Tuesday, October 1, 2019

How did the "Lord Harden" Pharaoh's heart?

And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exodus 7:13

"God sheds light upon the souls of men, he grants them
opportunities and privileges, and if these are not improved, if the precious moments of probation are neglected, the measure of the light given will be the measure of the guilt incurred through this inexcusable neglect of the gifts of God.

The Savior said, "If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matt.6:23).

We are told that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.

---The repeated refusals of the king to hear the word of the Lord, called forth more direct, more urgent and forcible messages.
---At each rejection of light, the Lord manifested a more marked display of his power; but the king's obstinacy increased with every new evidence of the power and majesty of the God of heaven,
---until the last arrow of mercy was exhausted from the divine quiver.

Then the man was utterly hardened by his own persistent resistance.
Pharaoh sowed obstinacy,
and he reaped a harvest of the same in his character.
 
The Lord could do nothing more to convince him, for he was barricaded in obstinacy and prejudice, where the Holy Spirit could not find access to his heart.
Pharaoh was given up to his own unbelief and hardness of heart.
 
Infidelity produced infidelity.

When Pharaoh hardened his heart on the first exhibition of God's power, he made himself more capable of a second rejection of God's power.
Pride and stubbornness held him in bondage, and hindered him from acknowledging the warnings of God."
E.G.W.