One day a messenger came to Pharaoh saying, “Two men, who are Israelites, stand outside wishing to speak with you.”
“Bring them in,” said the King; and the messenger soon returned with Moses and Aaron.
Moses had not forgotten how to behave himself in the king’s house even though he had spent long years in the wilderness among common people. He and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh and told him that the Lord God of the Israelites had said, “Let my people go, that they may worship me in the wilderness.”
But Pharaoh answered, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” Because he was ruler of the great land of Egypt, Pharaoh was too proud to believe there was a higher Power, who could give orders for him to obey. “I do not know the Lord,” he said, “and I shall not let Israel go out of my country to worship him.”
Moses and Aaron then told Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews had met with them, and that unless his people were given freedom to go on a three days’ journey into the wilderness to serve him there with sacrifices, he would send terrible diseases upon them and kill them.
These words did not move Pharaoh’s hard heart in the least. He only frowned, and replied crossly, “Why are you trying to take the people away from their work? I know they are idle, or they would not be asking to go away to sacrifice to their God. Return now, both of you, to your tasks, and let the Israelites alone.” And with these words he sent Moses and Aaron out of his court.
On that same day Pharaoh called the taskmasters and commanded that they should make the Israelites work harder than they had ever worked before. At this time they were making bricks and building houses for the rulers of Egypt. In mixing the clay for the bricks they were using straw, chopped up fine, to hold the clay together. Every day the Egyptians brought straw for their work. Now Pharaoh commanded that no straw should be brought to them. “Send them out into the fields to gather straw for themselves,” said he, “and see that they make just as many bricks as on other days when straw was brought to them.”
Now, instead of getting freedom from Pharaoh’s cruel bondage, the Israelites were having greater trouble than ever. Of course they could not gather straw from the fields and still make as many bricks as before; and when their work fell short they were beaten by the task-masters. “At once they blamed Moses and Aaron for their trouble. “You promised to bring us out of Egypt, and you are only bringing more Sorrow upon us,’ they said.
Moses loved his people and he pitied them. “He cried to the Lord, and said, “Why is it that you sent me to Pharaoh He will not let the people go, and he is making life more miserable for them.”
God spoke comforting words to Moses and sent him to encourage the Israelites; but they were in such deep sorrow that they would not listen to Moses. Then God said, “Go in and speak to Pharaoh again, and show him the signs I have given you.” But Moses answered, “How can I go when the Israelites no longer believe you have sent me? Neither will Pharaoh hear my words.”
Moses was ready to give up because Pharaoh would not let the people go at once. He did not understand how God was planning to work mighty signs and wonders in Egypt until all the Egyptians should fear Israel’s God., Then the Lord told him to return again and again to Pharaoh and perform great miracles before him. “I have made you as a god to Pharaoh,” the Lord said, “and Aaron shall be your prophet. Because of this Pharaoh will hear your words, even though he refuses to obey me.”
After this Moses took Aaron and went the second time to talk with Pharaoh. And Pharaoh asked them to show him a sign, or miracle, that he might know the God of the Hebrews had surely sent them. Now Aaron had in. his hand the rod that Moses brought from the wilderness. Moses told him to cast this rod down before Pharaoh and before his servants. Aaron did so, and the rod became a snake. Pharaoh knew this was a miracle. But he had in his court some wise men called sorcerers, or magicians, and they also claimed to work miracles. Pharaoh sent for them, and when they came they too threw their rods before him. And their rods became snakes. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods and afterwards became a harmless cane in Aaron’s hand again.
Even when Pharaoh knew that his magicians could not work so great a miracle as could Moses and Aaron, still he would not listen to them nor believe their sign, and they went away the second time from his presence.
On the next morning God sent Moses and Aaron to speak to Pharaoh again. This time they met him on the bank of the River Nile. Perhaps the king was surprized to see these aged men approach him. Perhaps he felt angry because they were disturbing him so often. But Moses and Aaron were not afraid. They knew! God had sent them and they spoke boldly to the king. “Because you refuse to let the Israelites go,” they began, “the Lord our God has sent us to you once more. Now he has commanded us to show you another sign.” Then Moses spoke to Aaron, and he waved his rod over the waters of the great river. At that very moment the water became blood. Then all the fishes died, and soon a dreadful odor filled the air. Aaron stretched his rod toward the waters of the rivers and streams and lakes and ponds, and everywhere throughout the land of Egypt the water became blood. Pharaoh’s magicians brought to him water in a vessel and changed it into blood. Then the king turned away and went back to his palace. But the Egyptian people grew alarmed, because they had no water to drink. Nowhere in all the land could they find a drop of water.