Key Verses: Exodus 5-6

Key Questions

Pharaoh responds to Moses’ call for justice by increasing oppression (questioning “rest” and adding to the labor so that the people will not regard “lying words”). What does this say about how oppressive powers react to the demands for liberation?

How can the Israelite response to increased hardship inform contemporary understandings of faith under oppression?

Egyptians perceive the Israelites as “idle.” How does derogatory language precede de-humanizing actions in the Bible and in history?

How does God's reaffirmation of the covenant with the patriarchs strengthen the Israelites’ faith (especially in 6:3)? What is the role of memory in ...