Beth-El Baptist Church
05/03/2009
Greg Tomlinson
Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?
In the account of Moses and Pharaoh and the ten plagues from God, the scriptures explicitly or implicitly say that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. If God's goal was to bring Israel out of Egypt, why did God harden Pharaoh's heart when a more softened heart could have let Israel out of Egypt sooner?
Do the scriptures give any particular reason why God would harden Pharaoh's heart?
Exodus 4:21-23; 7:1-5
The first and most important reason has to do with timing. It was not time for Israel to leave Egypt until after God had killed Pharaoh's firstborn. A subsequent reason is that God wants to make it know that he is Yahweh, the ultimate and only true God. Therefore, He will ensure that Egypt is in a state of mind of absolute submission to God because there is no other choice. Several of the passages simply state 'he hardened Pharaoh's heart', but God is not talked about in the the verses around the text. Therefore the one hardening the heart of Pharaoh is most likely someone in the text at the event in question, most likely it is Pharaoh himself.
Do the context of the signs and wonders provide any guidance?
Exodus 7:11-14, 20-23; 8:7-15 – Duplicated signs by Pharaoh's magicians (signs rod + 1-2)
Exodus 8:16-19 – Unduplicated sign (sign 3)
Exodus 8:20-23 – Established a separation between Israel and Egypt through divine protection
Exodus 8:29-32; 9:1-7 (signs 4-5)
Exodus 9:8-12 (sign 6 – effectively defeated Egyptian magicians. First hardening by Yahweh)
Exodus 9:13-17 – Explicitly lets Pharaoh know the reason for the plagues.
Exodus 9:33-10:2 – (sign 7) Pharaoh and God hardened Pharaoh's heart as a lesson for Israel.
Exodus 10:16-21 – (sign 8) Pharaoh acknowledges Yahweh's supremacy, his own sin.
Exodus 10:22-29 – (sign 9) Final hardening by Yahweh. Egypt utterly hates Israel & Yahweh
Exodus 11:4-11 – Emphasizes the distinction of Israel and the glorification of Yahweh in Egypt.
Exodus 14:3-8, 15-18 – Ultimate reason for the hardening of hearts: Know that Yahweh is Yahweh.
The first of the signs to Pharaoh were signs that his own magicians could replicate. Since the Egyptian magicians could carry out the same signs, how powerful could this God actually be? Thus the implication is that Pharaoh viewed God as weak and ineffective and unworthy of actually listening to. One point of particular note is that Exodus 8:29-32 (4th plague), the scriptures are very clear that it was Pharaoh himself who hardened his heart against God and it specifically says 'this time also' which indicates that some, probably all, of the previous hardening of hearts was the work of Pharaoh and not of God. After the 6th sign, Yahweh finally intervenes to harden the heart of Pharaoh. Up to this time, the implication is very strong that Pharaoh was hardening his own heart. With the 6th sign, the Egyptians, except for Pharaoh, begin to recognize that they are utterly defeated before Yahweh. Now it is time for Pharaoh to be told the reasoning behind all of these plagues, to magnify the person and authority of Yahweh, He is THE one and only true God of all the earth.
Is there any more information that will help us understand?
Joshua 11:18-20 1 Samuel 6:4-9
2 Chronicles 36:11-17 Psalm 95:6-11
Daniel 5:18-21 John 12:37-41
Hebrews 3:7-16 Romans 9:14-24
The scriptures are clear that the events of the Old Testament are for our learning. It is to show us and remind us that it is by God's grace and only by God's grace that we may know Him and the greatness of His love and mercy. The heart of Pharaoh was hardened so that we might be careful about hardening our own hearts against God and to recognize the ramifications of rejecting God: total destruction.