Exodus 5:10-13 "And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw."
At God’s command, Moses and Aaron had gone in before Pharaoh and requested that the children of Israel be allowed to go a three day’s journey apart so that they might worship and sacrifice unto the God of the Hebrews. Pharaoh had immediately refused, just as God had already told Moses that he would. Not only did Pharaoh refuse, but he also immediately made life more difficult for the children of Israel. The king of Egypt wrongfully assumed that he was just dealing with a couple of rebellious Hebrew slaves and gave no credence to the God of the Hebrews.
It becomes apparent in this chapter that the taskmasters of Egypt were not the only threat to the children of Israel. The taskmasters had “officers” that we shall later see were clearly chosen from among the children of Israel. Not only were they in hard bondage to the Egyptians, but their own brethren were complicit in their distress. It is highly probable that these Israelites who were chosen to be officers of the taskmasters were not required to labor, but they were held accountable for the labors of those under them.
Whereas Pharaoh had supplied the raw materials for the making of brick prior to this, he now declared that the children of Israel would have to gather it themselves. However, they were expected to still produce the same number of bricks. They found themselves in an impossible situation. They had gone from having hope of something better to being plunged into a situation even more dire than before.
Dear ones, do not falter when it seems that life is becoming more impossible to live. Keep your trust in God. Look to Him and not to your present circumstances. Do not despair when it seems that even those you thought of as brothers seem determined to keep you in bondage for their own benefit. The LORD cannot fail, and His promise of deliverance is sure!