5 Bible Questions and AnswersНамуна

How could God harden Pharaoh’s heart?

It seems rather odd that God would punish Pharaoh with plagues if he was the one who hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 10:20, 27; 11:10). How is this fair?

First, Exodus notes that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34). This is not a conversation about a godly man God turned bad but rather an ungodly leader God controlled to accomplish his purposes.

Remember, this is a leader who enslaved well over one million Jews and kept them under the nation’s control for four hundred years. This is also the same nation that killed infant sons among the Jews to control the population and keep the Jews under their power. God’s “hardening” did not change a good Pharoah to a bad Pharaoh but rather directed his choices toward God’s impending judgment for his evil actions.

Second, this hardening of Pharaoh’s heart served as part of fulfilling God’s greater plan for his Jewish people. Romans 9:17–18 says, “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” (NKJV).

Third, Pharaoh was given many opportunities to obey God’s commands through Moses. God sent ten different plagues, each increasing in power and judgment to convince Pharaoh of God’s supremacy. Even after the death of his firstborn son, Pharaoh soon changed his mind about letting the Israelites go, and he chased them to the Red Sea. He would not stop until his army was destroyed in a devastating finale by the judgment of water overtaking his forces.

From a human perspective, it may appear as if God is not fair when he hardens someone’s heart. However, Scripture is clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). From Pharaoh to our own selves today, we all stand in need of the grace of the Lord.

In addition, God always has a greater plan at work in the world around us. We do not know why some receive Christ and others reject him. However, we do know he desires all people to know the truth of the gospel, and he calls us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18–20). We are called to sow the seed of the gospel while he determines how the seeds grow. As Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6–7 (NKJV)).

Finally, we realize that God allows everyone some degree of understanding about the Creator. We are not innocent people who have no knowledge of our maker. We are people who know what is right and often choose wrongly. Romans 1:20 teaches, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (NKJV). Apart from the saving power of Jesus, we are all under judgment.