Another question about Exodus.?

Question

In Exodus 9 and 10, why does God keep hardening Pharoah's heart? He's taking away Pharoah's free will! Why did God not allow Pharoah to let the Israelites go?

No I don't have children. I'm 13 years old.

Answer 1

If you read the story carefully, you will see that before God ever hardened Pharaoh's heart, Pharaoh hardened his own heart against the Lord.
When men stubbornly set themselves against God and refuse to repent, God takes this attitude:
"OK, if you insist upon stubbornly hardening yourself against ME, then I will help you !"

Answer 2

Hello, Rowan, there is no real way to prove the doctine of "free will" from the Bible. It is much easier to show that the opposite was true.

The stories of Pharoh, Moses, Jonah, Job, Elijah and many of the great men and women, and villians, of the Bible show that they were doing as they were commanded or led to do by God. They did not have free will. Nor does any humanity have free will, if they did, then there would have been no reason for God to post HIs Laws in Exodus and the rest of the Torah (1st 5 books of the Bible).

The Law of God actually is in opposition to free will, because mankind is expected to subject themselves to a higher authority than themselves. If God had given a Law that had no punishment for transgressions, then the idea of free will would have some credence, since man could choose or not choose. However, there were penalties built into the Law for transgressions.

This is a really deep question, a really good and thoughtful one, and hard to answer in such a short space. Books have been written about this.

The best explaination I can pass on from what I have learned is that God took vengence on Pharoh for his murder of the Israelite babies and his hard slavery of the Israelites, not to mention Egypts idol worshiping false religion. Which explains the plauges. (And prefigures what is going to happen in Revelations when the Messiah returns to Earth, as we are in spiritual Egypt today).

Also, Egypt was the most powerful nation on the face of the earth at the time Moses was sent to free the Israelites. As you can see from the rest of Exodus, even after Pharoh finally was broken and left the Israelites go, he changed his mind yet again. Pharoh's powerful army was drowned in the sea after attempting to purse the escaping Israelites.

So, why?

The best explaination that I have hear is that if God had allowed Egypt to remain as powerful as they were before the Exodus, then they would have been a threat to the security of His chosen nation, Israel. Given Pharoh's pursuit after letting the Israelites go, this is a plausable explaination.

One more thing in regards to "free" will;

Ec 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Answer 3

All of the plagues were against gods that the Egyptians worshiped, such as flies, the sun, the Nile, etc. by hardening Pharaoh's heart, and performing all these plagues God was showing that he was indeed Lord over all the gods of Egypt.

Answer 4

From the poor set of copy and pasted excuses above:

"So let us now examine the events in Exodus. Step back a few chapters and see that it was the will of Pharaoh to kill all the first born Hebrew child in Goshen. Now, remember, there is a spiritual law that you reap what you sow. A sort of spiritual "Newton's Law" of "for every action there is always opposed an equal reaction"."

So since the Pharaoh, a sinful man, who abused his power was going to kill all the Hebrew children, God saw it okay for Him to stoop to this man's level and beat him to the punch? You think a forgiving, all loving God, would be above such childish retaliations, not to mention the fact that if God has a plan for each and everyone one of us, why would He create so many lives only for their ultimate purpose to be a part of God's childish antics and horrible slaughter.

No no the Bible God is a jerk, there's no excusing it.

Answer 5

the translators didnt translate correctly. God did not harden the pharoah's heart, over and over it says that pharoah did not listen, thus his heart was hard against God...

the word "hardened" exod.8:22 means, strong, firm, rigid, severe (in a bad sense)

even the Jews were guilty of this, there's a place where God tells them, "your words have been stout against Me.." [stout - hardened] malachi 3:13

so the pharoah used his will to rebel when Moses came and told him to "let My people go."
pharoah was arrogant and prideful, using the Jews as slaves to build the buildings and serve the elite egyptians.

if he let them go because some spokesman for the Jewish slaves said that another unknown God said to... he'd lose more than slaves. he'd upset the entire egyptian religious system and way of life.

there were alot of reasons why he rebelled.. as one who arrogantly gives orders to others he refused to be told what to do by a strange God.
...

Answer 6

I suggest you read the Iliad. In the ancient world (before Greek philosophy), both human free will and divine will could coexist simultaneously. I could make a decision freely and God make it as well. When you read the Iliad, notice how the gods interact with men to inspire them and bring about decisions. It isn't much different in Exodus.

This shouldn't really be such a surprise. We all have a will, but we all also have it limited. There is a mystery in our will that is difficult to penetrate, but we seem to show forth both characteristics. It is natural, then, that it would make it into theology.

Answer 7

The hardening of Pharaohs heart was from Gods non action
To draw Pharaoh to himself. He let him be knowing he would not turn to the ways of the Lord and it allowed the rendering of the ten plagues equal to the ten gods they served as punishment. The same things occur today to the human person that has that hardness of heart

Answer 8

The way I understood it, God was trying to show the Jews many miracles and what kind of power Giod has because the eygpticians had socery in their kingdom as well and would not believe in God's great power had God not hardened Pharoh' heart and showed greater miracles then the socery of Pharoh's men.

Answer 9

Why because of what Pharaoh must have done in the 1st earth age.

Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

If GOD hardens someone's heart/mind with the "spirit of stupor", its for their own good or protection.

Answer 10

--Do you have children?
--When you have a very stubborn child who will not listen to an important request(AND THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN COMPROMISE), and you have to correct him over & over AND HE still will not listen to you!
--DID YOU force him to be stubborn?
--WHO HARDENED HIS HEART?


--JEHOVAH GOD, never tampers with our free will for the good or bad!

(James 1:13-14) “13 When under trial, let no one say: “I am being tried by God.” For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone. 14 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire.”

--Please don't tell me you cannot really answer this question, honestly--pretty please!

--DID JEHOVAH GOD force Pharoah to be stubborn?
--WHO HARDENED PHAROAHS HEART?