What happened to Pharoah's free will when God continually hardened Pharoahs heart ?

Question

Several times, just when Pharoah was about to let the Jews go free, God steps in and hardens his heart, forcing Pharoah to keep hold of his grip. If god had not interfered, Pharoah would have freed the jews earlier and there would have been no need for god to slaughter all of egypts first born children...

Considering how often the bible god murders or orders the murders of baby's, it seems maybe god kept hardening Pharoahs heart so all those children would die?

"God knew that after Pharaoh released the Jews he would try to chase them down and kill them. He hardened his heart so the entire lesson might be learned ."

And God failed...the lesson was not learned, Pharoah still chased the people down hoping to kill them....I guess god laced foresight in this instance.

Answer 1

The writers of the bible were confused, and were not able to keep their story straight, give em a break, they did not have the benefit of creative writing courses.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Consider what God said to Moses when he called him to go to Egypt. Exodus 3:19-22, He talks about how He knows the king of Egypt and that he will not let the people go without God stretching forth His mighty hand. So He used the ego and position of the pharaoh to show all the world that the pharaoh was not as mighty or as great as he thought he was. Remember the pharaoh was believed to be a god and he showed no respect to anyone. In Exodus 5:2, he questions who is God and he refuses to let the people go. Then lets skip over a bit and see his reaction to the Israelites actually leaving. In Exodus 14:5, after all the plagues and the dead of his own son did pharaoh stop there, no way. He could have said we've lost enough, let them go but he and the people considered only the fact that their "slaves" were leaving the country. Pharaoh got what he deserved.

Answer 4

I think most people are aware that some errors crept into the Bible during the process of copying and translating manuscripts. It is interesting to note that Joseph Smith, as part of his calling as a prophet, made an inspired revision or translation of the Bible. In each of the areas where the Bible says God hardened Pharaoh's heart, the Joseph Smith Translation indicates that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Many other seemingly contradictory Biblical passages were clarified by this work.

Answer 5

God knew that after Pharaoh released the Jews he would try to chase them down and kill them. He hardened his heart so the entire lesson might be learned

Answer 6

The first few times Pharoah hardened his own heart (because of his arrogance and pride).

After that, God decided to make Pharoah an example to others... and later hardened his heart.

God is the creator of all babies and adults. If he chooses to kill the first-born of Egypt that is his prerogative (and any of the first-born who were within the age of innocence would end up in heaven).

Cordially,
John

Answer 7

Good question, but the point God was making here was on the 10 Major Gods of Egypt. Each plague was an attack on a major God and none of their "gods" won against the Israelite God.

This was God's point.

Answer 8

Pharaoh was not a Hebrew therefore he was not one of the "chosen people" he would not get his chance at salvation until Christ offers it to him as Christ did all the unchosen souls between his death & resurection, in the old testament there are many examples of gods less than charitable treatment of the nonhebrew, christ fixes all of that, everyone get's a chance at salvation no matter when, where or who they were born.

Answer 9

Good analogy.

My only guess is that it wasn't so much God forcing Pharoah to act a certain way, as allowing Pharoah to act that way.

Answer 10

He was only magnifying what was already there. Pharaoh had no love or respect for God or His people. Sometimes when people are sitting on the fence, God has to call fence sitting what it is. It seems extreme only to those who are not on God's side of the fence.

Answer 11

This was to show the power of God verses the power of false gods. If you die before the age of accountability God will accept you in heaven with open arms.