Lutheran Lens Commentary: Exodus 5:1-23

## Lutheran Lens Reading of Exodus 5:1-23

### Tradition-Specific Interpretation

In Exodus 5:1-23, we read this passage as a profound illustration of the tension between Law and Gospel. The Law is manifest in Pharaoh’s harsh response to Moses and Aaron’s request, revealing the bondage and oppression of the Israelites, which echoes our own bondage under sin. This narrative points us toward Christ, the true deliverer, who frees us from the tyranny of sin and death. The Israelites’ suffering prefigures the suffering of Christ and the theology of the cross, where God is revealed in weakness and apparent defeat for the sake of our salvation.

### Key Language Decisions