The book of Exodus describes twelve conflicts between Jehovah and Pharaoh (5:1—11:10; 12:29-36). God’s people had fallen into a worldly life under Pharaoh’s usurpation. God’s desire is that His people would be His dwelling place on earth; however, this desire cannot be fulfilled unless His people are delivered from the world and separated to Him. God’s purpose in the twelve conflicts with Pharaoh was to execute His judgment on the world and its ruler, and to expose to His people the nature, meaning, and result of life in the world under Pharaoh’s usurpation, so that they would hate that life (cf. 1 John 2:15-17), flee from it, and be gathered to the Lord at the mountain of God to receive the revelation concerning God and His dwelling place (19:1—34:35).

In dealing with Pharaoh, a type of Satan as the persecutor and usurper of His people, God told him that He was Jehovah, the unique self-existing One; the God of Israel, the God of a transformed, victorious, and kingly people; and the God of the Hebrews (v. 3), the God of the river crossers. See note Gen. 2:4⁴, note Gen. 28:13^1a, and note Exo. 3:18¹.

To hold a feast to the Lord is to worship Him with the worship that He desires, by enjoying Him in His presence. This worship involves sacrificing to Him (v. 3; Heb. 13:15). The worship God desires is that in which we enjoy God as our provision through His dispensing of Himself into us, and then rest with Him in what we enjoy of Him (John 4:24 and notes).

Pharaoh, who signifies Satan and also the self and the natural man, was subtle (cf. Gen. 3:1). Although Pharaoh should have known of Jehovah’s existence, here he subtly denied knowing God and ignored His demand. As God sent plague after plague on Egypt, Pharaoh subtly bargained with God five times (Exo. 5:2; 8:25, 28; 10:8-11, 24). However, God was insistent, never changing His demand. In response to each of Pharaoh’s subtle bargainings, God dealt with him by means of another plague.

See note Exo. 15:22¹.

Or, scribes. So also throughout the chapter.