Hard Heart

And the LORD told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. [Exodus 4.22]

While this verse sounds confusing as first read, I believe a thoughtful approach will help make it understandable.

Most recently, in the USA, the American people have witnessed the very thing that we should understand about God, Moses, and Pharaoh here in today's story. What we have seen in the USA is a polarization of good and evil. Any presentation of good nowadays is no longer responded to but rather reacted to by those who oppose it and its ways. 

It is not that good is bad, but that good has come to elicit a bad reaction. 

So, it is no misrepresentation to say that good "hardens the heart" of bad.

This can be seen more clearly in the next chapter in Exodus:

After this presentation to Israel’s leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go so they may hold a festival in my honor in the wilderness.” “Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” [Exodus 5.1-2]

Moses came to Pharaoh declaring that God said let Israel go. That demand elicited the reaction by Pharaoh, "Is that so?" and the rest is history. Because God told Moses what to say, and because God knew Pharaoh's pride, God knew that His demand (through Moses) would 'harden' Pharaoh's heart. So, God could easily say, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart."

I anticipate that Americans will see this same reaction very soon in the USA. As God-fearing people embrace good and encourage leadership to join in, God will 'harden' their hearts. In fact, we are already seeing this take place before our very eyes.

You see, in essence, God is indeed hardening their hearts, but it is the reaction of their pride to authority that makes it happen.

God is good and His people must never forget that. God wants everyone to be saved and understand the truth - we must also never forget that! But when "good" confronts "evil"  (aka pride) there are only two possible outcomes: repentance, or unrepentance (hardening of heart).

Here's a synopsis: God will ALWAYS harden the heart of a proud individual, unless of course, they choose to humble themselves and repent. 

It is no stain on the character of God that He hardens hearts - it is the only way it can be when God's good character encounters entrenched evil pride. The best way to "see" a hard heart is to shine the light of God's goodness on it.

Father, help us all to be sure of what we believe about You. I know there are a lot of false assumptions we have made over the years in our ignorance and subsequent misunderstanding of You and Your Word.