Q.- The Bible said that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. It seems that Pharaoh did not have a chance to change. Can you explain?
A. Another excellent question. I can also relate to this question, because in my younger days when I read this I also thought that Pharaoh did not stand a chance, he was marked and could not change his mind even if he wanted to.
But that is not the case.
God is infinitely just so he does not arbitrarily cast any one away or preclude them from the opportunity to repent. It is not consistent with his character.
We read the story of Pharaoh in Exodus chapters 5 to 14
It is clear as we read the story, that Pharaoh’s heart was not inclined to be obedient to God in the first place.
The sense in which his heart was hardened is the same sense in which the sun hardens clay but melts butter.
Each time that Pharaoh resisted God his heart became harder and more set against God. So every miraculous act that God did, instead of making Pharaoh more pliable and submissive to God, made him harder of his own accord.
Like the butter and the clay, the effect that the sun has on both is to heat them, but their responses are dependent on their individual qualities themselves.
Gods mercy leads some to repentance and others to resistance; some to receive him others to reject him, some to love him others to leave him.
His mercy is the same to all but brings about different effects in some lives – it depends on us.
Let us not be harden our hearts against God like Pharaoh.* * *
We remind you to search the scriptures like those noble Berean Christians in Acts 17:11 - " to see if these things be so. "
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Do you have a question you would like answered?
dean@wisdomforlivingministries.org
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