Compare Pharaoh's response in Exodus 7:13 to other biblical examples of hardened hearts. Setting the Scene • Exodus 7:13: “Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.” • The verse records the first open clash between Moses’ signs and Pharaoh’s obstinacy. From the start, Scripture treats Pharaoh’s hardness as both an act of his own will and a fulfillment of God’s foretelling (Exodus 4:21; 7:3). Snapshots of Hardened Hearts in Scripture • Sihon of Heshbon – Deuteronomy 2:30: “But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate…” • Wilderness generation – Psalm 95:8: “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah…” (cf. Hebrews 3:7-11). • Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel 5:20: “But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne…” • Disciples during Jesus’ ministry – Mark 6:52: “…for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.” • Israel in Isaiah’s day (and again in John’s) – John 12:40 quoting Isaiah 6:10: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts…” • Unrepentant humanity – Romans 2:5: “But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself…” Common Threads • Clear revelation ignored – Pharaoh witnessed miraculous signs (Exodus 7–10). – Israel saw Red Sea deliverance yet doubted (Psalm 95:9-10). – The disciples watched Jesus multiply bread (Mark 6:41-52). • Pride at the center – Pharaoh: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” (Exodus 5:2). – Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself (Daniel 5:20). – Romans 2:5 links hardness to stubborn self-reliance. • Judicial confirmation by God – “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 7:3). – Sihon’s spirit made stubborn (Deuteronomy 2:30). – Isaiah 6:10; John 12:40 show God sealing a rebellious people in their choice. • Escalating consequences – Pharaoh moved from nuisance plagues to national catastrophe (Exodus 7–12). – Wilderness generation died short of Canaan (Numbers 14:22-23). – Nebuchadnezzar lost his throne and sanity until he humbled himself (Daniel 4:28-37). Contrasts Worth Noting • Pharaoh vs. Nebuchadnezzar – Both kings resisted God, but only Nebuchadnezzar eventually “raised his eyes toward heaven” and acknowledged the Most High (Daniel 4:34). – Pharaoh persisted to the Red Sea and perished (Exodus 14:26-28). • Israel in the wilderness vs. a later remnant – Hardened hearts barred one generation from rest (Hebrews 3:11). – Yet God promised a new covenant where He would “remove the heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26). Lessons for Today • Repeated exposure to God’s truth without surrender breeds hardness; every “no” to God makes the next “no” easier. • Pride and self-interest lie at the root; humility keeps the heart tender. • God’s patience has limits—persistent refusal may lead Him to confirm the very hardness a person chooses (Romans 11:7-8). • Mercy remains available while the heart can still respond (Hebrews 3:13). |
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