Q&A: “Did God Harden Pharaoh’s Heart?” - DJ Dickerson

This evening

we are visiting our series of lessons

again that I bring out from time to time

which is our Q&A series asking for a

friend. As I mentioned in times past

this one comes around about once uh

every month on a on a Sunday evening.

And so questions that that uh might come

up and and whether they put them in the

box or hand to me or wherever they come

from. Um but uh I always enjoy doing

these and and I'm thankful for the

participation in in submitting your

questions uh for this evening's lesson

and the Q&A uh derives from a question

actually that's our yearly Bible

reading. Uh if you have been endeavoring

uh in the yearly schedule of reading

your Bible throughout the year, uh then

you uh probably do what most when you

have read the verses or heard the verses

from the book of Exodus of Pharaoh's

heart being hardened. Now, as I was

reading uh those passages from the book

of Exodus uh in our our reading uh

schedule,

you know, it it is one of those

questions no matter how many times that

you have studied and have read those

verses, uh it it always brings up a

question mark a lot of times. And and

I'll submit to you that uh

there's a lot of times people ask this

very question. uh may maybe have uh some

thoughts on. And so I I want to share

with you and uh the question that big

question mark that comes to mind and and

not only as we dwell on that but also if

you might have been asked about this is

how do I answer this question tonight?

If someone was to come to you and ask

this very question uh that has troubled

honest Bible readers for generations

actually uh it usually sounds something

like this. Did God harden Pharaoh's

heart?

So then you're face to face with a Bible

question from someone who wants to truly

know the answer to what they've been

reading uh from the book of Exodus. And

if so, if God hardened Pharaoh's heart,

was Pharaoh ever really given a choice?

Now again, you may have had

conversations with folks when you read

in the book of Exodus and they come

across these verses like you have in

your reading and you might say, "Let me

think about this." Because this is not a

small question. All right? Uh it's it's

uh because behind it are, I would say,

even bigger concerns. All right? Uh like

questions such as does God override

human free will? Uh, is God responsible

for evil decisions? Uh, can someone be

judged for something God caused? So, you

can see how uh really from that one

question we're asking right there, did

God harden Pharaoh's heart? Now, you

have all these sub questions. You see,

so in the spirit of asking for a friend

series, let's slow down. Let's open our

Bibles. Uh let's let's let scripture

answer scripture. All right? Because we

are stepping into one of the most

dramatic moments in redemptive history.

Uh again, kind of the backdrop, if you

will, for a moment. Think about how

Israel uh they're in bondage. Pharaoh's

on the throne and and God's uh preparing

to show his power, right?

And before the plagues, before the Red

Sea, before deliverance, uh God tells

Moses something

and simply says, "I will harden

Pharaoh's heart." Now, that's where the

struggle begins, right? Uh so again,

we're going to walk through this

carefully. We're going to walk through

it carefully, and let's ask the next

question. What does the text actually

say? All right. So, when you read the

Exodus account closely, you're you're

going to discover something important.

Now, a lot of what I'm focusing on,

there are several chapters that

basically span from Exodus chapter 7,

Exodus 7 · chapter mention

uh, chapter 8, chapter 9, all the way to

chapter 10. I'm going to give you some

of these examples here in just a moment,

uh, of how the Bible describes Pharaoh's

heart really in three different ways.

Okay. So the first one that I want to

show you uh in in what the text actually

says starting off with uh the first one

being

Pharaoh hardened his own heart. You're

going to see that in three separate

passages in Exodus chapter 8. First of

Exodus 8 · chapter mention

all, verse 15. Read it with me. But when

Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he

hardened his heart and did not heed them

as the Lord had said. All right.

Go on down to verse 32 of Exodus chapter

Exodus 8 · chapter mention

8. What's what's that verse eight? But

Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time

also, neither would he let the people

go.

And then you flip on over to chapter

nine and then you look at verse 34 and

it says, "And when Pharaoh saw that the

rain, the hell, and the thunder had

ceased, he sinned yet more,

and he hardened his heart, he and his

servants." Again, that's Exodus 9:34.

Exodus 9:34

So, y'all see how the scriptures are

saying Pharaoh hardened his own heart,

right? That's what it's saying. Back up

to chapter 7 for just a moment. Now, go

back to chapter 7 in your Bibles again,

prove all things according to God's

word, not mine,

that other times you're going to find as

you're reading, and I as I was going

through these these chapters and my

Bible reading, uh, you know, I was

trying to get this kind of get this

right in my head and put on charts here

especially, but Exodus 7:13 says, "And

Exodus 7:13

Pharaoh's heart grew hard,

and he did not heed them as the Lord had

said, y'all see that in Exodus 7:13.

