The hardening of hearts; A very interesting, but potentially touch subject.
Exodus 4:21
And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
I think if I were Moses, at this point I would be like, um God, your plan is awesome and all, but why are you going to make me go do this if you are just going to harden his heart? What is the point?
Exodus 7:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.”
In this verse it is more of a seemingly passive voice from God. Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. He refuses to let the people go.
Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.
This seems to be an action of the Lord, whereas before it didn’t. “the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh”
Exodus 9:34-36
But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his hear, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
I might be reading this wrong, but it seems to have both a passive and active voice. Pharaoh hardened his heart, but a few words over, the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, which seems like it wasn’t all of Pharaoh’s doing.
Exodus 11:9
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”
This verse is simply beautiful
Romans 9:17-18- yes people, we are going there…
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
If you know me well, you know that I am all about the complete sovereignty of God, but I want to know:
What does all of this mean in your opinion? I want to know about your thoughts on the sovereignty of God, hardening of hearts, and God’s role in that. I don’t care if you are a new Christian, ten years old, have a doctorate in theology, think you are dumb, think you are brilliant, don’t know me very well, know me better than I know myself, or have never talked to me in your life. I want to hear your thoughts.
Facebook Response #1:
ReplyDeleteAh...yes, the sovereignty of God in hardening hearts. It is one of the biggest things Christians, young and old, face at some point in their walk. But since God knew everyone intimately before the world really began and God chose some to be... His, those who are believers had a miraculous work of the Spirit to soften our hearts to God. Those who God did not choose to be His, he hardens their hearts.
Christians can take comfort knowing that God is sovereign though because it means that whatever suffering He has chosen for us to face, He chose us to face it for a reason. For the unbeliever, if God has chosen him/her, those sufferings may often be the very thing that helps to awaken him/her.
Also, God's sovereignty means that as Christians, we can never do anything to add to or take away from God's grace as we can do nothing to earn His grace to start with. So we can take comfort in the fact that even when we are feeling at our worst, God will not love us any less than before.
And I have no idea if I'm making any sense since all of this is still so new to me and I am only just learning the theology now.