Scripture - Ex. 10:1 1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them
Observation - Moses was in the middle of his warnings/miracles with Pharaoh, and the Lord explains that he has hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he will not let the people go. While this seems like a contradiction, it is nothing short of the process of sin at work in Pharaoh's life. At first, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave (he chose to disobey, he chose to sin). But as his rebellion against God's Word continued, sin took over and decided to do Him. It seized his heart and hardened it. Pharaoh's heart being hardened by God is often a sticking point - how could God expect him to obey if He Himself was the one hardening his heart? In reality, the hardening process happens, and can be attributed to God, rebellion but also Pharaoh. Consider these verses that talk about Pharaoh hardening his own heart: Ex. 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron; Ex. 8:32 32But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go; Ex. 9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.
Application - Then there are times when God is trying to do something specific in our lives and we come face to face with a choice, to obey or disobey. I'm not talking about small seemingly unconsequential situations, but those large life changing decsions where we can do what we know is right, or we can choose the more attractive path that we know is clearly wrong. These choices are unmistakable. They scream of the crossroads of God and bear tremendous weight on our souls as we consider them. They often present themselves dramatically as part of our course of life. We are almost always given time to consider the options, and usually, the time allows for the warnings of God to be made clear. God's will is clear, but like Pharaoh, we are faced with a choice of what God wants and what is most expedient for us. It is at those moments that I am reminded that the choice is more than a decision. It is a choice that will choose back. The choice for God is liberating and opens the door for amazing blessing, but the choice for rebellion brings in a host of byproducts, not the least of which is that our heart is hardened. Once a heart begins to be hardened, it's owner begins to lose control. Instead of it's owner making future decisions, the heart takes over and in its calloused situation, begins to make decision itself that the owner otherwise probably would not make. In these life changing choices between God's will and blatant rebellion, we make our choice, and the our choice begins to make us.
Prayer - Lord, guard my heart, for it is the wellspring of my life. I will live off of what flows out of it. Help my heart to be yielded to you and your Word.
