Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
-Exodus 9:13
Pharaoh possessed what the Bible describes as a hardened heart. Even though the Lord God, through Moses, commanded Pharaoh to let His people go, he wouldn’t (even after a multitude of plagues, as the story goes). Pharaoh was very stubborn, indeed! In v13, we see that Pharaoh’s human will to obey or disobey is implied.
However, elsewhere in this same Book of Exodus, we see that the Lord is said to harden Pharaoh’s heart. In fact, this idea shows up ten times in this one book.
And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.“
-Exodus 4:21
But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
-Exodus 7:3
But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
-Exodus 9:12
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them.”
-Exodus 10:1
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.
-Exodus 10:20
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
-Exodus 10:27
Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
-Exodus 11:10
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.
-Exodus 14:4
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.
-Exodus 14:8
And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen.
-Exodus 14:17
Based on Holy Scripture, we rightly conclude that the Lord God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. We get glimpses into why when the Lord discloses His motives, for example, “I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them” (Exodus 10:1). Apparently, God decreed Pharaoh’s hardened heart so that He could reveal His power, majesty, and glory to humanity (e.g. He imposed plagues on Egypt). The apostle Paul wrote of this very truth, also:
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
-Romans 9:17-18
The Bible teaches us that the Lord decreed Pharaoh’s hardened heart in order to bring glory to Himself. In other words, he used Pharaoh as an unrighteous instrument (vs. Moses as a righteous one) to accomplish His sovereign will.
So, is that the end of the story regarding Pharaoh’s hardened heart? Not at all. Holy Scripture also reveals, definitively, that Pharaoh’s personal will was fully functional as he hardened his own heart. This truth is revealed ten times, also, in the Book of Exodus.
Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.”
-Exodus 7:13-14
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
-Exodus 7:22
But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
-Exodus 8:15
Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
-Exodus 8:19
But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
-Exodus 8:32
And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
-Exodus 9:7
But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
-Exodus 9:34-35
For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
-Exodus 13:15
With all of this evidence (ten verses establishing God’s sovereign will to harden Pharaoh’s heart and ten verses revealing Pharaoh’s human will to harden his own heart), what shall we conclude? Simple. Both concepts are true! You might fret over the fact that you cannot rationalize two such things, but that’s not what’s important (well, it shouldn’t be).
At the end of the day, we are to accept God at His Word. Sound familiar? It should, if you’re subscribed to this blog, as I just wrote last week’s blog, titled God’s Sovereign Will, on this same topic. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people, well-intentioned Christians even, who drive themselves bonkers because their limited human mind cannot understand what only the omniscient Lord’s mind can.
Faith is the answer, my friend. If you lack it still and these last two blogs have been causing you fits, do as the apostles did, “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith’” (Luke 17:5)!
Pray for more faith.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
-Hebrews 11:6
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