Exodus 7:13

Well, look at chapter 9 and verse 7 as

well. Chapter 9 and verse 7. Then

Pharaoh sent and indeed not even one of

the livestock of the Israelites was

dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became

hard and he did not let the people go.

All right. You're like, is that all of

them? No.

Got another one. All right. Here's the

third set that I want to share with you.

Chapter 9 and verse 12. But the Lord

hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he did

not heed them just as the Lord had

spoken to Moses.

And then go on to chapter 10 and verse

20. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's

heart and he did not let the children of

Israel go. Now

yes, the Bible does say what? God

hardened Pharaoh's heart. No denying

that it says it. But here's what many

people miss.

God does not harden

Pharaoh's heart first.

We can't miss this because that is that

that matters. All right. I was trying to

think on on how how can one illustrate

this. Um,

and one that helps me understand I think

is is when you think about hands,

calluses on hands, right? Uh,

now my daddy has a whole lot more

calluses on his hand than I do mine.

Okay? And that's how think about how

calluses are formed.

The fact is, no one wakes up with

calluses on their hands,

do they? Because h how do how do c how

are calluses formed? Well, calluses are

formed from repeated friction, right?

Which has to do with repeated pressure,

uh repeated resistance. Like my dad many

times swinging a hammer on a roof and

all those types of things. There's a lot

of repeated friction going on there. So,

at first though, you think about the

skin. The skin's tender at first. And

then as it goes through a process here,

thinking about that repeated friction,

that repeated pressure, what happens to

it? It toughens, doesn't it? And then it

becomes hard. Now, if you kind of get

that energy in your minds, when you

think about Pharaoh, he didn't suddenly

become stubborn because God flipped a

switch.

His heart hardened through what?

Repeated resistance to God's will. Think

about that. So let's ask the question

with that. Keep that kind of keep that

in your mind. Well really who hardened

Pharaoh's heart first.

Now think about the pattern and if you

go through the scriptures and and again

I'm I'm submitting this to you just to

for consideration is you think about how

this unfolds in the very account of

Exodus and how they are uh you know

Moses is going uh to uh uh Pharaoh in

there in Egypt. And notice the pattern.

God sends Moses. God gives signs. God

sends warnings. What does Pharaoh do?

Pharaoh refuses, right? That's what the

scripture says. Then what happens next?

Well, God sends a plague. What's Pharaoh

do? This is This is one of my things I I

kept looking back at. Pharaoh promises

obedience,

right? God removes the plague.

Pharaoh changed his mind

over and over and over. Y'all kind of

see how that's working?

Look at Exodus 8:15 again. But when

Exodus 8:15

Pharaoh saw that there was relief,

he hardened his heart and did not heed

them as the Lord had said.

Now that verse alone, I believe destroys

the idea that Pharaoh was a helpless

victim. Um, Pharaoh hardened himself

when pressure was lifted.

He used

mercy as an opportunity

to return to rebellion.

He was not forced. He was stubborn. And

only after repeated selfh hardening

does scripture begin saying that God

hardened Pharaoh's heart. Now I want to

I want to share with you I believe a

principle that I take away from this is

that God was simply confirming Pharaoh

in the direction Pharaoh had already

chosen.

Does that make sense? God confirmed

Pharaoh in the direction Pharaoh had

already chosen. This is what I call the

fork in the road. All right. The fork in

the road

is imagine with me for a moment. Uh you

have a a man driving toward a cliff and

you're like I thought it was at a fork

in the road. I switched it really but

the idea is the same, right?

But as as the the man is driving toward

a cliff, warning signs appear,

roadblocks are placed, people are

starting to wave him down, right? And

what does that man do? Well, he ignores

every warning and keeps driving. Might

have the wife in the passion seat tell

him, "I told you don't do this, right?"

Well, eventually the authorities stop

trying to redirect him and simply what

they do is remove the barriers. Now,

here's the question that goes with that

one.

Did they force him off the cliff?

And we automatically said, "No, they

didn't force him off the cliff.

They allowed him to continue on the path

he stubbornly insisted on taking.

And that's what happens with Pharaoh.

God removed restraint.

God did not uh implant evil. He didn't

do that. Pharaoh supplied that himself.

So what does God harden his heart really

mean?

It does not mean God created rebellion

inside Pharaoh.

It does not mean that Pharaoh wanted to

repent, but God wouldn't let him.

