How Did God Harden Pharoah's Heart?

[JoeMo]

I've always wondered about the fairness of God hardening Pharaoh's heart.  Why would He do that?  How did He do it without interfering with Pharoah's free will?

 

In a recent study of the plagues, it came to me...

 

In Ex.7:3-4; God talks about hardening Pharoah's heart.  In Ex. 7:20 thru 8:7, we see the plagues of blood and frogs.

 

Ex. 8:8 - "Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

Ex. 8:15 - "But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said."

 

The scenario repeats itself in the plague of the gnats and flies -

"So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” ²⁹ Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” ³⁰ So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ³¹ And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. ³² But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go." (Ex 8:28-32)

 

Next we have livestock dying, boils, and hail.  During the hail, Pharaoh says,

"“This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. ²⁸ Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” ²⁹ Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. ³⁰ But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” ³¹ (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. ³² But the wheat and the emmer^[b] were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) ³³ So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. (Ex.9:27-33).

 

What is pharaoh's response?

"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. ³⁵ 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." (Ex. 9:34-35).

 

The same scenario is played after the locusts and darkness.  Pharaoh says "take away the plague and I will let your people go."  Moses prays and God lifts the plagues.  Pharoah sees that the plagues are over, and refuses to let the people go.

 

Do you see a pattern here?  While the plague is ongoing, Pharaoh's heart softens and he tells Moses that he will let the people go.  It is not until AFTER the plagues are lifted that Pharaoh hardens his heart.  It is God's mercy in ENDING the plagues that hardens Pharaoh's heart.  So it is God's love and mercy that harden's Pharaohs heart, not His wrath.  That reinforces my faith in God's love and mercy; as well as reinforces my opinion that Pharaoh got what was coming to him.

 

One less Bible mystery to ponder. 

[Robert]

Had God never allowed Lucifer to place his love of self into action Pharaoh's heart would have never been hardened.  Hence God assumes the blame until the "Day of Atonement"

[JoeMo]

Just like us, Pharaoh had a choice of who to listen to - the Holy One or the evil one.  It probably didn't help that Pharaoh grew up being taught that he was a god himself.  "Who is this Hebrew God who would dare to usurp my divine authority", he likely thought.

 

The point I am making has nothing to do with the Day of Atonement - it simply has to do with God's love and some people's twisted resomse to it.  Many of us (including myself at times) get caught up in the lie that just because divine consequences don't manifest as soon as we sin, that they won't manifest at all.  The only thing that keeps us from instant destruction when we sin is God's protection and His gift of love and mercy; not that we got away with something.

[Robert]

The point I am making has nothing to do with the Day of Atonement ...

 

 

Wrong!

[Robert]

 One of the oldest that exist are Syriac manuscripts.  These manuscripts interpret “Azazel” as “the angel who revolted.”  Most Christians identify Azazel with “scapegoat,” which simply means the one who takes the blame.  In fact, the NIV Bible translates “Azazel” as the “goat of removal.”

 

One of the biggest problems that God faces before He can eradicate sin is the issue of responsibility.  Legally, when you deal with sin, it is “the transgression of the law.”  When you deal with sin in a legal sense, there are three things:

• Guilt.
• Punishment.
• Responsibility.

 

The question is, “Who is responsible for sin?”  This is one of the issues that was not dealt with on the cross, that is to be dealt with on the Day of Atonement.  Let me put it this way, which may solve the problem that is in the minds of many Christians.  God is sovereign.  That’s the clear teaching of the Bible in the Old and New Testament.  That means that nothing happens in this world or in the universe without His permission or His consent.  He is the Lord!  He is the one that created all things.  Nothing happens without Him.  That’s what it means to be sovereign.  Because God is sovereign, He must assume the blame for what happens in His kingdom.

 

The Bible teaches that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  Exodus 10:20:

 

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

 

[You can also view Exodus 4:21, 7:3, 9:12, 10:27, 11:10, 14:4, 14:8, or 14:17.]

