Did God Lie to Pharaoh?

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Sam Jer

Puritan Board Junior
In the earlier sections of Exodus, the LORD instructs Moses to tell pharaoh:
We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he shall command us. (8:23)
And the repeating command:
And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. (7:16)
But we know about God that
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)

So did God lie to Pharaoh? This question presented itself to me this morning as I was reading Exodus 10.
Obviously, the answer is a firm no.


Does anyone know of a Reformed work that get's to the bellow conclusions? I am sure there is one, and that it explains it in a much better and more edifying way than I do (unless I am the one that is missing something).

What do God's assertions to Pharaoh actually maintain?
1. That Israel is going out to worship.
2. That they will do a three days journey.
3. That they do not know what they will use for worship.
4. That the worship will include both their and Pharaoh's possessions.

Points 1 and 2 are the only places where supposedly one may see a problem - Israel took the Egyptian's possessions with them (Exodus 11:2), and the ceremonial law was not revealed at this point.
Note the LORD nowhere instructs Moses to promise that they will return to Egypt.

For point 2, they actually did do a three day's journey, followed by worship and hearing the first teaching from God in the desert:
Exodus 15:20-26
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

We are only left to conclude that Israel left Egypt to worship.


Postscript:
As I was considering this, I thought of an interesting contrast between Pharaoh and Darius.
And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither. (10:25-26)

Ezra 6:3-12
In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.
Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:
That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
(Ezr. 6:3-12)
 
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