Instead, it means God gave Pharaoh over

to his own chosen disposition. Now, I

think one of the verses that I I

was thinking about with this one and and

I think it's probably the

prime text I think you could go to uh in

using that same kind of language there

of of giving someone over to their own

uh chosen disposition is Romans chapter

Romans 1 · chapter mention

1. And I want you to go to Romans

Romans 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. I want you to notice this for

yourself. And you might have uh might be

considering this in Romans chapter 1.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

And I want you to notice verses 18 all

the way down to verse 312.

No.

Yeah, I want 32. I put 31 up there, but

I want 32. Y'all know I like to extend

the passages sometime. All right. So,

Romans chapter 1, beginning at verse 18.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

Read on down with me and again, pick up

on these key words that that we're

talking about here.

Verse 18. For the wrath of God is

revealed from heaven against all

ungodliness and unrighteousness of men

who suppressed the truth in

unrighteousness.

Because what may be known of God is

manifest in them. For God has has shown

it to them. 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. Because although they

knew God, they did not glorify him as

God, nor were thankful, but became

feudal in their thoughts and their

foolish hearts were darkened. Verse 22,

professing to be wise, they became fools

and changed the glory of incorruptible

God into an image made like corruptible

man and birds and for-footed animals and

creeping things. Therefore,

God also gave them up to uncleanness and

the lust of their hearts to dishonor

their bodies among themselves, who

exchanged the truth of God for the lie

and worshiped and served the creature

rather than the creator who is blessed

forever. Amen. For this reason, God gave

them up to vile passions. For even their

women exchanged the natural use for what

is against nature. Likewise also the men

leaving the natural use of the woman

burn in their lust for one another, men

with men committing what is shameful and

receiving in themselves the penalty of

their error which was due. And even as

they did not like to retain God in their

knowledge, God gave them over to a

debaseed mind to do those things which

are not fitting. being filled with all

unrighteousness, sexual morality,

wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness,

full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,

evil-mindedness. They are whisperers,

backbiters, haters of God, violent,

proud, boasters, inventors of evil

things, disobedient to parents,

undescerning, untrustworthy, unloving,

unforgiving, unmerciful, who, knowing

the righteous judgment of God, that

those who practice such things are

deserving of death, not only do the

same, but also approve of those who

practice them. Now,

I know that was a rather lengthy

reading, but I'm hoping you understand

why I did that.

Because what you have noted, and I'm

going to kind of take real quickly

verses 24 down through verse 28. There

you see in highlights. Okay, what's it

say? God gave them up to uncleanness.

Verse 26, for this reason, God gave them

up to file passions. What's verse 28

say? God gave them over to a debaseed

mind. God sometimes

gives people over to what they

persistently desire.

That is one of the most frightening

forms of judgment in scripture if you

really think about it. It's not

lightning. It's not earthquakes. But God

saying this, "Have it your way."

I mean, think about it like this.

Uh,

the same sun

that melts wax

is the same sun that hardens clay.

So the question is, did the sun change?

The sun didn't change.

Rather, it was the material that

changed.

You see, God's power, mercy, and truth

were poured out through miracles. It is,

you know, Exodus is such a it's powerful

account, very powerful.

And you see the difference, right? You

have the sun that is that is melting the

wax yet at the same time hardening clay.

And when I say that the what I mean by

that is you have Israel who's being

softened

but at the same time Pharaoh hardened.

You see the different materials that's

that's happening there. So the

difference wasn't God

it was the heart

receiving him.

And then the automatic question that

sometimes people ask is well why would

God allow this? And I think, well,

that's, you know, it's a good question

and it's one that certainly need Well,

let's ask that one.

Why would God allow this? Well, if you

go back to Exodus chapter 9 and again,

Exodus 9 · chapter mention

look at verse 16.

It says specifically here, but indeed

for this 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. This is the answer that's being

given to that very question really,

isn't it? That through Pharaoh's

stubbornness, there's some lessons that

are taught. First of all, I believe

Israel learned that God delivers.

Second, Egypt learned that God reigns.

And third, the world learned that God

keeps his promises.

So really, Pharaoh became an object

lesson at this point. Not because God

made him evil, but because Pharaoh

refused repentance.

See, there were deals being made. Y I

put it that way. But you know, Moses

would go to to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh would say, "Oh, I'm not going to

do this." Then the plague would come.

Pharaoh's like, "Okay, I'll do it. I'll

let him go." And you know, next thing

you know, he changes his mind.

You see, God used Pharaoh's rebellion to

reveal his glory. That's what he did.

Now, we might also ask the question is,

what's all this teach us?

As we bring this lesson full circle,

Pharaoh isn't just ancient history.

He is actually a warning.

And I would say what number one I I

thought

hearts harden gradually.

I'll submit to you that no one wakes up

one day completely cold to God.

