What is the meaning of Exodus 7:3? But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart • God Himself takes the initiative. Earlier He told Moses the same thing in Exodus 4:21 and later records the fulfillment in Exodus 9:12, underscoring His absolute sovereignty. • This hardening does not absolve Pharaoh of responsibility; Pharaoh repeatedly “hardened his own heart” (Exodus 8:15; 9:34) before God confirmed that settled rebellion. Romans 9:17-18 reflects on this moment, showing that divine mercy and hardening both serve God’s larger purposes. • The aim is not arbitrary judgment but the display of God’s glory, as the LORD explains in Exodus 10:1-2: He wants future generations to recount His greatness. and though I will multiply My signs and wonders • The phrase signals a contrast: even in the face of overwhelming evidence, Pharaoh will resist. John 12:37 notes the same pattern centuries later with people who “still did not believe” despite Jesus’ signs. • “Signs and wonders” refer to the ten plagues (Exodus 7–12). Deuteronomy 4:34 and Acts 7:36 describe these events as unparalleled demonstrations of divine power, proving that Israel’s God alone rules nature, nations, and the spirit realm. • By multiplying miracles, the LORD gives Pharaoh ample opportunity to repent, showing His patience (2 Peter 3:9). The judgment that follows is therefore righteous. in the land of Egypt • The stage is Egypt, the superpower of the day. Confronting Pharaoh there magnifies God’s name “throughout all the earth” (Exodus 9:16). • Each plague targets an Egyptian deity or natural resource—Nile, sun, livestock—revealing the futility of idolatry (Numbers 33:4). • For Israel, witnessing these acts in the very land of their bondage cements faith. Later, Joshua 24:6-7 and Psalm 105:26-38 recount the plagues as proof that the LORD keeps covenant promises and delivers His people. summary Exodus 7:3 teaches that God sovereignly hardens Pharaoh’s heart, allowing the king’s entrenched rebellion to persist so that the LORD can unleash a series of escalating miracles. These “signs and wonders” in Egypt expose false gods, vindicate divine justice, and broadcast God’s glory to Israel and the nations. |
    |