WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16
Exodus 4:18-23
Romans 9:17-18

“… whom he will
he hardeneth.”

DOES GOD HARDEN HEARTS?

Moses eventually relented and prepared to go, respectfully taking leave of his father-in-law. The LORD assured Moses that the people who sought his life for what he had done in Egypt before he fled were all dead. Moses loaded up his family and ensured he brought the shepherd’s rod because God told him it would be used to perform signs. However, even as the LORD assured Moses that he would perform great signs and he was to tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, yet the LORD said, “I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go” (Exod 4:21).

What does it mean when God said He would harden Pharaoh’s heart? It should not be interpreted as the LORD working directly in Pharaoh’s heart to make him unable to desire to obey Him. It does not mean that even if Pharaoh wanted to repent, the LORD would prevent him and make him incapable of doing so. As we shall see in later chapters, Pharaoh actually hardened his own heart (Exod 7:14; 8:15) despite the miracles the LORD did before him. Even when his own magicians acknowledged the power of JEHOVAH, Pharaoh continued to stubbornly oppose God’s plan for His people. The moment Pharaoh saw there was respite, “he hardened his heart” (Exod 8:15). It was only during the sixth plaque that “the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh” (Exod 9:12). Pharaoh had already hardened his own heart prior to this. The LORD’s continued miracles hardened Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s own obstinacy despite the increased and continued miracles was the result of Pharaoh hardening his own heart from the beginning. This is what is known as judicial hardening. The more the LORD worked, the more hardened Pharaoh’s heart became. This is how we are to understand the LORD’s hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. On the same note, one has also to accept the sovereignty of God (Rom 9:15-23) and not seek to question, challenge, and explain beyond what we do not understand now from God’s plainly stated words.

THOUGHT: Do I fear when I resist God’s revealed will?
PRAYER: O LORD, may I repent quickly when Thou speakest.