Rather, it's something that happens

slowly and over time

happens in in various ways. And you

could ignoring sermons, uh delayed

obedience, justified sin, postpone

decisions. And you know what each

refusal does? It makes the next one

easier.

When you go back to Romans chapter one,

that was a course that they were set.

They they had put their minds that they

were going to be in rebellion and they

were going to again uh follow after that

uncleanness. They they were they were

not thankful. They became feudal in

their thoughts. It says their foolish

hearts were darkened. They professed

themselves to be wise. They became

fools. They changed the glory of the

incredible God in image made like

incredible man. And what's it say? God

gave them up.

Their hearts were already set on a

course. Now, this is one I was reminded

of. I'm reminded of this one quite

often, actually throughout the week. And

I hope that this reminds you tomorrow

morning. So, the Lord gives another day

and your alarm clock is going off. All

right? You I'm going to tie this one

into this. Okay? So, you're going to

automatic when your alarm clock's going

off, you know what you're going to do?

You're going to think about this point

in this sermon, right? You're going to

think about it.

How many of us use a snooze button on

alarm clock? You don't have to raise

your hand, but I know we do. Okay, I do.

All right. It's one of those annoying

things. That thing starts blaring in

your ear and you know what you do? You

hit that snooze button. You're like,

"Five more minutes."

That thing goes off again. And what do

you say? Five more minutes.

And you might repeat that for about 20

to 30 or 45 more minutes. I don't know.

That's really how it works though. Okay,

when I think about this, I think about

Pharaoh in the sense of hitting the

snooze button.

There is alarm going off,

especially the frogs. That that's one of

my that's one of my favorites, I guess,

when I see the frogs of the plague. They

were all over the land and and you know

and and he was given the remedy. He said

this is how you can fix this.

But what did Pharaoh say?

Tomorrow, you know, one more day with

the frogs is what we call that one.

That's a sermon all in itself. One more

day.

Said that sounds absolutely insane. But

he was hitting the snooze button is what

he was doing. He was saying I'll obey

later. I'll deal with that eventually.

I'm not ready yet. You see, that's the

snooze button.

But here's the thing. Every time you hit

snooze, it becomes easier to stay

asleep. Would you agree with that? I

know. I like the snooze button. Okay.

But when spiritually, think about how

that works. Pharaoh kept hitting snooze

and eventually the alarm stopped

ringing.

You ever had that happen to you? That's

happened to me. And the next thing I'm

late.

We got to be careful

about hitting the snooze

because hearts harden gradually.

The next one I would share with you in

this I believe we learned is that God's

patience is not permission.

Pharaoh mistook mercy for approval. And

you kind of see that throughout that

that account that that each lifted

plague convinced him really he was just

I would say playing games that he didn't

need to play.

People still do that. Okay?

You know, sometimes I haven't been

struck down. That's a scary one. Uh,

nothing bad happened,

so I must be okay.

No, that's grace.

And we have to understand that when

we're talking about grace, we're talking

about mercy.

Very, very serious stuff. Even as Romans

6 and verse one talks about, what shall

we say then? Shall we continue in sin

that grace may abound? Certainly not.

How shall we who died to sin live any

long in it? Or do you not know that as

many of us were baptized into Christ,

Jesus were baptized in his death,

therefore we were buried with him

through baptism to death, that just as

Christ was raised from the dead by the

glory of the father, even so we also

should walk to newness of life.

You see,

we don't want to be playing around

with God's longsuffering.

We should be thankful that he's

long-suffering toward us, not willing

that any should perish, but that all

should come to repentance. We know from

from that of second Peter 3 and verse 9,

we should be very thankful for that.

But we shouldn't be saying that God's

patience is permission. No,

don't mistake mercy for approval. Don't

mistake that.

We have to be very serious about what

God is trying to teach us and guide us

in and be thankful for his grace

and not abuse such things. And last but

not least, I think share with you on

this is what does this teach us today is

that God will respect your choice.

If someone repeatedly resists God,

God may eventually stop striving. And we

say that's that's terrifying. It really

is. Not not because God is cruel, but

because he honors human choice.

God is not forcing people to do whatever

you or or to do whatever he wants them

to do. We're not robots. That's not the

way he created us. He created us that we

have free will, right? The free moral

agency of man. We've heard of those kind

of words before. and God will respect

our choice.

But as we see in Romans chapter one,

when those choices are heading towards

that cliff or we keep hitting the snooze

button, right? Whatever illustration you

want to use tonight with any of these

points,

he's going to let us. He's going to let

us

just like he allowed Pharaoh down that

course of action.

So

let's ask the question again. Did God

harden Pharaoh's heart?

Yes. You're like, "Wait a second. What

are we doing?"

