Pharaoh — Hard Heart, Hard Fall

From Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible

And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army … Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD. Exodus 14:17–18

What He Did

He hardened his heart against God’s repeated warnings.

Why It Was Idiotic

He learned nothing from the ten plagues and led his army to destruction.

Here’s the Scoop

Pharaoh’s heart was repeatedly hardened—sometimes by his own stubbornness, other times by God’s sovereign purpose—in response to Moses’ command to let Israel go. At first, Pharaoh dismissed Moses and Aaron outright, arrogantly declaring, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?” ” (Exodus 5:2). As a result, God began to strike Egypt with a series of escalating plagues designed to break Pharaoh’s will and demonstrate God’s power over Egypt’s so-called gods.

“We broke God’s Law—Jesus paid the fine. That means God can legally take death off us and let us live forever, all because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. All that is required of us is to repent and trust in Him. Repentance means to confess and forsake our sins.”

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The Nile River, the lifeblood of Egypt, was turned to blood. When Pharaoh still refused, swarms of frogs invaded homes and bedrooms. Gnats and flies tormented man and beast. Livestock died in droves, boils broke out on people and animals, and hail destroyed crops and trees. Locusts came next, devouring everything green that remained. Dense darkness fell over the land for three days—a darkness so oppressive it could be felt. Yet Pharaoh’s heart remained hard.

Finally came the most devastating judgment: the death of every firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh’s own son to the lowliest servant and even the livestock. Only the Israelites, who had marked their doorposts with the blood of the Passover lamb, were spared. Overwhelmed with grief and fear, Pharaoh relented and drove the Israelites out.

But even then, his pride would not die. When he realized his slaves were truly gone, he gathered his chariots and pursued them to the shores of the Red Sea. There, God miraculously parted the waters so the Israelites could cross on dry ground. Blinded by rage and arrogance, Pharaoh led his army into the seabed in pursuit. As soon as Israel had passed safely, God released the waters, burying Pharaoh and his entire force beneath the waves.

His stubborn defiance led not only to his personal downfall but to the ruin of a nation’s economy, military, and future. Egypt was left shattered, a sobering testimony to the cost of resisting God.

***

The Ten Commandments pour down ten frightening plagues on sinners. Wrath abides on them (see John 3:36). The Scriptures call them “children of wrath.” among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:3)

Each Commandment reminds them that God requires moral accountability. God isn’t first in the sinner’s affections. He embraces the god of his own imagination. He uses God’s name in vain. He violates the Sabbath by not setting aside one day in seven to rest and honor God. He dishonors his parents, harbors hatred and unjust anger, and burns with unlawful sexual desire (see Matthew 5:27–28 LSB, which says, “everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”). He has stolen, lied, and coveted—and yet he chooses to remain in sin. When the Bible says that the wages of sin is death, the Law is the paymaster (see Romans 2:12; James 2:12). It calls for his blood.

As surely as the plagues fell upon Egypt and finally brought about the death of the firstborn, so also the Law will fall upon sinners on Judgment Day. Jesus said it will grind them to powder (see Matthew 21:44). When something is ground to powder, a thorough job is done. And God will thoroughly judge the wickedness of every human being—perfect justice will be done.

Yet He is rich in mercy and provided a Savior in Jesus. We broke God’s Law—Jesus paid the fine. That means God can legally take death off us and let us live forever, all because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. All that is required of us is to repent and trust in Him. Repentance means to confess and forsake our sins. The Bible says, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Jesus says to us as He said to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). And if we do sin, we have an Advocate in the presence of the Father. God promises that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).