Confronted with the discouragement of the Israelite supervisors and, to a certain extent, Moses himself, God responds with a powerful promise that he will confront Pharaoh (6:1).
At this point, one would expect the series of signs and miracles promised by the Lord to begin. However, the authors of the book did not overlook the various traditions about Moses and Aaron’s encounters with the Egyptian king, repeating some scenes.
Before describing the so-called plagues of Egypt, the writer emphasized that the God who challenges Pharaoh’s authority is the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the ancestors of Israel. This God will now fulfill His promise to help the weak and the oppressed (2-8). However, faced with increasing forced labor and worsening oppression, the people no longer believe their situation can improve (9). Their initial faith (4:31) has disappeared. Moses himself appears to be affected by doubts and pessimism because of his people’s apathy.