What lessons can we learn about genuine repentance from Pharaoh's actions in Exodus 10:17? The verse in focus Exodus 10:17: “Now please forgive my sin only this once, and plead with the LORD your God that He may remove this death from me.” Setting the scene • Locusts—the eighth plague—have darkened Egypt, devouring every green thing (Exodus 10:12–15). • Pharaoh hastily summons Moses and Aaron, uttering the words in verse 17. • The request sounds humble, yet verse 20 shows Pharaoh hardening his heart again the moment relief comes. What Pharaoh actually says and does • “Please forgive my sin only this once”—an admission, yet limited to the immediate crisis. • “Plead with the LORD your God”—he still will not claim Yahweh as his own God (contrast Exodus 5:2). • “Remove this death from me”—his focus is on escaping consequences, not on offending a holy God. • No pledge to release Israel until Moses presses him; even then, he retracts. Marks of false repentance on display • Consequences-driven: sorrow over pain, not over sin itself (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:10a). • Short-lived: disappears once circumstances improve (Exodus 10:20). • Selective: “this once” implies he plans to return to rebellion afterward. • God-distancing: refers to “the LORD your God,” refusing personal submission. • Actionless: no lasting obedience follows the confession (cf. Matthew 3:8). Scripture’s portrait of genuine repentance • Whole-hearted ownership of sin—“Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4). • Turning to God Himself, not merely from trouble—“Return to the LORD your God” (Joel 2:13). • A change of mind that produces a change of life—“bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). • God-centered grief that leads to salvation—“godly sorrow brings repentance leading to salvation, leaving no regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10b). • Open confession with reliance on divine mercy—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9). Contrasting Pharaoh with true repenters • Pharaoh: pressured confession → temporary relief → hardened heart. • Prodigal son: confession → return to father → transformed relationship (Luke 15:17–24). • Nineveh: proclamation of fast → turning from evil → God relents (Jonah 3:5–10). • David: broken spirit → lifelong humility and restored worship (Psalm 51:10–15). Practical takeaways for today • Check the motive: Am I sorry because sin offends God, or because I dislike its fallout? • Move from “your God” to “my Lord”: personal surrender is essential. • Reject the “just this once” attitude; true repentance submits for the long haul. • Look for fruit: obedience, restitution, and ongoing softness of heart are evidence of real change. • Lean on God’s grace: genuine repentance is never self-powered but enabled by the Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26–27). |
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