What actions can we take to avoid stubbornness like Pharaoh in Exodus 10:11? Setting the Scene “‘No!’ Pharaoh said. ‘Only the men may go and serve the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.’ Then Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.” Pharaoh’s hardened heart let him offer a half-obedience that still kept Israel under his control. His example warns us how easily stubbornness shuts us off from God’s best. Recognize What Stubbornness Looks Like • Refusing God’s clear word unless it fits our agenda • Offering partial obedience that protects our comfort • Dismissing repeated warnings and consequences (Exodus 7–10) • Pushing God’s messengers away when conviction comes Choose Humility Over Pride • Admit God alone rules: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). • Invite correction quickly; pride keeps us from hearing it (Proverbs 16:18). • Celebrate others’ victories instead of guarding our own status (Philippians 2:3-4). Obey God Fully, Not Partially • Partial compliance kept Israel in Egypt; full obedience meant total release. • “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). • Ask, “Where am I holding back a portion of what God clearly commands?” Keep a Tender Heart Through Daily Repentance • Pray Psalm 139:23-24—“Search me, O God…see if there is any offensive way in me.” • Confess sin promptly; delay breeds callousness (Hebrews 3:12-13). • Remember that hardness grows in layers—peel them off daily. Listen to God’s Warnings Early • Pharaoh had nine earlier chances; each plague grew in severity. • “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed” (Proverbs 29:1). • Take even minor discipline as a mercy designed to spare greater pain (Hebrews 12:25). Seek Godly Counsel and Accountability • Invite believers who will speak truth in love (Proverbs 27:6). • “In an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). • Meet regularly for encouragement so no one is “hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Cultivate the Fear of the Lord • Pharaoh feared loss of power more than he feared God; the outcomes prove which fear counts. • “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). • Meditate on God’s holiness and power—wonder softens the heart. Remember God’s Mighty Acts • Israel was commanded to rehearse the plagues and the exodus so future generations would not forget (Exodus 13:8-9). • Recalling answered prayers, miracles, and deliverance fuels trust and humility (Deuteronomy 8:2). • Keep a journal of God’s interventions; review it when tempted to resist Him. Move Now, Not Later • Every delay makes surrender harder. • “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7). • Immediate, wholehearted obedience is the surest way to keep Pharaoh-style stubbornness far from us. |
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