A) THE FIRST OCCURRENCE.

B) HEBREW WORD’S AND THEIR MEANINGS.

C) YOUR OBJECTIONS.

D) COMMENTS FROM MY FAVORITE BIBLE COMMENTATOR.

 

 

A) THE FIRST OCCURRENCE

 

 

The First occurrence of the Bible’s seemingly unorthodox dealings with Pharaoh, i.e., the “hardening” of Pharaoh’s heart, is found in Exodus 4:21.  The word’s “harden/hardened,” when speaking of God’s dealings with Pharaoh, are translated from FOUR Hebrew words, which gives us the first clue that each situation was handled differently.  Let’s take a look at them individually.

 

 

B) HEBREW WORD’S AND THEIR MEANINGS

 

 

(1) “Chazaq” = “To encourage, strengthen, help, fortify, amend, establish, be strong, courageous, conquer, confirm, conquer, confirm, be of good courage, bold, maintain, become mighty, prevail, strengthen ones-self, be stout, be sure, behave self-valiantly, make hard, harden.”

 

In the Book of Exodus alone, it is used twelve times:  Exodus 4:21; 7:13 & 22; 8:19; 9:12 & 35; 10:20 & 27; 11:10; 14:4 & 8 n& 17.  When we check all of the meanings out, we can see that God actually, “encouraged” Pharaoh.

 

Here is another example of its use in another Book.  In First Samuel 30:6, in the reading of “Chazaq,” we can clearly see that, “David encouraged [Chazaq] himself in the Lord.”  Also, in all of the following texts, the word “Chazaq,” has been translated as, “encouraged,” instead of, “hardened.”  See Deuteronomy 1:38; 3:28; Judges 20:22; Second Samuel 11:25; Second Chronicles 31:4; 35:2; Psalm 64:5; Isaiah 41:7.

 

Therefore, we must ask, Why did the “encouragement” of the Lord have the effect of “hardening” Pharaoh’s heart instead of encouraging him?  We might just as well ask why the same encouraging, inspiring ministry of Jesus, could produce a loving John and a traitorous Judas?  Every man is exposed in some degree to the grace of Christ (see John 1:9); yet consider the results.  In coming to a conclusion of the Hebrew word then, Pharaoh “hardened” his own heart, “through the deceitfulness of sin.”  Hebrews 13:13.

 

 

(2) “Kabad” = “Make weighty, grievously afflict, boast, be dim, be grievous, harden, be heavy, honor self, glorify ones-self, promote self.”

 

It is used in Exodus 8:32; 9:34; 10:1, and has the same implications and result (in regards to Pharaoh), as “Chazaq” did.  In this case, God tried the negative as opposed to the positive, which did not work with “Chazaq.”  But Pharaoh himself made the experience to be negative.

 

 

(3) “Kabed” = [A derivative of Kabad] “grievous, hard, heavy laden.”

 

It is used in Exodus 7:14; 8:15; 9:7.  Except for Exodus 10:1 (discussed later under our Fourth Hebrew word), please notice that it was Pharaoh, not God, by his own choice, who chose to “harden” his own heart.  At this point, please notice that the Hebrew word, “Chazaq” (meaning to “encourage,” remember?) is used in almost every account of God’s dealings with Pharaoh, and that “Kabad,” and “Kabed,” are used when Pharaoh “hardened” his own heart.

 

 

(4) “Qasheh” = “Tough, severe, cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, hard, obstinate, rough.”

 

“Oasheh” is used in Exodus 7:3.  However, just to double check, in Exodus 14:4 & 8 & 17, God actually, “encouraged” (“Chazaq”) the Egyptians, that they might rebuild their land.  Instead, they used it to pursue after Israel. Therefore, our God used this action to glorify His Name and to stamp out sin and rebellion.  I will stick my neck out here, but this is probably exactly what happened in Heaven, with 1/3rd of the angels hardening their own hearts, encouraged by Satan (Pharaoh).

 

“Oasheh” can also be determined, through God’s dealings with Pharaoh, that Pharaoh had already been decided in his own course of action.  When you research Exodus 7:3 and 10:1 (especially see 10:1), this Biblical truth clearly comes out.  This is true because we can notice how Pharaoh “encourages” his own heart (Chazaq) in Exodus 7:22; 8:19; 9:35, in order to continue his ruler-ship over the Israelites.

 

By contrast, when we come to Exodus 10:1, Pharaoh has decided to eternally rebel in his heart against this God of the Hebrews.  In other words, Pharaoh decided his own fate, closing his own probation, by hardening his own heart.  This is true, and will be true, for every person (and angel) who rebels against the Statues of God.

 

 

C) YOUR OBJECTIONS

 

 

The verse that seems to negate any argument in favor of our Lord “encouraging” Pharaoh’s heart, and that has caused all the trouble, and that most objectors refer to, is Exodus 7:13:  “He hardened Pharaoh’s heart.”  Obviously, the “He,” is referring to God.

 

However, all is cleared up when we understand that this particular verse should be translated as, “Pharaoh’s heart was hard.”  The reason we can know that this is the correct way to translate this verse, is because the Hebrew is exactly identical, with the same sentence structure, as that of verse 22, of Chapter 7, in the Book of Exodus, which states:  “Pharaoh’s heart was hard.”

 

 

D) COMMENTS FROM MY FAVORITE BIBLE COMMENTATOR

 

 

Here are a few statements which fit in line with what is taking place in both the Book of Exodus, with the dealing of Pharaoh, and ultimately with every one else who decides to have their own way instead of the ways of our Lord.

 

“That is, the display of almighty power before Pharaoh, being rejected by him [Pharoah], would make him harder and more firm in his rebellion.  His hardness of heart would increase by a continual resistance of the power of God.”  3SG:194.

 

“God never compels a man to offend and be lost.  We read that He hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and that Pharaoh refused to let Israel go.  Did God strengthen and confirm the king in his obstinacy? -- No, He simply allowed the seeds of unbelief to produce their fruit; and the seed sown when the first miracle was rejected, produced a harvest of infidelity.

 

“God left the king to the inclinations of his own heart.  The great I Am acquainted Pharaoh with His mighty works, showing him that He was the ruler of Heaven and earth.  But the king chose to defy the God of Heaven.  He would not consent to break his proud heart even before the King of kings, that he might receive the light; for he was determined to have his own way and work out his own rebellion.

 

“His proud disregard of God’s Command, ‘Let My people go,’ confirmed him in his determination not to yield, though evidence was piled upon evidence; and every additional evidence of the power of God that the Egyptian monarch resisted, carried him on to a stronger and more persistent defiance of God.

 

“Thus the work went on, finite man warring against the expressed Will of an infinite God.  This case is a clear illustration of the sin against the Holy Ghost.  ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’  Gradually the Lord withdrew His Spirit.  Removing His restraining power, He gave the king into the hands of the worst of all tyrants, -- self.”  AUGA:231; RH, July 27, 1897; CC:89.

 

“It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts.  He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened.  Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible.  Light comes to the soul through God’s Word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned.  So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul.”  DA:322.

 

Speaking of future Pharaohs to be, my favorite Bible commentator writes:  “To the priests was committed the education of the heir to the throne, and it was this spirit of determined opposition to God and zeal for idolatry that molded the character of the future monarch, and led to cruelty and oppression toward the Hebrews.”  PP:332.2.

 

“Satan wrought through the magicians in a manner calculated to harden the heart of the tyrant Pharaoh against the miraculous manifestations of God’s power.  Satan thought to stagger the faith of Moses and Aaron in the Divine origin of their mission, and then his instruments, the magicians, would prevail.”  RH, February 18, 1862.