Introduction
The following commentary focuses on reconciling the fact that God has hardened the heart of Egypt’s king to the fact that God would never instill evil (a lack of good) in anyone. There is a great ‘apparent contradiction’ here between God saying, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,” and the blameless righteousness of the Lord that is proclaimed throughout the Scriptures. Because of the noble, pure character of God, it is impossible for Him to do such an evil thing as to render someone unable to make a righteous choice (to harden the heart that is not already hard). Yet this is what seems apparent in the Exodus chapters here discussed, for several times God’s words were graven: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart.” So how, then, can we reconcile this repeated statement to the upright character of God?
Context and Speculation
Before getting into the process of proper reconciliation, let it be clear that one needs to prayerfully look at several chapters in Exodus to get full understanding. In order to keep this short, the author will use only Exodus 3-11, though it is not the whole picture. The thought here discussed struck while the author was reading Exodus 7:3: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart….” When he got to verse 13, which is correctly rendered, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened”, he began wondering if verse 3 and similar was a later modification by a scribe. Surely, Pharaoh’s heart had to have been hardened (stubborn, obdurate, as accurate translations) before God got involved in it. Because the author fully believes that God has handed down to us His complete truth as how He wants us to know it, and because the author knows that most speculation is wrong and dangerous, he knew that what is written must be correct to the original– and, therefore, intelligible for the average believer who seeks answers of and in God’s Truth.
Pre-Hardened
Truly, Pharaoh’s heart had been hardened before God had maintained Pharaoh’s self-chosen stance. Exodus 3:19 has part of the answer, being the first place to (indirectly) mention the heart (symbolic of mind) of Pharaoh when correctly rendered: “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not by a mighty hand.”. Nowhere does it say in this verse that God will harden the heart of Pharaoh. It merely displays God’s omnipotence from the beginning. The ISR has it as, “not even by a strong hand.” (Most of the less literal translations render it as, “unless by a mighty hand). The idea presented is that, from the moment this verse was spoken to the moment Pharaoh was willing to obey God, it would take much more than might and signs to change his heart. In fact, we find out by chapter 9 verse 14 that it would be what affects the heart of Pharaoh that makes him go from obdurate to obedient. Exodus 4:23 tells of what the end would be– it tells of what would so move Pharaoh to let God’s people go: “… if you refuse to let him [My son, Israel] go, see, I am killing your son, your first-born.”
Why the Show?
So why, then, all the show? Why did God go through all the motions He knew would fail to move Pharaoh, and why did He keep his heart “stubborn” or “obdurate”? Why not just jump straight to the point– straight to the heart?
Well, stubbornness isn’t so easily done away with. The author can attest to that. Stubbornness has to be broken down– chiseled away by time and event. It must be eroded bit by bit till it is weakened for that one big blow that breaks it apart. Pharaoh needed to see the signs to know that God is real. He needed proof. More than this, though, God wanted to show His dejected people His proofs as an inspiration. First He inflicted light plague upon all, but later He made it clear that plague would no longer befall His people (Exodus 8:22, 9:26) for He had, moreover, made a division between them and the rest of Egypt (Exodus 11:7). He was showing them that He lives and that He will uphold His promise to and blessing upon Israel. His reasons were, clearly, at least threefold.
The Lord could have forced Pharaoh to be soft-hearted and have him say, “Sure, I’ll let go all this free labour and these objects for my anger to crush,” but that is not how Pharaoh was. He was a hard, stubborn, arrogant man with a selfish and ambitious agenda lacking morals and consideration for those he viewed as lesser peoples. It is known that this dynasty of rulers despised the Shemitic people, hence Exodus 1:8. Further, even when Pharaoh has seemingly decided that he would let the people, in part or in whole, go, he went back on his word on several occasions (Example: Exodus 8:32).
Pharaoh’s Heart Exposed
Chapter 5, verses 2-19 would indirectly suggest that Pharaoh had already hardened his heart before any mention of such was graven by Moses on that first tablet– before God got involved in it. Pharaoh asks, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?…. I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” From an arrogant mind he even tells Moses and Aaron, as if they were still people who would readily obey him, “Get back to your burdens.” After saying that, he purposely makes the labours of the Israelites even harder and expects equal work from them as before, punishing them for failing to live up to his unrealistic expectations. One can even go so far as to think of the plague passages as God’s punishment on Egypt for its sins (See Exodus 7), with a greater story of glory rising from that.
Who is Really God?
The above suggests that Pharaoh has mentally put himself in place of God, as we know that at least many later pharaohs would do the same. In fact, it was from about this time that the first records of a pharaoh calling himself a god have been preserved. Surely, from the beginning Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn– unmoving, unyielding, set in his own ways. Even when he had partially decided to let the people go, he changed his mind– quite un-God-like (Numbers 23:19). It is from this that one can believe that God did no more than preserve what was, in order to bring greatness out of wickedness. God would show that Jehovah only is God, and that no man has such control as to order around or disregard the great Hashem.
Guilty God?
God was not first to harden, to make as stone, the heart of Pharaoh. Pharaoh had already let his heart become so hard as it was. If one sees as a crime this preservation of the stone called Pharaoh’s heart, then one would also have to hold God accountable for the sins of everyone*, as He lets us sin. Sadly, many people do hold Him accountable for their own mistakes, but He does not force His people to sin. We choose to sin. Pharaoh made his choice just as we make ours. God gave him over to his passions for power and his stubbornness (Acts 14:16; Psalm 81:12), just as God will give us over to our own desires if that is what we choose. God did not wrongly force Pharaoh to be so obstinate, just as He does not force us to lie, cheat, fornicate, murder, or abuse. God may let us remain where we were, but He will never force us into a position of unrighteousness. While this is still a difficult passage to understand, by the law of God Himself, our Lord did nothing wrong here.
Asterisk
*In a way, God did hold Himself accountable for the sins of all mankind: Hence the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, Who took upon Himself our guilt. He put Himself in our place so we wouldn’t have to be held accountable (1 Peter 2:24).
Seeking God 