffering. This is consistent with what tyrants and oppressors do: when they people send up an outcry and complaint against the one that afflicts them, the king increases their punishment so as to warn them that things can get worse, and they do.
The Hebrew people seem to have lost faith in Yahweh, and blame Moses and Aaron, directly, and Yahweh indirectly for their increased suffering, not the cruel and stubborn, and actual victimizer. People are not often grateful, and the Bible is an incomparable source of human nature revealed; truth there is revealed as nowhere else.
Here is the passage from The New American Bible: “The Israelite foremen knew they were in a terrible plight, having been told not to reduce the daily amount of bricks. When, therefore, they left Pharaoh and came upon Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them, they said to them, ‘The Lord look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hands to slay us..’
Moses again had recourse to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, why do you treat this people so badly? And why did you send me on such a mission? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has maltreated this people of yours, and you have done nothing to rescue them.”
The people blame the victims’ representatives and champions (God, Moses and Aaron) not the victimizers (Pharaoh and his servants). This too is classic human misapplied blame.
Moses does not appreciate being yelled at, and he seem to blame Yahweh too. Here is the reading from the Holy Bible: “And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, you shall not minish aught from your bricks of your daily task. And they went to Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh. And the said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eye of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned to the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefor hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people.”
Neither of Yahweh’s messengers or His people seem very grateful, or faith-filled.
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