Applying Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart to Our Lives Today
The Concept of Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart
The biblical account of Pharaoh's hardness of heart is a complex and multifaceted narrative that has been interpreted in various ways throughout history. At its core, the concept revolves around the idea that Pharaoh's refusal to obey God's commands, as conveyed through Moses, was both a result of his own actions and a divine intervention [2, 3].
The biblical text presents a paradox: on one hand, Pharaoh is said to harden his own heart (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:15), while on the other, it is stated that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 9:12). This tension has led to diverse interpretations among scholars and theologians.
Interpretations of Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart
One tradition, represented by Adam Clarke, a Methodist/Wesleyan commentator, suggests that God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart was a consequence of Pharaoh's initial resistance to God's grace. According to Clarke, "God gave him up to judicial hardness of heart, to his own corruptions, the temptations of Satan, and the lying magicians about him" [4, 5]. This view posits that God's action was not the cause of Pharaoh's hardness but rather a response to Pharaoh's own stubbornness.
In contrast, Abraham Ibn Ezra, a Jewish Rationalist commentator, argues that the biblical text does not imply that God directly hardened Pharaoh's heart. Instead, Ibn Ezra suggests that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, and the phrase "God hardened Pharaoh's heart" means that God allowed or permitted Pharaoh's stubbornness to continue [6, 7]. This interpretation is supported by Ibn Ezra's commentary on Exodus 7:13, where he states that Pharaoh's heart was hardened "by itself."
Theological Implications
The concept of Pharaoh's hardness of heart has significant theological implications. It raises questions about the nature of free will, the role of divine sovereignty, and the relationship between God's actions and human decisions. According to John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart was a judicial act, a consequence of Pharaoh's repeated resistance to God's will [8].
The biblical account of Pharaoh's hardness of heart also serves as a warning against the dangers of spiritual obstinacy. As noted in I Samuel 6:6, the Israelites are cautioned not to harden their hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh, lest they suffer similar consequences [1].
Applying the Concept to Our Lives Today
The story of Pharaoh's hardness of heart remains relevant today, offering insights into the human condition and the nature of God's interaction with humanity. It serves as a reminder of the importance of humility and obedience to God's will. As the biblical text and various commentators suggest, resisting God's grace and stubbornly refusing to obey His commands can lead to spiritual hardening, with severe consequences.
The historical and theological significance of Pharaoh's hardness of heart continues to be a subject of study and reflection. Understanding this concept can provide valuable lessons for contemporary believers, encouraging them to cultivate a responsive and obedient heart towards God.
Sources
- I Samuel “I Samuel 6:6 (LEB) — Why should you harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their heart? Is it not just like when he dealt with them wantonly so that they sent them away and they left?”
- Exodus “Exodus 7:3 (LITV) — And I will harden the heart of Pharaoh. And I will multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.”
- King James Version “[KJV] Exodus 14:4 — And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 4:21: But I will harden his heart - The case of Pharaoh has given rise to many fierce controversies, and to several strange and conflicting opinions. Would men but look at the whole account without the medium of their respective creeds, they would find little difficulty to apprehend the truth. If we take up the subject in a theological point of view, all sober Christians will allow the truth of this proposition of St. Augustine, when the subject in question is a person who has hardened his own heart by frequently resisting the grace and spirit of God: Non obdurate Deus im”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 7:3: I will harden Pharaoh's heart - I will permit his stubbornness and obstinacy still to remain, that I may have the greater opportunity to multiply my wonders in the land, that the Egyptians may know that I only am Jehovah, the self-existent God. See Clarke's note on Exo 4:21.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 7:3: AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART. The question arises: “If God hardened Pharaoh’s heart what was his transgression and what was his sin?” 15 Prima facie , our verse states that God will harden Pharaoh’s heart and punish him for not mending his ways; i.e., I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and punish him for hardening his heart by multiplying “My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” The answer is: God granted wisdom to man and implanted in his heart the intelligence to receive power from on high to add to his good 16 If good things are destined to befall an i”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 7:13: AND PHARAOH’S HEART WAS HARDENED. By itself. 62 God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh hardened it himself. Pharaoh saw that the magicians were able to do what Aaron did. 63 Change their rods into serpents.”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 9:12: And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh,.... He having often, and so long hardened his own heart, God gave him up to judicial hardness of heart, to his own corruptions, the temptations of Satan, and the lying magicians about him, to make an ill use of everything that offered to him, and put a wrong construction on all that befell him, so that whatever was said to him, or inflicted on him, made no impression to any purpose: and he hearkened not unto them; to Moses and Aaron, and to the Lord by them: as the Lord had spoken to Moses; both that he would harden his ”