 

You will find another statement which says, “Pharaoh hardened his own heart.”  Exodus 8:15 [also see Exodus 8:32 and 9:34]:

 

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

 

Which text is correct?  Both are from the Bible.  Well, both are correct.  It is actually Pharaoh who hardened his own heart but, because God is sovereign, He assumes the blame until the Day of Atonement.  In other words, God could have stopped Pharaoh from hardening his heart.  He is sovereign.  He could have done it, but He did not.  Therefore, He assumes the blame.  God says in the Old Testament, “I have created evil.”  Did He actually create evil?  No.  All these texts that give you problems in this regard are simply saying, “Because I’m sovereign, I’m assuming the blame.”

[JoeMo]

Robert says,

"Hence God assumes the blame until the "Day of Atonement".

 

I've been thinking about that; and I retract my previous statement.  After prayerfully considering it, I think you may have something there.

 

Isaiah 45:6-7 KJV says "at they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things."  Other translations are similar.

 

In this verse, I think God does take responsibility for all that ever happens - good or bad.

 

Thanks for that tidbit of wisdom, Robert!

[Robert]

Not my work..

 

Here's the whole of it:  http://www.jacksequeira.org/sanctuary24.htm

[LifeHiscost]

 

 

God says in the Old Testament, “I have created evil.”  Did He actually create evil?  No.  All these texts that give you problems in this regard are simply saying, “Because I’m sovereign, I’m assuming the blame.”[unquote]

God says, "I have". Robert says,  "He didn't mean what He said."  I know at least one thing He said that He meant.

18

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.

19

And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll....Rev 22  

The context is from the book of Revelation but the principle is based on whether God means what He said without interference----LHC

God is Love! Jesus saves!   

 

                                                                                                                                         

[Robert]

 

 God says, "I have". Robert says,  "He didn't mean what He said." 

 

Come on, LifeHiscost! 

 

If God created evil then God is to blame for sin.  That would make Him the author of sin & death.

 

Here's the quote: Is 45:7 "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things" KJV

 

God states that He killed King Saul, but Saul committed suicide.  Here are those quotes too:

 

One Perspective

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore, He [God] killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse (1 Chron. 10:13, 14).

 

Another Perspective

Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it” . . . But his armorbearer would not. . . . Therefore, Saul took a sword and fell on it. . . . So Saul . . . died (1 Chron. 10:4, 6).

[Robert]

Who led David to number Israel?

One Perspective

The anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel and He  (God) moved David . . . to . . . number Israel and Judah (2 Sam. 24:2).

 

Another Perspective

Now Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel (1 Chron. 21:1)

 

 We  know from Scripture that God punished David for this action (1 Chronicles 21:14), strongly suggesting that, as humans would express it, He had nothing to do with David's decision to initiate a census in Israel. But if God did not move David to "number Israel," why does He say He did?

[M. T. Cross]

Cholesterol

[Gerr]

How did God harden Pharaoh's heart?  Let me draw a parallel from the world of medicine.  I seem to recall that you are a health worker, JoeMo, so this should be familiar to you.  When a patient is severely allergic to something, for example grass or ragweed, not infrequently, the doctor may resort to immunotherapy.  In this method, the doctor injects into the patient the same substance that he/she is allergic to.  It starts with a very minute dose of the allergen (what the patient is allergic to).  The dose is gradually increased until even a large dose will no longer elicit any adverse reaction on the part of the patient.  It has desensitized the person. 

 

Notice that there is an increasing severity of the plagues.  Pharaoh relents, but as soon as the pressure is off, he goes back to his old ways; he hardens his heart.  Each plague was just enough to desensitize him so that even after his heir dies, although he lets the Israelites go, he then again changes his mind and goes in pursuit of them.  I believe the Bible is clear that even as sinful as we are, we are still free to choose which master we are to choose.  I don't think God actively harden Pharaoh's heart.  God provided the  occasion (yes, God takes responsibility for His part); but Pharaoh chose to resist.  There is a terrible danger in dabbling with religion but not take it seriously enough.  The exposure may just be enough to desensitize a person.  That is the big danger of Laodicea.  That is the danger of resisting the Holy Spirit when He convicts a person.  Each time a sinner resists just desensitizes him/her to the next appeal.

