It wasn't all smooth sailing once Moses and Aaron showed up. In fact, things initially got a whole lot harder for the Israelites.
Pharaoh, that stubborn, prideful king, didn't just refuse to let the Israelites go. Oh no, he went further. According to Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, on the very day Moses and Aaron had their audience with him, he decreed that the Israelites must deliver the same amount of bricks, but without being given any straw to make them! Imagine the back-breaking work suddenly becoming exponentially more difficult.
And it didn't stop there. Pharaoh, suspecting the Israelites were finding hope and strength in their traditions, also forbade them from resting on the Sabbath. He knew they used that precious time to read the scrolls that foretold their redemption. Can you imagine the sheer cruelty?
Why did God allow this? As Ginzberg tells us, "All this was a part of God's plan; the oppression of Israel was to be increased the closer the end approached." It's a difficult concept to grasp, isn't it? That suffering could be part of a larger, divine plan.
The Israelites, desperate for straw, were forced to scavenge, and were mistreated by the Egyptians. This widespread cruelty meant that the Divine punishment wouldn't fall solely on Pharaoh, but on all of Egypt. This terrible period of extreme suffering lasted six long months. Moses, in the meantime, journeyed to Midian, leaving Aaron alone in Egypt.
When Moses returned at the end of this reign of terror, two Israelite officers confronted him and Aaron, blaming them for making things worse. Can you imagine the despair and anger? They accused Moses and Aaron of making the situation even more unbearable. "If ye are truly the ambassadors of God," they said, "then may He judge between us and Pharaoh... You are responsible for the widespread stench now issuing from the Israelitish corpses used as bricks for building when our tale was not complete."
These officers, Dathan and Abiram, were known troublemakers, and this wasn't the first or last time they caused problems for Moses. They felt like sheep caught between a wolf (Pharaoh) and a shepherd (Moses), being torn apart in the middle.
The suffering of his people deeply troubled Moses. He turned to God, questioning the justice of it all. "I have read the book of Genesis through," he said, "and I found the doom in it pronounced upon the generation of the deluge… These, too, were just. But what hath this nation of Israel done unto Thee, that it is oppressed more than any other nation in history?" According to Legends of the Jews, Moses even questioned why the descendants of Esau and Ishmael weren't suffering similarly, since they were also descendants of Abraham.
Moses's words are bold, even audacious. He essentially asks God, "Why did you even send me if things are just going to get worse?" According to Ginzberg, if God were only a God of justice, He might have struck Moses down for his audacity. But because Moses spoke out of compassion, God responded with grace.
God answered Moses, "Thou shalt see what I will do to Pharaoh," hinting that Moses would witness Pharaoh's punishment but not that of the thirty-one kings of Canaan. In essence, Moses was being rebuked for his lack of faith and his questioning.
God reminded Moses that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had also faced challenges, yet they didn't question Him in the same way. He had appeared to them as El Shaddai, God Almighty, but they hadn't known Him by His name Adonai, God All-Merciful, as Moses did. Moses had demanded to know God's name and then questioned its effectiveness when suffering increased.
God then swore an oath to fulfill His covenant with the Patriarchs, rewarding their unquestioning faith and the perseverance of the Israelites despite their suffering. This oath was meant to reassure Moses and to ensure that the redemption would indeed come.
But even with the promise of redemption, God cautioned Moses and Aaron. He warned them that the Israelites were "perverse, passionate, and troublesome," and that they would face abuse, even being stoned. He instructed them to respect Pharaoh and to consult with the elders. Most importantly, He told them to lead the people away from idolatry.
This last task seemed almost impossible to Moses. "See, the children of Israel will not hearken unto me. How, then, should Pharaoh hearken unto me?" This was the third time Moses had declined God's mission, and now, divine patience was wearing thin.
Initially, only Moses was meant to perform the miracles, but because of his hesitation, Aaron was now included. From then on, the word of God was addressed to Aaron as well, and he was given a share in performing the wonders that would lead to the Exodus.
The story reminds us that even in the face of immense suffering and doubt, faith and perseverance are key. And sometimes, just sometimes, things get worse before they get better. It's a message of hope, even amidst the darkest of times.