I say yes to that question

because after all that we have looked at

already from the scriptures,

God hardened Pharaoh's heart

only after Pharaoh hardened it first.

That's the answer to that question.

God did not override Pharaoh's will.

He honored.

And that should cause every one of us to

pause.

Because the same God who respected

Pharaoh's choice respects yours, too.

He respects mine.

Now,

I think about it from a father's

standpoint as a parent

that my kids can do

whatever, right? They they they have

their own will

and I'm there to guide them and instruct

them and all of those things.

But guess what?

They will make their own decisions. I

don't force them by any means. There's

disciplinance involved obviously.

But guess what? As they get older,

they make their choices.

They make them.

Now, I'm there to guide them and to say,

"Hey, that's not that's you won't do

that." But ultimately, who's going to

make the decision?

They are.

And and if you consider

as as if we're standing on the shoreline

and that tide is is coming in

now. You can step forward into the water

or you can step back,

but you can't stop the tide, can we?

We sure can. So the question is whether

you know when we think about how God's

will is moving forward. The question is

not whether God will accomplish his

purpose.

The question is whether we will soften

our hearts and walk with him or harden

ourselves and be swept aside.

And again it always ends up back where.

It's my choice. It's your choice.

All scripture is given by inspiration of

God is pro for doctrine for proof for

correction for instruction and

righteousness that the man of God may

perfect may be complete thoroughly

furnished into all good works

right here 23 16-1 17 is teaching us it

guides he instructs us

but what do we do with

We see what happened to Pharaoh.

Hebrews chapter 3, I will leave you with

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

in Hebrews 3:12-15. Why are there so

Hebrews 3:12–15

many warnings? There's a lot of warnings

for good reason. Even the Israelites had

some lessons to learn in this. Hebrews

Hebrews 3:12–15

3:12-15. Beware, brethren, lest there be

in any of you an evil heart of unbelief

in departing from the living God. But

exhort one another daily what is called

today, lest any of you be hardened.

Y'all see that word? Hardened through

the deceitfulness of sin. For we have

become partakers of Christ. If we hold

the beginning of our confidence

steadfast to the end, Wilder said today,

if you will hear his voice, do not

harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

Interesting word.

He's basically telling us the same thing

we have seen throughout history. the

very possibility of to being able to

harden our hearts, to sear our

consciences, all of the all of these

words you find in the scriptures. It is

possible

that we can do that. And you know what?

Not that God is again, he wants us to be

in a relationship with him. He wants us

to to to you know, again, love him,

but he's not going to force love.

That's up to us. Do we love him? Do we

love his word?

He has given us all things that pertain

to life and godliness. What are we doing

with it? If you will hear his voice, do

not harden your heart as rebellion. That

happened with Israel. We see it time and

time again. It still happens today. We

have to be on guard because you know

what? At some point, we've hit the

snooze so many times.

You know what we've done?

Our hearts have become hardened

gradually.

And guess what?

God will give us over.

Will give us over.

There's more lessons that I could share

with you on that. My time is my time is

uh coming to to a close.

But I hope that what I have shared with

you from this very question, it's a very

good question that's asked from our

scripture reading, from our our yearly

Bible reading, and you're going to find

more of these things. More of these

questions are going to come up. And

again, you're not the only one that's

asking. There's other people that very

interested in this very topic tonight

and have asked this question over

generations.

But I believe we see in a in a true

study of God's word how the scriptures

have simply answered

and how that certainly applies to us

today how we have to be careful that we

don't end up like Pharaoh

or even those of Romans chapter 1 that

Romans 1 · chapter mention

speaks of there.

So with that

I will say to you what the scriptures of

Hebrews 3 we just read it doesn't say

tomorrow. It doesn't say someday,

it says today.

So, in this invitation that's being

given, the song of encouragement, if

you've been resisting, if you've been

delaying, if your heart feels distant

and maybe have been hitting that snooze

button over and over and over again,

I submit to you, now is the time. Today

is the day of salvation that the Hebrew

writer even speaks of. Jesus still

invites and grace is still offered and

forgiveness is still available. How

thankful we are of how wonderful that

God can soften even the heart

that has grown

calloused.

It's just we have to have open minds to

hear the word and allow him to change. I

believe we see that from many examples

throughout the scriptures of those who

turned around just like Saul of Tarsus.

Maybe that you're in need of prayer.

Maybe you need repentance, baptism for

the mission of your sins, encouragement,

whatever your spiritual need while you

can. And with that, I certainly do

appreciate your kind attention in this

in this this lesson and this Q&A that we

have our time in this evening. And if

you're subject to an invitation call, I

invite you to come while we stand.