Chapter 5

Moses and Aaron see Pharaoh.  He won't let the people go, even for three days into the wilderness to sacrifice. 

2023 - This verse:  3 Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword." [Exo 5:3 ESV].  If they were to worship at Sinai, then this implies that Sinai was way close to Egypt.  If so, this would explain why Pharoah's army had to be wiped out completely.  They could have attacked Israel at any time otherwise, since supply lines would be short and they were so close to Egypt while at Mt. Sinai.  Three days march for so many millions....that doesn't see like it would be far at all.  But where is the boundary of "the wilderness"?

He commands that they find their own straw, yet does not reduce the quota for bricks each day.

2021 - What were they doing with all these bricks?  It makes it sound like this was a primary task for them, and they'd used up most of the straw in Egypt making them.  What were they building?  Here is another good reason to see what was built in Egypt during the reigns of Thutmose III and then of Amenhotep II.  We also know the years these two were Pharoah.  We should be able to find out what the Hebrews built.  The pyramids of Giza were built under Kufu from 2550-2490 BC, per National Geographic.  So the Hebrews did not build those.  Those pyramids had already been there nearly a thousand years when Moses showed up in Egypt.  Wow.

When the people come up short, Pharoah has the foremen beaten.  These foremen were Hebrews set up as foremen by the Egyptians.  They cry out to Pharoah...not to God.  Hmm...

Pharoah repeats that they are just idle, and if they have time for sacrifices, they  have time to gather straw.  So the Foremen complain to the elders.  And then Moses complains to God that things are worse instead of better.