[JoeMo]

Cholesterol

Subtle; but hilarious! 

[JoeMo]

Hey Gerry,

I heartily agree with everything in your post until I get here...

 

"There is a terrible danger in dabbling with religion but not take it seriously enough.  The exposure may just be enough to desensitize a person.  That is the big danger of Laodicea.  That is the danger of resisting the Holy Spirit when He convicts a person.  Each time a sinner resists just desensitizes him/her to the next appeal."

 

This may be just a matter of semantics; but I think taking religion (i.e., denominations) too seriously is an equal threat to desensitizing people to hearing God's Spirit.  They blindly toe the denominational line without searching the Word and the Spirit's guidance to discern wether what they believe is true.  It was establishment religion (of which Pharaoh was god) that hardened His heart against Moses.  It was establishment religion that hardened the people's hearts against Jesus.  I could go on and on.

[Gerr]

Hey Gerry,

I heartily agree with everything in your post until I get here...

 

"There is a terrible danger in dabbling with religion but not take it seriously enough.  The exposure may just be enough to desensitize a person.  That is the big danger of Laodicea.  That is the danger of resisting the Holy Spirit when He convicts a person.  Each time a sinner resists just desensitizes him/her to the next appeal."

 

This may be just a matter of semantics; but I think taking religion (i.e., denominations) too seriously is an equal threat to desensitizing people to hearing God's Spirit.  They blindly toe the denominational line without searching the Word and the Spirit's guidance to discern wether what they believe is true.  It was establishment religion (of which Pharaoh was god) that hardened His heart against Moses.  It was establishment religion that hardened the people's hearts against Jesus.  I could go on and on.

When I said that, I meant take seriously enough to find out if everything one believes is really true according to Scriptures.  If one just swallows what the preacher says, that's not being serious, imo.

[LifeHiscost]

 

Who led David to number Israel?

One Perspective

The anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel and He  (God) moved David . . . to . . . number Israel and Judah (2 Sam. 24:2).

 

Another Perspective

Now Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel (1 Chron. 21:1)

 

 We  know from Scripture that God punished David for this action (1 Chronicles 21:14), strongly suggesting that, as humans would express it, He had nothing to do with David's decision to initiate a census in Israel. But if God did not move David to "number Israel," why does He say He did?

 

Both of your two posts tell me something about my own ability to grasp the Word without questioning my own experience in following God's instruction for me, and can be explained largely in this counsel.

 

  The Word of God, like the character of its divine Author, presents mysteries that can never be fully comprehended by finite beings. The entrance of sin into the world, the incarnation of Christ, regeneration, the resurrection, and many other subjects presented in the Bible, are mysteries too deep for the human mind to explain, or even fully to comprehend. But we have no reason to doubt God’s Word because we cannot understand the mysteries of His providence. In the natural world we are constantly surrounded with mysteries that we cannot fathom. The very humblest forms of life present a problem that the wisest of philosophers is powerless to explain. Everywhere are wonders beyond our ken. Should we then be surprised to find that in the spiritual world also there are mysteries that we cannot fathom? ...{CSA 46.3}  [unquote]

 

The Word makes it even more clear in a couple of places.

 

…7Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.…Isaiah 55

 

That , of course is speaking to the wicked, and that is sometimes hard to define who fits into that category, including myself.

 

You were angry, for we sinned, We continued in them a long time; And shall we be saved? 6For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7There is no one who calls on Your name, Who arouses himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us And have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.….Isaiah 64

 

God is Love! Jesus saves!

[anto]

...... It is God's mercy in ENDING the plagues that hardens Pharaoh's heart.  So it is God's love and mercy that harden's Pharaohs heart, not His wrath.  That reinforces my faith in God's love and mercy; as well as reinforces my opinion that Pharaoh got what was coming to him.

