What does "harden our hearts" reveal about God's role in human free will? Setting the Scene Isaiah 63 is a prayer in which the prophet looks back on God’s mighty acts of salvation and laments Israel’s stubborn rebellion. Verse 17 stands out because it openly links Israel’s wandering with God’s own action. Reading the Verse “Why, O LORD, do You make us wander from Your ways and harden our hearts from fearing You? Return, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance.” (Isaiah 63:17) Initial Observations • Two verbs—“make us wander” and “harden our hearts”—are attributed to God. • The purpose clause “from fearing You” shows the tragic effect: loss of reverence. • The plea “Return” implies hope that God can also reverse the hardening. What “Harden” Means • Literal sense: to make something stiff, unresponsive, resistant to pressure. • Spiritual sense: a settled refusal to listen, repent, or obey (cf. Exodus 7:13; Mark 3:5). • Result: spiritual insensitivity that prevents genuine fear of the Lord. Divine Sovereignty on Display Scripture is clear that God sometimes acts judicially by hardening: • Exodus 9:12 – “The LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” • Romans 9:18 – “He hardens whom He wants to harden.” Hardening serves God’s larger purposes—displaying His power, advancing redemption history, or bringing righteous judgment. Human Freedom and Responsibility Hardening never removes human accountability: • Psalm 95:8 – “Do not harden your hearts.” • Hebrews 3:8 – “Do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.” People willingly persist in sin, and God’s hardening confirms them in the path they have chosen (cf. Proverbs 28:14; Ephesians 4:18). Reconciling the Two Realities • God is absolutely sovereign; nothing thwarts His will. • Humans make real choices with real consequences. • When people continually resist Him, God may judicially solidify that resistance—handing them over to what they already desire (Romans 1:24-26). • Hardening therefore reveals both God’s righteous judgment and our urgent need for mercy. Why Would God Harden? • To expose sin’s seriousness and magnify His holiness. • To advance His saving plan (Pharaoh’s stubbornness led to the Exodus). • To warn future generations about the danger of persistent unbelief (Hebrews 3:15). Living Response • Cultivate a tender heart by daily heeding His voice in Scripture. • Confess sin quickly; unconfessed sin is the seedbed of hardness. • Depend on the Holy Spirit, who replaces a heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). • Praise God that the same sovereignty that hardens can also soften; seek His renewing grace. Key Takeaways • God’s role in hardening hearts underscores His sovereign right to judge and to rule. • Human free will remains active; rejection of God invites further hardening. • The warning of Isaiah 63:17 calls us to earnest reliance on God to keep our hearts soft and receptive to His truth. |
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