Ex’s 9

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1371

Member
Oct 26, 2018
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#21
I very much appreciate all the responses from everyone. Guess it comes down to for me why did God need to harden Pharoahs heart? Hope I’m not beating a dead horse.
 

Zmouth

Senior Member
Nov 21, 2012
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#22
(Exodus 8:32) "And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go."
Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Ex 1:8-10

Of course Joseph had bought the lands of Canaan for Pharaoh. So the land of Egypt was that land which was owned by the Pharaoh.

And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. Gen 47:13-14
........
Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part; except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.
Gen 47:23-26

In 2018 Israel's corporate income tax rate is 23%. Individual income tax rates in 2018 are up to 47%. [source]

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Heb 13:17

These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. Ex 6:26
 

1371

Member
Oct 26, 2018
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#23
Well most of that 2 thessolonians 2 passage is talking about the end times great deception


The 2 Thessalonians 2 passage is dealing with the great deception that will happen just before the return of our LORD Jesus Christ..

""That Wicked"" is i believe referring to the man called the anti-christ who will be the center of this great deception.. I believe many of those who are unsaved or those in false churches and religions will believe that this evil man is the Messiah or God on earth to be worshiped..

God foreknows everyone.. He knows your friends entire lives.. What they will in the end accept or reject.. We do not know each others future.. We can and should pray for our friends and hope that they end up coming to accept the love of Gods truth.. But in the end God knows how they will respond to his gift of salvation..
Very true
 

Zmouth

Senior Member
Nov 21, 2012
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#24
Paul equates the Scripture with the Words of God.

Quantrill
Humm, so he didn't equate the word of God with Jesus? Seeing that the word of God made flesh and dwelt amongst us.....
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,426
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#26
Why then did God need to harden his heart?
Well i post again what i posted in my first reply::

God hardened his heart as a judgement upon him and upon the Egyptians who had enslaved and persecuted the Hebrews.. This allowed God to perform all the great signs of the plagues to leave no one in any doubt that it was God saving his people from Egypt and it wasn't Moses or Aaron doing it..
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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#27
Exodus 7:1-5
Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."

before Moses had even returned to Egypt God declared that He would harden Pharoahs heart. He knows the end from the beginning
 

luigi

Junior Member
Dec 6, 2015
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#28
Why did God harden Pharoahs heart. This always perplexed me
I wondered about that myself, and the Lord making the destroyer, and evil.

What I have surmised from my comprehension of scriptures is that we all have the free will choice of which way we want to go.
We can choose our carnal inclinations or our spiritual inclinations.
When the Lord hardened Pharoahs heart, He did so by allowing Pharoah to choose for himself not to be merciful towards the slave class.
Likewise, when the Lord creates the destroyer and evil, these are the results of peoples free choice in choosing their carnal bad inclinations over good spiritual inclinations, such as love, truth, and justice.

It is also interesting how the Lord uses the destroyer whom He created, as was Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean's to subjugate the more corrupt Judeans and other Middle Eastern nations. The destroyer was the lesser of two evils.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,672
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#29
Still get stuck on the fact that God hardened his heart.
As Karraster said above, strengthened instead of hardened. Sounds more like God increased Pharoahs resolve instead of taking his free will away to choose.

I don’t think so, but does this happen any other place of the Bible?
yes, to Isreal

Isaiah 63:17
Why, LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.

& see also Romans 9
 

1371

Member
Oct 26, 2018
35
23
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#30
Thank you everyone, it’s great to read so many knowledgeable responses.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
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#31
I understand it to right, but almost seems free will was taken away from him in order for God’s plan.
JAMES 1
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
 
L

Locoponydirtman

Guest
#32
Why did God harden Pharoahs heart. This always perplexed me
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt." Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 11:9‭-‬10 NASB
So no one could claim that is was of their own will or work or strength. So pharoah couldn't say it was from the goodness of his heart and the Jews couldn't say it was by the force of their own strength.
And God had that last special plague that was due Egypt because what they had done when Moses was born.
 
