Pharaoh's Hardened Heart

A Well Known Account

In Exodus we find the well known story of Israel’s freedom from slavery in Egypt. The story includes the call of Moses, his challenge to Pharaoh, and the Ten Plagues. In the midst of this story is an unusual phrase that is used to describe the attitude of Pharaoh. When confronted by Moses, the text describes several times that Pharaoh’s “heart was hardened” (Exo. 7:13, 22, 8:15, et al., NASU).

The Problem With Fate

A Common Belief

There are many people in the world who believe in the idea of fate. They find comfort in the idea that there is some degree of purpose or meaning for one’s everyday life. Because of such belief in fate or destiny, the realms of modern mysticism such as astrology have a steady following. The irony of such a desire is found in that many of these people who desire for some form of destiny caused by eternal forces will deny the existence of God.

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The Devil Made Me Do It

The Need to Place Blame

We live in a culture that enjoys placing blame. If there is unpleasant news or a tragedy, we feel the need to place the blame somewhere. People blame leaders, and even (incorrectly) God Himself. In the political sphere, when something goes wrong, there is always someone who must “take a fall” – even if that person had no control over the situation. There is a strong desire to place blame somewhere, even when no blame is due.