"I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh."
Exodus 14:4
God Hardened Pharaoh's Heart, to free Israel from slavery and also so that Pharaoh and Egypt would "fear Yahweh God" (Exodus 9:29, 30)... The steps which God planned were carefully executed by God, to bring both Israel and Egypt to know God.
When God executed His judgements on Pharaoh and Egypt, He was taking steps to draw them to fear God… to save their souls. The fear of God is salvific. In other words, the fear of God is the condition for eternal life.
- "But Yahweh's loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him" (Psalm 103:17).
Prayerful Observation:
Everlasting love is received by those who fear Him. To enjoy God's love forever is eternal life. You may be accustomed to faith in Christ as the single condition of eternal life (John 3:16). But you may not be accustomed to fear of God as being the single condition of eternal life (Psalm 103:17 above). Well, the fear of God is the same thing as faith in God (see the appendix, A7f). Faith in God is faith in Christ, since Christ is God. More details are presented from the scriptures in subchapter A7 of the appendix titled, "The Unabbreviated Conversion Corridor". Look at the bottom half of micro-subchapter A7f for more information on the fear of God and faith in God.
The book of Revelation also reveals "fear of God" as the gospel:
"I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" (Revelation 14:6-7).
The words "Good News" are a translation of the Greek word euangellion. Many translations will translate euangellion in verse 6 as "eternal Gospel" instead of "eternal Good News". The Greek word underlying "Lord" in the phrase "Fear the Lord" is actually theos (God). Jesus is God. Jesus created the world (John 1:3, Hebrews 1:2). You may read more about this in the bottom half of Footnote 1 titled, "Law of Conscience", in subchapter A3 of the appendix titled, "After Pentecost: From the Law to the Spirit".
As I wrote before:
God Hardened Pharaoh's Heart, to free Israel from slavery and also so that Pharaoh and Egypt would "fear Yahweh God" (Exodus 9:29, 30)... The steps which God planned were carefully executed by God, to bring both Israel and Egypt to know God.
God's actions in hardening the heart of Pharaoh was an act of kindness and grace, to save Pharaoh and Egypt from their sins. I will prove this... FROM THE SCRIPURES.
Some may say that God was unjust to harden Pharaoh's heart. But God didn't harden a soft heart. God hardened a hard heart. Only God knows what is necessary to motivate the lost soul to seek God.
He will shake the foundations to cause hard hearted man to seek the salvation of God. It is written:
- "26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:26-27).
Verse twenty-six states that God determines "appointed season" and "boundaries" of every nation. In other words, God determines when every nation begins, the boundaries of every nation during its existence and when every nation will end. Verse twenty-seven states that God does these things to cause man to "seek the Lord", to "reach out for him" to "find him". When God changes the boundaries of a nation, this is almost always the result of a war. If your nation was conquered by another nation and if you were not a child of God, would that cause you to seek God? Possibly so. That is God's purpose in shaking foundations. And a thousand years from now, all of mankind will have the perspective to see that it was worth it.
So, the main point in this subchapter is this: God hardens hard hearts to save souls.
I will prove this, from the scriptures.
The remainder of this subchapter will be divided into two sections:
- God hardened Pharaoh's hard heart
- God did this to save, Israel, Egypt and Pharaoh
God Hardened Pharaoh's Hard Heart
Pharaoh's heart was already hard before God sent Moses to talk to Pharaoh saying "Let my people go". Then, over many meetings between Pharaoh and Moses Pharaoh hardened his heart seven times before God first hardened it. But God predicted it all beforehand. But as you read the following verses, please observe... God did not harden a soft heart. God hardened a heart that was already hard. In other words... God hardened a hard heart.
To aid in this presentation, I will observe a particular convention in this section. I will use bold type to highlight when God hardened Pharaoh's heart. I will not use bold type when Pharaoh hardened his own heart. In this way, you will easily see that Pharaoh hardened his heart seven times before God hardened it. I will use italics for phrases that deserve particular emphasis. In this way, after you read to the end, it will all be very clear.
So, please pay particular attention to the bold type and italics.
Please prayerfully consider these words of God.
(Pause for prayer)
(Pause for more prayer)
I will present the confrontation between God and Pharaoh, from the scriptures, in fourteen chronological steps... so that you will see the state of Pharaoh's heart at each step, presented chronologically. You will see that it is not until the eighth step that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Each step is numbered, 1 - 14. But even before the first step, God knew that Pharaoh's heart was hard:
God's Foreknowledge:
"I know that the king of Egypt won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand" (Exodus 3:19, This is God speaking to Moses.)