Mar 28, 2016
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#34
I would suggest the Pharaoh is a type of the god of this world, (Satan) as the author of a hard heart that receives no rest from God. Hard hearts represent natural man slaves to sin. Only in Christ can our hearts become softer as His Holy Spirit works in us with to both will and perform His good pleasure as a imputed righteousness. We therefore as new creatures are given the food of his will to work out our salvation with trembling and confidence.

The verses in Job 33 remind of the teaching found in Philippians 2:12

My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him. Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me: Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.Job 33:12-17
 
Dec 12, 2013
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#35
Why did God harden Pharoahs heart. This always perplexed me
He told you why.....so he could make his power known among the nations....Egypt was the power of the day and God told Pharaoh to this end have I raised the up......it is written in the account...and by the way....Pharaoh HARDENED his own heart the first few times and then God took over after he had hardened it himself numerous times....
 
Apr 15, 2017
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#36
Why did God harden Pharoahs heart. This always perplexed me
Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

God does not tempt anybody do to evil, so why would God harden Pharaoh's heart.

Exo 7:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

Why would God be mad at Pharaoh if God was hardening Pharaoh, for then it would not be Pharaoh's fault.

Exo 9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh.

Exo 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exo 8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

The Bible says that Pharaoh hardened his heart.

1Ki 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

God would sometimes allow a lying spirit to deceive people that are doing evil.

I do not believe that God hardened Pharaoh's heart, but that he allowed an evil spirit to deceive him, or Pharaoh did it by the flesh in arrogance, and power.

1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

Not many people in positions of power, and authority, are called, because of the condition of their heart, that they like power, and control, and to exalt themselves, and their heart is not that motivated by the love of people, but self exaltation.

Pharaoh was that type of person, and God wanted His power to be known in Egypt, so they would know that He is God, and for that to spread to the other nations, and wanted to deliver the Jews from Egypt, which God could of made it easy to deliver the Jews from Egypt by touching Pharaoh's heart to be kind, and let the people go without hesitation, and avoid the ten plagues on Egypt, but because Egypt was cruel towards the Jews, and wanting to rule over other nations, and Pharaoh thinking he was a God on earth, and God wanted to show His power on earth so people would know He is God, He left Pharaoh alone and he became hardened by his own flesh, and exaltation of himself, to be stubborn in to letting the Jews go out of Egypt.

That is what I believe it means is that God did not make it easy for Pharaoh to let the Jews go, so he allowed him to go through the ten plagues, before Pharaoh finally let the people go, but he still would not let the people go but chased them and Pharaoh and the army drowned in the Red Sea.

So God hardened Pharaoh's heart by not making it easy for him to let the Jews go, by touching Pharaoh to be kind, but He did not touch Pharaoh to be hardened for God does not tempt any person to do evil, but Pharaoh got hardened by his own pride of the flesh, and possibly an evil spirit, and he let the Jews go after the ten plagues for he realized there was too much destruction going on, especially the death of the first born son in Egypt, and after a while Pharaoh was breaking down, and even told Moses to tell God to forgive him for he has sinned.

After the tenth plague he let the people go, but then chased after the Jews, but drowned in the Red Sea with his army.

During the first 6 plagues Pharaoh did not budge, but after the 7th plague Pharaoh said he had sinned, and told Moses to ask God to forgive him, but after things settled down he hardened his heart again.

Which some people are like that they go through trouble and they cry out to God, but when things settle down they are back to acting the same wrongful way.

God hardened Pharaoh's heart because He would not make it easy on Pharaoh to let the people go so He could show His power by the ten plagues, and the Red Sea, but it was Pharaoh that did it to himself by his own flesh, and arrogance.

God could of made it easy for Pharaoh to let the Jews go by intervening softening Pharaoh, but He did not.
 

Quantrill

Well-known member
Sep 20, 2018
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#37
God promised that He would harden Pharaoh's heart long before Pharaoh knew Moses was sent to deliver Israel from Egypt. See (Ex. 4:21) "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. "

He did it for the reasons already given. That His power and glory be seen and remembered.

This is one of those subjects where people don't want to believe it, as it goes against their human view of God. 'God wouldn't do that because God just couldn't do that'. Well, He did do that. And it was not evil but good that He did in doing that.

Quantrill