 

One less Bible mystery to ponder. 

Thanks JoeMo I like your solution to that one.  'always like it when those conundrums can be put to bed without having to resort to concluding the writer got it wrong.

[JoeMo]

Thanks for the kind words, anto.  These thoughts actually came to me when I was asking God why He would do such a thing as harden a man's heart.  I didn't think up this solution.  I believe God gave it to me - not "me" exclusively; I'm sure He's given lots of other people the same information.

[8thdaypriest]

The Spirit of God convicts each one of us.  He pleads, and pleads, and pleads.  The longer one resists, and resists, and resists - the harder one's heart becomes.  The person becomes immune to the pleading of Christ.   This is what it means to resist the Spirit.  This is the unpardonable sin.  It renders the person unreachable.

 

So yes - the LORD "hardened Pharoah's heart" - by pleading with Him.  But Pharoah hardened his own heart, when he resisted.  

 

The more the LORD pleaded with Pharoah, the harder he resisted, until Egypt was in ruins.  But this process revealed the true heart of Pharoah.  It is the same process that will reveal the true heart of those eventually lost.   

 

The more a wife nags her husband to do something that he doesn't want to do, the less likely he will actually do it - (at least willingly).  LOL

 

Concerning responsibility:

The LORD accepts the responsibility for what He has allowed Satan (or those inspired by him) to do. 

This will continue UNTIL the final judgment, when the guilt/responsibility will be placed upon the head of Satan.

Jesus Christ carries the sin of those who come to Him as Savior.  He carries (or bears) those sins UNTIL the final judgment, when they will be placed upon Satan.

 

Trace the blood thru the Sanctuary: The blood carries the sin.  It is a record of the sin.

Sin transferred to sacrifice

Blood of sacrifice (with sin) transferred to Priest (thru the priest eating a portion of the sacrifice and then entering the Tabernacle)

Sin transferred to Tabernacle

 

Blood of Day of Atonement sacrifices first transferred the sin of priests and congregation to Tabernacle, and then to the head of the scapegoat.

 

Jesus will NOT carry our sin forever.   He will eventually transfer it to the head of Satan - the ultimate and original cause. 

God's responsibility lies in the fact that He created beings with free will - introducing the possibility of sin.  

 

Now - He has allowed sin to ravage this planet bringing pain to everyone, and I do see that as something He should answer for.  Every person who has suffered pain, has asked "Why?".  But the LORD knew that WITHOUT this pain, we would not come to see clearly that His way is the only perfect way.  And He has FELT the pain with us - especially in the torture of His own Son, so He has not exempted Himself from the pain. 

 

Blessings,

Rachel Cory

Prophecy Viewpoint

[JoeMo]

Rachel says:

"He has allowed sin to ravage this planet bringing pain to everyone, and I do see that as something He should answer for."

 

Although in my human wisdom, I agree with this; I don't know if God does.  I just finished a study of Job, where he asks "why?"  From my study, I think God's answer was "You have no right or authority to question Me".  He didn't answer Job's question; so why would He answer us except to say "the sun shines and the rain falls on both the good and the wicked".  In other words, "poop happens". 

 

We have little or no control what circumstances - good or bad - we face.  What we do have control over is how we respond to these circumstances.  Pharaoh didn't respond appropriately.

[8thdaypriest]

Joe,

I believe that our God will allow us - His created subjects, to question Him concerning the way in which He has done things.  He WANTS us to understand, so that we can love Him unreservedly.  With time, and experience, and revelation - the "WHY" will be answered.  In the meantime, for me, just knowing that His Son became one of us, and that They felt the pain, is enough to keep me to trust Them.

[Robert]

He has allowed sin to ravage this planet bringing pain to everyone, and I do see that as something He should answer for.  Every person who has suffered pain, has asked "Why?". 

 

The question is why did God create Lucifer knowing that he would rebel against God's agape love?  I don't believe that can be answered since we can't read God's motive.  However, we know that God is love and that everything He does or allows is for a purpose.

