Exodus 10 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“Then the L_rd said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of Mine among them, and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the L_rd.’” Exodus 10:1-2

There has been an ages-long debate over the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. Some hold to a strict belief that G_d hardened Pharaoh’s heart, while others say Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

Those who say G_d hardened Pharaoh’s heart usually carry the inference that He kept Pharaoh from believing. It is as if Pharaoh’s heart could not have been softened, even if he wanted it. I find that hard to believe because the Bible says that G_d does not delight in punishing the wicked, but rather He delights when they turn from their wickedness and trust Him. Ezekiel 33:11

I believe G_d gave Pharaoh the same chance He gave anyone else in Egypt, but He knew Pharaoh would not believe. G_d knew the same plagues that would make many repent, would make many others hate Him even more. In a sense, the Lord DID harden Pharaoh’s heart, because the plagues came from G_d. That being said, it was totally Pharaoh’s decision as to how he would respond. G_d just knew.

Perhaps, the best testimony to this interpretation is found in the final verses of Exodus, chapter 9.

“When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials. So Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not let the Israelites go, as the L_rd said through Moses.” Exodus 9: 34-35

In a similar way, the L_rd did not make the Israelites believe, any more than He made Pharaoh not believe. Each man had a choice. (Joshua 24:15) And each person has a choice today…because G_d is the same: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The question is: How do you respond to G_d’s presence in your life? Do you accept Him, or live in denial? Do you submit or rebel? You have a choice to either believe or not, so have you chosen to rebel against His L_rdship and thus inherit His judgment, or have you chose to surrender to Him and enter-in to His deliverance? As long as there is life in your lungs, you have the option to turn to Him through belief and trust in Yeshua.

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Tuesday, March 11, 2014