In this passage, we are going to talk about one of the most difficult verses to swallow in the entire Bible. It is one of those verses that makes do a double-take and start questioning the love of Yahveh.
Moses is complaining to Yahveh that he stutters and so Pharaoh won't listen to him. But Yahveh reminds him that Aaron, who was apparently an eloquent speaker, was there to speak for Moses. Aaron is to be Moses's "prophet." Then Yahveh says this.
"But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay out my hand on Egypt and with might acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites."
Whoa, what? Yahveh will "harden" Pharaoh's heart? Isn't that manipulating free will? Does Yahveh just want to beat the daylights out of Egypt so he forces Pharaoh to say "no" so he has an out? What is going on here? It gets even worse in Exodus 9:16 where Yahveh says of Pharaoh, "But I have raised you up for this purpose, that I might show you my power and that my mighty name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Is Yahveh handing out all this death and destruction because of an ego trip?
Admittedly this does seem incongruent with the whole "God is love" thing and this passage has caused many Christians to give up their faith. I get it. On the surface, it does seem like Yahveh is forcing Pharaoh to essentially condemn himself to utter destruction. But could there be more going on here than meets the eye?
Let's consider what has happened thus far in the story: Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him to let the people of Israel go. Pharaoh not only refused, but made life for the Israelites twice as hard. In the passage we are discussing, Moses and Aaron go back and tell Pharaoh again to let the Israelites go. They even throw in the snake trick to help convince him. Pharaoh again says "no."
So far Pharaoh has had two chances to save himself and his people a lot of trouble by simply letting the Israelites go but he has refused. Then come the plagues, which will be discussed in more detail in the coming post(s). After each plague Pharaoh has the chance to let the Israelites go. In all but a couple, Moses and Pharaoh meet face to face and Moses repeats his message of "Let my people go." And each time Pharaoh refuses.
Three of those plagues end with the epithet that Yahveh hardened Pharaoh's heart; the rest say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart or something similar but to that effect. This makes things even more confusing? Which is it? Did Yahveh harden Pharaoh's heart or did Pharaoh harden his own?
The answer is yes: both hardened Pharaoh's heart.
To understand this, we must understand the historical and religious context that this battle took place in. In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh was the incarnation of Horus who was the son of Amun-Re the chief deity in the extensive Egyptian pantheon. Pharaoh was literally god on earth. The Pharaohs conquests (especially Thutmose III) over the years since kicking the Hyksos out had only enhanced this idea. By now, barely 100 years since the Hyksos expulsion, the 18th Dynasty controlled the land from Ethiopia to Lebanon.
And into this mix comes two men in their 80s, albeit rather spry, claiming to be messengers from this desert god Yahveh, demanding that Thutmose let his slaves the Israelites go. Pharaoh was one of the most powerful gods in his own pantheon; he didn't listen probably to most of the lesser Egyptian gods so he certainly wasn't going to listen to some unknown god from the Midian desert.
Then there is Moses, his old rival. He's back after 40 years of exile in Midian and demanding that Thutmose releases a veritable nation of slaves into his control. The memory of the Hyksos oppression is still vividly etched on the walls of Pharaoh's palace and the fear that Moses might bring it back begins to gnaw at him.
On the flipside of this is Yahveh who actually is god. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. And he has taken a special interest in this group of slaves who call themselves Israelites. So he sends his messengers to Pharaoh with a simple message: Let my people go or suffer the consequences. While it comes across as an ultimatum, it is a simple command. Yahveh had little to no interest in burning Egypt to the ground but he wouldn't hesitate if it came to that.
But because of his pride, stubbornness, and fear, Thutmose dug in. He refused to be controlled or ordered around by this non-Egyptian deity. He was Horus, son of Amun-Re, god of the most powerful nation in the world and Pharaoh would not bow to this desert spirit.
And so the plagues came one after another after another. As each blow fell against his land, Pharaoh dug in deeper and deeper even though he knew it was hopeless. In some of his more desperate moments, he would try to compromise with Yahveh only to be told the same thing: let my people go. And that he would not do until Egypt was nothing but ashes and dust.
That is how Pharaoh hardened his own heart but how did Yahveh harden Pharaoh's heart? By simply being himself. Through the entire battle with Pharaoh, Yahveh's message stayed consistent: let my people go. He never backed down, never wavered, never compromised. Pharaoh a couple of times tried to bargain with Yahveh, play a little give and take. Each time Pharaoh got the same answer. It was Yahveh's way or no way.
And that is the point with Yahveh. He is the sovereign creator and lord of the universe. We bow to his wishes not the other way around. This is not to say that Yahveh isn't a merciful god because he is: he gave Pharaoh two opportunities before the plagues started to acquiesce but Pharaoh chose not to. Even after the plagues began raining down on Egypt, Yahveh repeated gave Thutmose chances to surrender; Pharaoh stubbornly refused.
But that surrender is always going to be on Yahveh's terms. In the New Testament book of Matthew there is a story of a rich young man who wanted to follow Jesus and gain eternal life. He asked Jesus what to do. Jesus replied that he needed to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and then follow him. The rich young man couldn't do it, he wanted Jesus and his wealth and so he walked away. What did Jesus do?
Nothing.
He let him walk because Jesus (who is Yahveh) does not compromise. Ever. He will accept you as you are, he will grant you mercy, he will give you salvation but on his terms. You must surrender to him totally and unreservedly; nothing else will do. You must be prepared to do whatever you are asked to do.
That is the difference between Moses and Pharaoh. Both were commanded by Yahveh to do difficult things. Moses, after a lot of whining and complaining, gave in. He surrendered himself to Yahveh.
On the other hand, Pharaoh hardened his hard. Through his stubbornness and pride, Pharaoh refused to listen to Yahveh's command and he not only cost himself dearly, but his entire nation as well.
Who are you? Are you Moses? Will you surrender yourself to Yahveh's will? Or are you Pharaoh? Are you going to try to get what Yahveh has to offer on your own terms, never quite surrendering yourself to him?
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