God Hardening Hearts
God Hardening Hearts
Exodus 7:1–5 tells us, "Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land."
"But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” (NASB 2020)
In this passage, God says that He will harden Pharaoh's heart. Then in verses 13 and 22, we read that Pharaoh's heart was hardened after warning signs (plagues) from God.
Later in Chapter 8 verse 15, we read that once one of the warning signs had been removed, Pharaoh hardened his own heart.
It is only after several warning signs are given (Chapter 9 verse 12) that we read that God actually hardened Pharaoh's heart.
There are two things we want to be sure not to miss here.
First, God says that He will harden Pharaoh's heart for a reason. He will do it so that the Egyptians will know that He is God.
Second, He says, "When Pharaoh does not listen" He will do all these things.
This is the key to understanding God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart. God is omniscient. He knows all things. Existing outside the constraints of time, He knows the decisions that people will make. Consequently, He knows (in advance from our perspective) who will rebel and who will obey. This is reflected in 2 Peter 3:9 which says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance." (NASB 2020) Father is patiently waiting for everyone who will to accept Life.
So, God knew what Pharaoh would do. Likewise, He knew what Judas would do. Since this is true, scripture can say that God hardened Pharaoh's heart and Judas was "the son of perdition." From God's perspective, what they would do was already done. From our perspective, as long as we live, we are able to choose what we will do in response to the Life God has made available. While we live, there will never come a time when we can no longer choose.
The only question is whether we will choose to remain obstinately unwilling to be reconciled to God or choose to be reconciled and receive the forgiveness and Life He provides for everyone.