Now here are the fourteen steps which occur at numerous meetings between Moses and Pharaoh, presented chronologically from the book of Exodus:
1) Pharaoh's heart is hard like God foreknew:
"Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2).
2). "Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken" (Exodus 7:13). Notice that the scripture does not say that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. It says that "Pharaoh's heart was hardened". His heart was already hard. This phrase "Pharaoh's heart was hardened" will be seen again.
3) "The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments. So Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken" (Exodus 7:22)
4) "But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken" (Exodus 8:15). Here the scripture states that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. The phrase "he hardened his heart" will be seen again, as you will see.
5) "Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is God's finger;" but Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken" (Exodus 8:19)
6) "Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he didn't let the people go" (Exodus 8:32). Notice that all of these scriptures are in chronological order.
7) "Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn't let the people go" (Exodus 9:7)
8) "Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses" (Exodus 9:12)
Prayerful Observation:
This is the 8th hardening of Pharaoh's heart, but this eighth hardening is the first hardening for which it is written that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. On the first seven hardenings, it is written that "Pharaoh's heart was hardened", "Pharaoh hardened his heart", "Pharaoh was stubborn" or , as in the first instance, the text merely recites Pharaoh's refusal to acknowledge God or let His people go.
The scripture provides a divine commentary on this eighth event:
"but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth" (Exodus 9:16)
Pharaoh couldn't stand up to God, so God could multiply miracles, unless God hardened Pharaoh's heart. See Romans 9:17-23. Romans tells us that God prepared Pharaoh for destruction, not damnation. But Exodus 9:29-30 reveals that God also prepared Pharaoh for destruction so that Pharaoh would fear Yahweh. See what Moses said to Pharaoh below:
"Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh's. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you don't yet fear Yahweh God" (Exodus 9:29, 30).
So, you see that in Exodus 9:12, for the first time in the book of Exodus, the scripture states that "Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh". Then in 9:16-30 God revealed His benevolent reasons for this action, that God's "name may be declared throughout all the earth" (verse 16). Also so that Pharaoh "may know that the earth is Yahweh's" (verse 30).
Now, we shall see six more chronological references in the book of Exodus to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart:
9) "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants" (Exodus 9:34).
10) "Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs among them" (Exodus 10:1).
11) "But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he didn't let the children of Israel go" (Exodus 10:20).
12) "But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he wouldn't let them go" (Exodus 10:27).
13) "Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he didn't let the children of Israel go out of his land" (Exodus 11:10).
"I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh." They did so" (Exodus 14:4). (See also 14:17-18)
14) "Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand" (Exodus 14:8).
Now you have seen the state of Pharaoh's heart through confrontations between God and Pharaoh, from the scriptures, in fourteen chronological steps... You saw that it was not until the eighth step that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. But even before the first step, God knew that Pharaoh's heart was hard:
We shall see more about God's redemptive purposes in the next section.
God's Purpose: To save Israel and Egypt
In this section, I will use bold text to highlight God's purpose.
- "Therefore tell the children of Israel, 'I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. 7 I will take you to myself for a people. I will be your God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exodus 6:7).
- "I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring the children of Israel out from among them" (Exodus 7:3-5)
SUMMARY:
God Hardened Pharaoh's Heart, to free Israel from slavery, that Israel would know Yahweh, their God and also so that Pharaoh and Egypt would "fear Yahweh God" (Exodus 9:29, 30)... The steps which God planned were carefully executed by God, to bring both Israel and Egypt to know God.
As I wrote earlier, when God executed His judgements on Pharaoh and Egypt, He was taking steps to save their souls. Some may say that God was unjust to harden Pharaoh's heart. But God didn't harden a soft heart. God hardened a hard heart. Only God knows what is necessary to motivate the lost soul to seek God. He will shake the foundations to cause hard hearted man to seek the salvation of God. It is written:
"He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:26-27).
My Prayer:
Lord of Heaven and Earth, You deserve all praise. Even though Your hand may be heavy, Your hand is a hand of grace. You don't harden soft hearts... You harden hard hearts. Even when You bring destruction, You bring it out of mercy... to draw the lost into the light... to make dead men live... until the great and last day of the Great White Throne Judgement, after which, the die is cast... After that judgement, the children of Satan shall be doomed to eternal existence with Satan in misery. They will be separated from You and all of Your goodness. But Your children will reign forever with You in paradise. Thank You, that You will do everything that could be done, to draw the lost into Your kingdom! Amen.