Pharaoh, Pharaoh

Scripture: Exodus 10-11 Key Verse: 11:10

"Moses and Aaron showed Pharaoh all these amazing things. Yet, the LORD made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn't let the Israelites leave his country."

Objective:

Beginning in chapter 7 and going through chapter 12, we learn of all God did through Moses and Aaron to free the Israelites. The multiple plagues each getting worse, were done to break the spirit of Pharaoh, who was a prideful man. In chapters 10 and 11 we see the plague of Locusts, Darkness and Pharaoh is told about the Death of The Firstborns. After these events the bible says that God made Pharaoh stubborn so he refused to give in.

Application:

Pharaoh was a stubborn man from the beginning, while the plagues were going on his advisors asked him, how long are you going to keep this going on? Its hard for me to grasp this concept of God hardening the heart of Pharaoh, or making him stubborn, because it seems to fly in the face of free will. I decided to look it up in a commentary for some guidance. Here is a quote from St. Augustine, "God does not harden men by infusing malice into them, but by not imparting mercy to them." In other words if I continuously refuse to receive the mercy and let my heart be softened, then God will stop offering it. According to the commentary, It is but just and right that (God) should withhold those graces which He had repeatedly offered, and which the sinner had despised and rejected.
God has boundaries; He is not codependent. If you want to be stubborn he will let you. There is a choice to be made, do you let God work on your life and help you soften, or do you stay the way you are and by default lose out on all that God has to offer.

Prayer:

Lord, don't give up on me. I know at times I refuse to be softened or grow, but Lord continue to offer your grace and mercy upon me. Help each of us grow, so that we can be come the people you want us to be.