It is at this crucial point that in response to Moses’ questioning God about the entire enterprise, God clarified the design of his work. By the end of this episode, even the Israelites themselves had turned against Moses (Exod. Pharaoh’s rebuttal was not merely verbal he oppressed the Israelites more harshly than before. This drove Moses to speak in the name of the Lord to Pharaoh saying, “Let my people go” (Exod.
God’s initial call to Moses included an explanation of God’s work. The nature and intent of that divine work set the agenda for Moses’ work and through him, the work of God’s people. In the book of Exodus, God is the essential worker.