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The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

By David Hartsell

Of all the infamous characters in the Bible, Pharaoh stands out.  He blatantly defied God. When Moses told Pharaoh that Jehovah said to let Israel go, the Egyptian King responded, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go." (Ex.5:2) Pharaoh thought he was a god. Why should he listen to the dictates of the God of an enslaved people? Paul teaches that Pharaoh hardened his heart against God’s will. More than that, Paul asserts that God hardened the king’s heart. (Rom.9:17-18)  God raised Pharaoh up to show His power through him. God uses people for good or ill. “Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.”

So how does God harden some people while others genuinely repent? Is individual predestination taught by Paul or is there more to this idea? Immediately, we can toss out the idea that God overrides people’s free will. Too many passages state that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and that we have been given the gift of freely making our own choices. (Matt.11:28-30)

So how did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? He simply made demands on the king that were against Pharaoh’s political interests. Egypt, at this time, was a world power. Their economic and political system was based upon slave labor. How would the Egyptians perceive the releasing of all those in bondage? Would this not look weak? Pharaoh must show strength. How dare these bondsmen make such a crazy demand!

Probably, Pharaoh’s pride was the greatest inhibiter to releasing Israel from captivity. God understood the king’s heart. He, through Moses, made the persistent demand to let Israel go. At times, Pharaoh behaved as if he was weakening but, in the end, he would refuse or put stipulations on the release that were unacceptable: leave your women and children behind or don’t take your animals. God responded to Pharaoh’s obstinacy by bringing plagues on Egypt. Water turning to blood, frogs, lice, and proliferation of flies are examples of these plagues. Every plague gave Pharaoh an opportunity to develop faith in God. God confirmed His Word with every plague. But, each time the plagues were lifted Pharaoh hardened his heart against The Lord. The plagues began as a nuisance but the latter ones had severe consequences. Number ten was the death of the firstborn in every Egyptian family. Even Pharaoh’s firstborn died. Immediately Israel was told to leave. Pharaoh’s hard heart cost him and his people dearly.  

We have a choice as to what type of heart we will have. We can listen carefully to God’s word and with deep emotions be brought to repentance. Saul of Tarsus is a perfect example of such a person. When confronted with a miraculous communication from the Lord, Saul developed faith. Paul’s repentance was shown by his abstinence from food and drink for three days. (Acts 9:8-9) It was repentance that led Saul to “wash away his sins” in baptism. (Acts 22:16) Later, Paul said he always strove “to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” (Acts 24:16) Paul kept his heart soft. What about us? When God tells us how we should honor and serve Him, how do we react? We should realize the futility in fighting against God and serve him gladly out of love. But, like Pharaoh, we can harden our hearts and receive the same horrible end. Remember, just because God does not execute judgment speedily does not mean there are no eternal consequences. (Ecc.8:11) 

  Other Articles by David Hartsell
The Culture of No Consequences