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).

God and "What If?"

An Exercise

It can sometimes be an interesting exercise to ask the “What if?” questions about stories in the Bible. While this practice is not instructive in itself, it can highlight the choices made by those in Bible stories by considering the implication of the alternative.

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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A Man of the World

A Confused Term

The term “man of the world” or “worldly” is used to describe someone experienced with the world at large. This type of person may be called refined or sophisticated, well connected to those of importance in the world. Such a person is sometimes admired for their experience or social stature. This type of a “worldly” man focuses upon the positive aspects of the world in which we live (at least at face value).

Why People Choose a Lie

A Very Real Problem

It is a somewhat distressing, yet very real problem that people make active choices to embrace lies although being perfectly aware of the truth. One such example would be a person who makes excuses for an abusive or unfaithful spouse. The truth of this situation should be obvious, many times to those outside of the situation, yet the person continues to embrace a lie anyway.