The Bible repeatedly mentions Pharaoh’s
heart being hardened as a result of the demands God made and the signs He
performed in Egypt (Exodus 7:13, 14, 22, 23; 8:19; 9:7, 35; 14:5). The question
is, who was ultimately responsible for Pharaoh’s stubbornness?
The scriptures affirm that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus
4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17) but also that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus
8:15, 19, 32; 9:34-35; 10:3; 13:15). The answer to this apparent discrepancy
lies in understanding how Pharaoh’s
heart was hardened. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, not by subverting Pharaoh’s free
will, but by simply making demands that Pharaoh did not like. Pharaoh hardened
his own heart because of his own stubborn pride and rebellion.
Just as the sun has different effects on
wax and clay (it softens one and hardens the other), so the word of God has
different effects on those who hear it. When a Christian goes door to door to
share the gospel, he will inadvertently make some people angry while others
will be appreciative, depending on the receptivity or lack thereof of each one
(cf. Acts 28:24).
God’s actions and demands in Egypt
softened the hearts of some (Exodus 4:30-31; 9:20; 10:7) but hardened the heart
of Pharaoh. It was not simply a matter of what God said or did that made the
difference but rather the brazen opposition of Pharaoh’s obstinate will.
--Kevin L. Moore
Originally appearing in the Voice of Truth International 38:94.
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