 

So we can't answer why God, knowing Lucifer would rebel, created him anyway. That the Scripture, as far as I am aware of, doesn't address.  However, what can be answered why God allowed Satan's system of love to progress.

 

On paper, Satan's system of love sounds wonderful.  Keep in mind Satan rebelled against God's agape love.  According to the Bible agape is a selfless love that lives not for one's self, but for others.  It is described by Paul as a love that is not self-seeking.

 

Satan's love is based on self-love.  Self-love sounds wonderful on paper, but put into action we see it brings disaster.  That's why God allow it.  He allowed sin in order for us and the onlooking universe to see its results.

[8thdaypriest]

The question here is:  Was sin inevitable? 

 

IF you create beings with free will, is it not inevitable that - given enough time - some of them will question your way of doing things?  They may choose to do things their own way, which the LORD defines as "sin".   The only way for the rest of the "kids" to learn that Your way is the ONLY way (All others lead to death.) is to let the rebellious one continue with his ways UNTIL he has finally destroyed himself, along with those who follow him. 

 

The possibility of sin was "built in" to the system by the Creator.  It's called free will. 

 

God could not EXPLAIN to the angels or to Adam/Eve the consequences of sin - all the pain it would bring in the process of the dieing.  So He simply said, "dieing you will die".  

If the LORD had shown Eve a panoramic video of the history of earth, she would have run screaming from the tree. 

 

There is something about the process - the pain that we feel.  It will protect the universe from ever repeating the sin process.    I think that's why it's called "birth pains".  This is the pain that the universe must feel before the final beautiful, eternally secure Kingdom family can emerge.  

 

It is difficult to feel approval of this horrible process just now.  We are in the middle of it - feeling the pain.  You'd be amazed how many women swear NEVER to bear another child, when they are in the throws of labor.  (I'm a retired nurse anesthetist.)

 

We blame Satan.  We blame the LORD who created Satan.  But at some level, we "understand" that the process WAS NECESSARY. 

The consolation is that HE shared our pain.  He became a participant, not just an observer.

 

Blessings,

Rachel Cory

Prophecy Viewpoint

[Robert]

The question here is:  Was sin inevitable? 

 

 

First you must define sin.  What you defined was in the right direction.

 

Sin must be the result of a departure from God's indwelling Spirit within His creation.  Specifically, sin or self-love is the result of choosing (hence "free-will) to go one's own way. 

 

 

 

The possibility of sin was "built in" to the system by the Creator.  It's called free will. 

 

Yes, possibility, but why would a man, woman or angel be inclined to go his or her own way?  The Bible does not answer this question.  However, apparently it was possible.  

 

The thing is God is not in anyway the author of sin.  That is a given.

 

 

 

There is something about the process - the pain that we feel.  It will protect the universe from ever repeating the sin process.    I think that's why it's called "birth pains".  This is the pain that the universe must feel before the final beautiful, eternally secure Kingdom family can emerge.

 

 

Keep in mind that only 1/3 the angels revolted.  The rest of the universe remained loyal to God.  That's probably a very, very small percentage that rebelled.

 

On paper (if you will), Lucifer's system of self-love sounded wonderful.  He found God's agape love too restrictive.  He felt the only way God's creation could be happy was through the love of self (iniquity).  

 

Well, that was on paper.  It sounded good to 1/3 the angels, but until allowed to be put into practice no one could be sure.  So God allowed it in order to show the universe the results of self-love.

[8thdaypriest]

I agree.  "God allowed it (sin) in order to show the universe the results of self-love."    When the rebellious son "saw" the results of his selfish love (the pig pen) he repented and returned to his father.  That rebellious younger son was more secure in his father's ways at that point, than the son who had not openly rebelled.  Because the son who stayed home was actually motivated by selfish love, just as much as the openly rebellious son.  He hated his younger brother.  The return of the younger brother revealed the selfish heart of the older brother.