Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?

1. Chapter
10
Exodus

2. The core
discipline of
the Christian
life is…

3. The core
discipline of
the Christian
life is…
the quiet

6. Two things to do when
you are puzzled…
•Other translations

8. Two things to do when
you are puzzled…
•Other translations
•Context

9. Exodus 4:21 (NIV2011)
The LORD said to Moses,
“When you return to
Egypt, see that you
perform before Pharaoh
all the wonders I have
given you the power to
do. But I will harden his

10. Exodus 7:3
(NIV2011)
But I will harden
Pharaoh’s heart,
and though I
multiply my signs

11. Exodus 8:15 (NIV2011)
But when Pharaoh saw
that there was relief,
he hardened his heart
and would not listen
to Moses and Aaron,
just as the LORD had

12. Exodus 8:32
(NIV2011)
But this time also
Pharaoh hardened
his heart and
would not let the

13. Romans 9:18–20 (NIV2011)
Therefore God has mercy on whom
he wants to have mercy, and he
hardens whom he wants to
harden. 19 One of you will say to
me: “Then why does God still
blame us? For who is able to resist
his will?” 20 But who are you, a
human being, to talk back to God?
“Shall what is formed say to the
one who formed it, ‘Why did you

15. Two things to do when
you are puzzled…
•Other translations
•Context
•See what others
have said

17. How do you explain God
hardening Pharaoh's heart?
• God’s ways are inscrutable
• The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a
joint effort.
• This is not the story of a good man who
wanted to come to God and God wouldn’t
let him. It is the story of a mass murderer.
• We always want to read for application:
• Hebrews 3:15 (NIV2011) As has just been
said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”

18. How do you explain God
hardening Pharaoh's heart?
• God’s ways are inscrutable
• The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a
joint effort.
• This is not the story of a good man who
wanted to come to God and God wouldn’t
let him. It is the story of a mass murderer.
• We always want to read for application:
• Hebrews 3:15 (NIV2011) As has just been
said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”

19. God’s ways are
inscrutable
•Romans 11:33 (ESV) Oh,
the depth of the riches
and wisdom and
knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his
judgments and how
inscrutable his ways!

20. God’s ways are
inscrutable
•Isaiah 55:9 (NIV2011) As
the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are
my ways higher than
your ways and my
thoughts than your
thoughts.

21. John Wesley
captured that
same truth in a
different way.
“Give me a worm
that can
understand a
man,” he wrote,
“and I will give
you a man who

22. Psalm 145:3
(NIV2011)
Great is the LORD
and most worthy
of praise; his
greatness no one

23. There is
something we do
that makes no
sense: it’s when
we think we can
tell God what we
agree with and
what we disagree
with about what
He reveals about
J.D. Greear

24. People say, “I
believe in Jesus, or
I believe in God
and the parts of
the Bible that talk
about …
homosexuality;
hell; the cross …
(different
societies:
J.D. Greear

25. Muslims have a
problem with God
as Trinity; God
becoming man;
Jesus’ forgiving
woman at the
well.) Everybody’s
got problems with
God, so we say,
“I’ll take this, but
J.D. Greear

26. Listen, I can
understand people
who disbelieve. I
understand non-
Christians who say,
“Jesus is not who
He said He was. He
was a phony and a
fraud. So I reject
all this stuff.” That
J.D. Greear

27. What does not
make sense is
people who say
they believe God
and then appoint
themselves the
judge of what He
says about
Himself and
critique various
J.D. Greear

28. You might say
you’re a Christian,
but you function
like an atheist.
You’re not
submitted to the
revelation of God;
you have made
yourself the judge
of God and His
J.D. Greear

29. How do you explain God
hardening Pharaoh's heart?
• God’s ways are inscrutable
• The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a
joint effort.
• This is not the story of a good man who
wanted to come to God and God wouldn’t
let him. It is the story of a mass murderer.
• We always want to read for application:
• Hebrews 3:15 (NIV2011) As has just been
said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”

30. How do you explain God
hardening Pharaoh's heart?
• God’s ways are inscrutable
• The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a
joint effort.
• This is not the story of a good man who
wanted to come to God and God wouldn’t
let him. It is the story of a mass murderer.
• We always want to read for application:
• Hebrews 3:15 (NIV2011) As has just been
said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”

31. Exodus 8:15 (NIV2011)
But when Pharaoh saw
that there was relief,
he hardened his heart
and would not listen
to Moses and Aaron,
just as the LORD had

32. Exodus 9:34 (NIV2011)
When Pharaoh saw that
the rain and hail and
thunder had stopped, he
sinned again: He and his
officials hardened their
hearts.

33. Exodus 8:32
(NIV2011)
But this time also
Pharaoh hardened
his heart and would
not let the people

34. Summary of Pharaoh’s
life•Enslaved the people of Israel.
•Killed all the babies at the time of
Moses birth.
•Made their work harder when Moses
came.
•Was prepared to wipe out the whole
nation.

35. How do you explain God
hardening Pharaoh's heart?
• God’s ways are inscrutable
• The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a
joint effort.
• This is not the story of a good man who
wanted to come to God and God wouldn’t
let him. It is the story of a mass murderer.
• We always want to read for application:
• Hebrews 3:15 (NIV2011) As has just been
said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”

36. How do you explain God
hardening Pharaoh's heart?
• God’s ways are inscrutable
• The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a
joint effort.
• This is not the story of a good man who
wanted to come to God and God wouldn’t
let him. It is the story of a mass murderer.
• We always want to read for application:
• Hebrews 3:15 (NIV2011) As has just been
said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the
rebellion.”

37. Proverbs 4:23
(NIV84)
Above all else,
guard your heart,
for it is the
wellspring of life.

38. A soft heart…
•Is responsive to the
voice of God.
•Cares about the
needs of others.

39. Hebrews 3:13
(NIV2011)
But encourage one
another daily, as long
as it is called “Today,”
so that none of you
may be hardened by