After conferring with the elders of Israel, Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh (Exod 5:1). God had mentioned that the elders of Israel should accompany them (Exod 3:18). A midrash proposes that the elders started out with Moses and Aaron but dropped out along the way, finding excuses to leave. This tradition highlights how intimidating it would to confront the ruler of Egypt.
God had also instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh, "Israel is my firstborn son. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son" (Exod 4:22-23). Exodus 5 does not record Moses and Aaron conveying this threat. Dennis Prager proposes that perhaps Moses did not yet have faith sufficient to pass along this message. Alternatively, Moses and Aaron may have perceived, from the way the meeting started, that it would have not have worked to say such a thing to Pharaoh at this point.
Pharaoh saw no reason to listen to the representatives of a group of slaves (Exod 5:1-5). To silence them, Pharaoh increased the burden on the Israelite slaves. His actions had the desired effect. The Israelites in their suffering turned against Moses and Aaron.
God had told Moses that Pharaoh would not listen to him, but things went even worse than Moses had imagined. Not only had Pharaoh not listened; in addition, Moses' actions had made things worse for the Israelites. In his role as intercessor for Israel, Moses in despair prayed about his people's worsening situation (vv 22-23). Where was the deliverance that God had promised?
In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on March 6, 2021, Rob Wilson noticed a "blame game" going on in Exodus 5. Pharaoh blames the Israelites for having too much time on their hands, the Israelites blame Moses and Aaron for their increased affliction, and Moses passes the blame along to God. It is tempting to participate in the "blame game."
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