Exodus 6:10-12 - Exposition

The Israelites having shown themselves, for the time, unimpressible, God commands Moses to make his next effort upon the Pharaoh. He is to enter into his presence once more, and demand, without circumlocution or obscurity, that the Israelites be allowed to quit the land ( Exodus 6:11 ). Moses, however, demurs. He had done God's will with respect to the people readily and at once, expecting that , as he had persuaded them before, so he would a second time. But he had been disappointed; the people had refused to listen to him. Immediately all his original self-distrust and diffidence recurred—even the old form of diffidence, distrust of his ability to persuade men ( Exodus 4:10 ). How shall he expect to persuade Pharaoh, who had already rejected him ( Exodus 5:2-5 ), when he bad just failed with his own countrymen, who previously had "believed" his report ( Exodus 4:31 )?