He was not impressed. He was angered. Pharaoh attributed the Israelites’ desire to go meet God in the wilderness as laziness. The Israelites were doing the arduous work of brickmaking. Pharaoh increased their daily quota, and made it so that they had to gather their own straw for the bricks as well. The demands were impossible. Some of the Israelites got mad at Moses and Aaron, and accused them of being troublemakers. Probably, Moses felt very guilty and confused. He prayed, “Oh Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” (NIV, Exodus 5:22–23)