Exodus 3:18 - Exposition

They shall hearken to thy voice . Moses thought they would despise him—turn a deaf ear to his words—look upon him as unworthy of credit. But it was not so. The hearts of men are in God's hands, and he disposed those of the elders to receive the message of his servant, Moses, favourably, and believe in it. (See Exodus 4:29-31 .) Thou shalt come , thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt . This future is perhaps one of command rather than of prophetic announcement. The elders do not seem to have actually made their appearance before Pharaoh. (See Exodus 5:1-4 .) They may, however, have authorised Moses and Aaron to speak in their name. The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us . Through our representative Moses. "Met with us" is undoubtedly the true meaning. That we may sacrifice . There was reticence here, no doubt, but no falseness. It was a part of God's design that sacrifice, interrupted during the sojourn in Egypt for various reasons, should be resumed beyond the bounds of Egypt by His people. So much of his purpose, and no more, he bade Moses lay before Pharaoh on the first occasion. The object of the reticence was not to deceive Pharaoh, but to test him.