Difficult Questions: Did God Harden Pharaoh's Heart?

From time to time, we dig into Scripture and seek answers to difficult questions from the Bible. Today, we are asking the question: “Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?”

And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. Exodus 4:21 (KJV)

God told Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” and Pharaoh refused. Each time, God sent a judgment designed to cause Pharaoh to repent, but he did not. Instead, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused. Therefore, in turn, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart becuase he refused to listen and obey. The judgments were meant to show Pharaoh that God is God and that He means business. God was providing him an opportunity to repent and do the right thing. Instead, Pharaoh hardened his heart and was stubborn and rebellious. God then hardened his heart further.

When someone won’t repent after God has reached out to them numerous times, all that’s left is judgment. If God had let Pharaoh continue, He would have been unjust in failing to deal with his wrongs. He had to make things right for Israel- to deliver them and pay them back for all the wrongs and even for the unpaid wages from 400 hundred years of working for the Egyptians. When God extended mercy to Pharaoh, he willfully hardened his heart.

Since they had no mind to recognize God, He turned them loose to follow the unseemly designs of their depraved minds and to do things that should not be done. Romans 1:28 (The Voice, VOICE)

After people refuse to listen and obey God, He gives them up to their own hearts and ways, thus they reap the consequences of their sinful ways. God extended mercy to Pharaoh, but when it was soundly rejected, judgment was rendered. Romans 1:21-32 shows that God hardens all those who repeatedly reject Him. As man first hardens his own heart by choice, then God hardens it too.

For further study, refer to Exodus chapters 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 and Romans 1.