The recurring phrase in Exodus chapters 7-14 that says: “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” is a difficult one to understand. Am not going to interpret it literally but rather am going to help provide its theological meaning. And here are the keys to understand it:
- Heart
- Pharaoh
- Hardened
THE HEART:
Why of all the things about Pharaoh was his heart that was hardened? Why not his mind or Brain? The reason is a quick one, the heart represents THE WILL. It is the base of one’s reasoning (brain /mind) and the influence behind one’s actions (hands or what we do).
I must emphasize however that in Biblical theology God has no power over our will, he can only negotiate but cannot direct or determine it. So implicating God in the business of dealing with our will, vindicates the Satan and dismisses the cosmic power we know as sin (cause of causes).
PHARAOH:
It is important that we keep in mind that PHARAOH is not an individual and neither is it an individual’s name but rather it is a TITLE, it is an OFFICE, it is an INSTITUTION, and not just a POWER but an AUTHORITY.
In other words, PHARAOH is a SPECIFIC WILL about the Israelites slaves in contrast to another will that Moses represents before the Pharaoh will. When you read Exodus 7:4; 11:9, you will realize that even before we accuse God of hardening Pharaoh’s heart, it was already obvious that this Egyptian will was not subject to any other will and not even willing. Just as the Philistine authority was not willing to subject to the will behind the ark of the covenant in 1Samuel 6:6 so was the Authority of Pharaoh.
HARDENING:
The Theology of heart hardening is, therefore, one of the great controversies between two WILLs. That of the knowledge of EVIL and that of the knowledge of GOOD. The no negotiation approach of Yahweh on Pharaoh with Plagues demonstrates that while sinners are objects of salvation, their sin (sinful will) is not part of what is to be saved.
God forgives sinners but he fights sin and casualties of this war are those who get stuck to sin. Sin is destined for destruction and all its content and containers.
Because the theology of Judaism is built on the sovereignty of Yahweh, it’s explanation of the co-existence of evil and good in the world rotates around CAUSE and EFFECT. And the sovereign Yahweh cannot have any other counter-power, but-but he is the reason behind good as well as evil (Exodus 15:26; Isaiah 45:7).
Jewish primitive theology approaches heart hardening theology through the lens of what I call: DIVINE CASAULITY. God effects good to the morally upright and causes evil to the wicked… (1Samuel 2:25). A Theological crisis will arise when the wicked prosper like in Psalms 73 and the reformers like king Josiah are slaughtered by heathens. This will be an area of improvement in the theology of Jews, and for the first time Mathew a Jew will introduce another counter authoritative character by the name Satan in Mathew 4.
Finally, we must understand the heart hardening theology through the Plagues. Pharaoh (system or authority) does not resist or rebel so that God can multiply the Plagues and do more to convince or actually break Pharaoh, but rather Pharaoh resists and the heart hardening theology is about PREVENTING THE REVELATION OF WHO GOD IS. Pharaoh is after ensuring that whether God wins or not, he (Yahweh) is not UNDERSTOOD by all people. Yet Yahweh’s ultimate goal is him being revealed and known.
These two authorities will be stuck to their guns and Yahweh will take no hostages and will stop at nothing in ruining Egypt. God is going to ensure that the worship system of Egypt is inconvenienced to the extent of the priests of Egyptian religions asking the Pharaoh system to succumb and let the people of Israel go (Exodus 10:7). But Pharaoh, because he is the devil personified, will not succumb. In fact what we see is that Satan is prepared to die fighting not to let slaves go and yes when we get to chapter 14:26-29 we see Pharaoh drowning in pursuit of these slaves. While the devil will stop at nothing to keep you, your God has no problem drowning the devil after you. And now this ushers us well to chapter 15 of PRAISE, WORSHIP and MURMURING as well.
Pr. ITM White
The Gospel Hawker
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 