No Deal, Pharaoh

Pharaoh liked to make deals. 

Egypt was the most prosperous nation around, the breadbasket of the ancient world — and Pharaoh knew a thing or two about hustling. We can see this in the Exodus story.

Not once or twice, but four times Pharaoh tries to craft the terms by which Israel can leave Egypt. 

The first time was Chapter 8, after the plague of flies. Pharaoh decided to give up some ground. He tells Moses in verse 25, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”

In other words:

If you want to sacrifice, then go sacrifice. Do whatever the God of the Hebrews wants, but just do it here, in Egypt. 

Moses says no. 

Pharaoh comes back in verse 28.

Okay, you can go into the wilderness to sacrifice, but don’t go very far.

He’s still setting the terms, still has his hands on the wheel. 

The third time comes in Chapter 10 after Moses threatened the locusts. The hail had already decimated the Egyptian economy. The locust would take care of whatever was left. So Pharaoh, prodded by his servants, figures Moses would take his creative offer.

Go, serve Yahweh your God. But which ones are to go? (10:8)

He’s a dealer, I’m telling you. He starts with what Moses wants to hear, but then implies that they all don’t need to go.

Moses doesn’t budge, though. Yeah we do, Pharaoh. We all are going, every last one of us. Young and old, boys and girls. All our people and all our stuff. It is a feast, after all. Yahweh wants us all there for this party.

The fourth time comes after the darkness, the ninth plague.

Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” (10:24)

Pharaoh takes another step, but he’s not willing to let go. Not Pharaoh. He tells Moses to go, Moses and all the people, but just leave behind the livestock (remember, most of the Egyptian livestock had died in the fifth plague). Pharaoh figures Moses has enough now to settle.

But no, that is not how this works.

Now skip to Chapter 10, verse 28 for a second. Pharaoh is infuriated here. He threatens Moses that he’ll kill him if he ever sees his face again. That is quite the reaction to Moses refusing to deal. Or is there something more going on?

Something more. 

It has to do with Moses’s reply to Pharaoh in verse 25. The text reads:

But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God. Our livestock must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind …”

We ain’t leaving a single animal behind, not even a hoof.

Now that is shooting Pharaoh straight. But the real zinger is that first sentence: “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings.” Now, we might assume that Moses is talking about Israel’s own livestock that he mentions in the second sentence when he says, “Our livestock must go with us…” But actually, that’s not what Moses is saying. Moses is talking about Egyptian livestock.

Pharaoh tells Moses and all the people to go, but just behind your flocks and herds. Moses replies, 

No, we’re taking all our flocks and herds. Not a single hoof is going to stick around. Matter of fact, we’re going to take some of your flocks and herds too.

In addition to Israel’s own livestock, Pharaoh must also give livestock to Israel for sacrifice. 

So no deal, Pharaoh. And we don’t just conqueror. We more than conqueror.