Compare Lamentations 3:65 with Pharaoh's hardened heart in Exodus. What similarities exist? Verse Snapshot • Lamentations 3:65: “You will give them hardness of heart; Your curse will be upon them.” • Exodus 4:21: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.’” Shared Theme: Divine Judicial Hardening • In both passages the hardening is explicitly attributed to the LORD, not merely to human stubbornness. • Hardening is presented as a form of judgment: “Your curse will be upon them” (Lamentations 3:65) parallels the escalating plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 7–12). • The hardening is purposeful, occurring within God’s redemptive plan—Israel’s discipline in Lamentations, Israel’s deliverance in Exodus. Purpose of Hardening • To expose sin already present: Pharaoh had long oppressed Israel (Exodus 1:8–14); Jerusalem had long ignored prophetic warnings (2 Chronicles 36:15-16). • To magnify God’s glory: “So that My wonders may be multiplied in Egypt” (Exodus 11:9); likewise, Jerusalem’s fall displayed God’s holiness and justice (Ezekiel 36:19-23). • To bring about eventual salvation: Egypt’s defeat led to Israel’s exodus (Exodus 14); Judah’s exile prepared the way for future restoration (Jeremiah 29:10-14). Outworking of Judgment • Intensifying resistance: Pharaoh keeps refusing (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:15), just as Judah’s enemies grow bolder under God’s curse (Lamentations 3:64-66). • Escalating consequences: Plagues move from water to death of firstborn (Exodus 7–12); Jerusalem moves from siege to destruction and exile (Lamentations 1–2). • Final overthrow of the proud: Pharaoh’s army drowns (Exodus 14:27-28); Babylon, instrument of Judah’s punishment, is later judged (Jeremiah 51). Human Responsibility and Divine Sovereignty • Pharaoh repeatedly “hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34), yet God also “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12). Both realities run side-by-side. • Judah’s enemies chose cruelty (Lamentations 3:52-60), yet Jeremiah prays, “You will give them hardness of heart” (v. 65), acknowledging God’s sovereign role. • Romans 9:17-18 draws these threads together: “For Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose…’ So then, He has mercy on whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills.” Parallel Passages Reinforcing the Pattern • Isaiah 6:9-10—God sends Isaiah to people whose hearts will be made dull. • Romans 1:24-28—God “gave them over” as judgment on persistent sin. • Hebrews 3:7-13—A warning not to harden our hearts “as in the rebellion.” Takeaway for Us Today • God’s sovereignty never cancels human accountability; instead, it underscores the urgency of repentance (Proverbs 28:14). • Hardness of heart is both a consequence and a catalyst of sin—left unchecked, it invites deeper judgment (Hebrews 3:12-13). • The Lord’s ultimate goal is redemptive: He disciplines to deliver His people and display His glory (Lamentations 3:22-23; Exodus 15:11). |
    |