Ex 4:21 (ESV) 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.
“How could God be so unfair to hold Pharaoh responsible for decisions he made after God forced him to have a hardened heart?” Have you ever heard that? I certainly have, and it has bothered me for years for the very reason stated.
Of course, I believe whatever God says or does is good since He Himself is the standard for good. I just don’t understand the fairness issue. Then last night I was in a discussion with some friends when the idea came to me I’d like to present here. I must admit I haven’t checked it through yet, and I may need to come back and apologize for this. After all, “New truth is almost always old heresy,” as a hero of mine used to say, but it is certainly a good explanation considering the nature of God.
We all have to deal with our pride at times and our competitiveness. When we’re really good at something and have been on the top of our game for years we begin to think no one can do better. Then someone comes along, usually an “outsider,” who is so much better than we are we can’t stand it. It may be pride or it may be jealousy, but we just can’t stand that person. The better they are, the more we “harden” ourselves against them.
Imagine what it must have been like for Pharaoh to be the head guy, the ultimate god of his realm, for decades. No one would dare challenge him, and certainly no one had more power than he. Then this sheep herder (Moses) comes to Pharaoh and tells him he has a God greater than Pharaoh himself. So much greater, in fact, if Pharaoh doesn’t yield to the wishes of this hick’s invisible God, he would be sorry.
Moses comes to Pharaoh and tells him his God says to let the Israelites go. Pharaoh’s response is just what anyone might do. He asks “Who is this God that I should obey Him? In fact, let me show you what I can do.” Then Pharaoh tells them they have to gather their own straw to make their bricks and still make the same number of bricks every day. I’m sure Pharaoh thought that would be the end of it. He’s a little angry, a little prideful, maybe even a little insulted this shepherd is trying to persuade him to release the Israelites, but he’s exerted his authority and one-upped the shepherd and his God. It’s done!
Pharaoh’s heart hasn’t hardened yet. He’s a bit perturbed at the upstart hicks coming and demanding release of his slaves. But now he thinks he’s dealt with the problem, and no one will mess with him again.
It’s when Moses and Aaron return we read God hardens Pharaoh’s heart. Moses threw Aaron’s rod down and it became a snake. So, Pharaoh had his magicians do the same, but God’s snake ate the magicians’ snakes. Pharaoh was one-upped. Now Pharaoh has Someone who has more power than he. The plagues begin and Pharaoh fights back every time being shown to be less powerful than the God of Moses. This makes him angrier and angrier. His pride has been destroyed and his authority challenged.
Why is this important?
Just as with you and me, when some newcomer show himself better at something than we are, better at something we think we are really good at, we are tempted to reject that person. Like kids in a schoolyard, we might talk down the abilities of the person, try to show them up. In effect, our hearts have become hardened toward them.
I believe it’s the same thing with Pharaoh. He was the ultimate authority, the ultimate god. Then this God of a sheep herder comes up with all these tricks bettering him at every turn. He became angrier and angrier with this God until there was no coming back to a reasonable response. His heart was hardened and God, by His presence and His actions trying to persuade Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s ego caused him to hate Him to the point of madness.
God hardened Pharaoh’s heart indirectly, not directly. It was still Pharaoh who was creating the hardening. God, simply by the fact He was greater than Pharaoh caused Pharaoh’s jealousy to harden his heart. Naturally, God new it would happen and knew His actions would cause Pharaoh’s heart to harden, but it was Pharaoh’s free will to hate God which hardened him.
Rom. 9:14-18 (ESV) What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 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.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 