Hard

 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Exodus 8:19 ESV

https://bible.com/bible/59/exo.8.19.ESV


The Egyptian magicians were able to replicate some of Moses' plagues from God, by their dark arts. But they couldn't produce gnats like God could to plague the rebellious land of Egypt. Even they were forced to admit to their boss that this plague was the finger of God Himself. They weren't referring to any of their false, demonic gods, but the God of the Hebrew slaves.


Pharoah's heart however was hardened. Sometimes he is referred to as hardening his own heart. Here it is implied that God Himself hardened Pharoah's heart. So which is it? Not either/or but both/and. God is sovereign even over those who reject Him.


Pharoah would be condemned by the Lord for his hard heart. But God in His sovereignty allowed Pharoah's heart to be hardened. We are responsible for our own sins, but God isn't impotent in the face of them. Instead, He will call us to account, in His good time.


Moses couldn't say that God hadn't warned him that Pharoah would be so stubborn. God had already told Moses as much. Even if God wants us to do something for Him, He doesn't necessarily make it easy for us. There is however an inevitability that He will achieve His purposes for our lives.


'Yahweh, please help us to work with You, not against You. We know that however we respond to You, You will assuredly work Your purposes out, in Jesus' name, amen'

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mercy

  For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. Deuteronomy 4:31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.4.31.ESV Jesus Christ is Lord. That's why they crucified Him, for claiming to be God and King: blasphemy to the Jews and treason to the Romans. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So the same Jesus of yesterday is the Jesus of today. He was merciful yesterday, and He'll be merciful today and forever. He doesn't just turn around and decide to destroy people He's lavished His mercy upon. If we've received God's mercy, or if we receive it now, or before Christ returns, nothing can separate us from the love of God. If we want God's presence in our lives, and we cry out to Him for it, He's not going to abandon us in the wilderness of our sin. If we claim God's Bible promises for ourselves in faith, we are safe in Him. God promises never t
Read more

Power

 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.Exodus 9:16 ESVhttps://bible.com/bible/59/exo.9.16.ESV  Secular historians point to the lack of extra-biblical evidence of Hebrew slavery in Egypt and ensuing exodus. But here in this verse, God describes how this anonymous Pharoah has been immortalised in the annals of the Hebrews, so that God is proclaimed in all the earth. The mighty men of the world might think they can stand against God and win, but resistance is futile!  The more stubborn Pharoah was, the more the Lord was able to display His power. The more insistent Pharoah was of keeping his slaves, the more unreasonable he appeared. It was a battle of wills, and the will of Yahweh prevailed.  In the end, Pharoah will have been broken by the plagues. In the final plague, his own firstborn son was killed, the next in line to the throne of the world superpower. He might have tried to put a brave face on it, but he
Read more

Family

  But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." Luke 8:21 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.8.21.ESV Jesus, the humble carpenter turned teacher, was becoming like a celebrity of His day. They say familiarity breeds contempt, and that seems to be why they wanted to see Him. They wanted Him to come back down to earth. Jesus's response was shocking for His culture. He seemed disrespectful of His mother and brothers, refusing to even acknowledge them. Yet He knew that there's something more important than family. More important than family is to do the will of God. How do we know what God wants? By hearing from His word, the Bible. God demands our loyalties above and beyond our families. If loving God requires us to disown our families/be disowned by them, then sobeit. Eternal reward is worth temporary pain. 'Almighty God, may we obey You as we ought, even if it costs us family relationships. In Jesus' powe
Read more