God had declared concerning Pharaoh, "I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go." Exodus 4:21. There was no exercise of supernatural power to harden the heart of the king. God gave to Pharaoh the most striking evidence of divine power, but the monarch stubbornly refused to heed the light. Every display of infinite power rejected by him, rendered him the more determined in his rebellion. The seeds of rebellion that he sowed when he rejected the first miracle, produced their harvest. As he continued to venture on in his own course, going from one degree of stubbornness to another, his heart became more and more hardened, until he was called to look upon the cold, dead faces of the first-born. – {PP 268.1}
Observation: Stubbornness is the super-glue which hardens the heart against God. Refusal to surrender is the epoxy that stiffens one in resistance to the will of God. When the Lord declares, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart," he is saying... I will reveal my power. What perplexes me in this situation is that it sounds as if God is taking the blame... As if He is taking responsibility for Pharaoh's heart being hardened. Why this use of terminology and expression? It is very foreign to us.
The apostle Paul speaks of this experience in Romans 9:14-24:
"What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" (Romans 9:14–24 NKJV)
If an answer can be deduced from Paul regarding why the language says "I will harden his heart," it might be something of the likes: "Let God be God." Or, "We can't completely understand why God would use this terminology... Sometimes we just have to let the phrase, or the thought, or the working of God remain a mystery."
Of course we can always surmise... but maybe it's best to just surrender. To simply say... Lord touch my heart... Give me a heart of flesh... When You work... let my heart be melted rather than petrified... softened rather than hardened. "Take away my heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh."
Patriachs and Prophets gives additional insight on what was going on with Pharaoh in the subsequent paragraphs:
God speaks to men through his servants, giving cautions and warnings, and rebuking sin. He gives to each an opportunity to correct his errors before they become fixed in the character; but if one refuses to be corrected, divine power does not interpose to counteract the tendency of his own action. He finds it more easy to repeat the same course. He is hardening the heart against the influence of the Holy Spirit. A further rejection of light places him where a far stronger influence will be ineffectual to make an abiding impression. – {PP 268.2}
He who has once yielded to temptation will yield more readily the second time. Every repetition of the sin lessens his power of resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction. Every seed of indulgence sown will bear fruit. God works no miracle to prevent the harvest. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7. He who manifests an infidel hardihood, a stolid indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. It is thus that multitudes come to listen with stoical indifference to the truths that once stirred their very souls. They sowed neglect and resistance to the truth, and such is the harvest which they reap. – {PP 268.3} – PP Ch. 23 - The Plagues of Egypt
Application: How am I responding to the work of the Lord? Do I bow or do I buck? Do I trust or do I turn away? I know of no other way to yield, than through the New Covenant promise. A new heart is what I need:
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." (Ezekiel 36:26–27 NKJV)
Prayer: Jesus You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. When You cleansed the temple... Desire of Ages points out that while the wicked were running away, those hungering for righteousness flocked to Your presence:
Priests and traders fled from His presence, driving their cattle before them. {DA 591.1}
On the way from the temple they were met by a throng who came with their sick inquiring for the Great Healer. The report given by the fleeing people caused some of these to turn back. They feared to meet One so powerful, whose very look had driven the priests and rulers from His presence. But a large number pressed through the hurrying crowd, eager to reach Him who was their only hope. When the multitude fled from the temple, many had remained behind. These were now joined by the newcomers. Again the temple court was filled by the sick and the dying, and once more Jesus ministered to them. {DA 592.1}
After a season the priests and rulers ventured back to the temple. When the panic had abated, they were seized with anxiety to know what would be the next movement of Jesus. They expected Him to take the throne of David. Quietly returning to the temple, they heard the voices of men, women, and children praising God. Upon entering, they stood transfixed before the wonderful scene. They saw the sick healed, the blind restored to sight, and deaf receive their hearing, and the crippled leap for joy. The children were foremost in the rejoicing.
Jesus I join in the children's praise this morning. For You do not harden hearts with malice... You harden hearts with grace. You set boundaries for Your beloved... Some chose to yield to Your boundaries... others choose to run. But You are the same.
Jesus give me a yielded heart. Give me a tender heart. Give me a heart that beats when You come with accountability. Make me responsive and repentant when You rebuke. Teach me to obey Your commands. Give me a heart like Yours.
By Marc Scabilia
Give me a heart like yours
Give me a love for souls
Give me a heart that weeps and cries
Cause so many are gonna die
Cause so many are gonna die without You
Whatever breaks Your heart
Let it tear me apart
Hold me close enough to You
That I am broken
Whatever breaks Your Heart
Let it break mine too
Give me a heart like Yours
Cause mine is unaware
Give me a heart that's pure as gold
That's soft as flesh
Where once was stone
