Turbo said:
Zakath, you are not correctly recalling the Biblical story, but you may be correctly recalling what some Calvinist teachers taught you.
... :doh:... here we go again...
- Example 1:
"...And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go..." Exodus 4:21
In Example 1, the construction is YHWH promises to do something to a person that will cause the person to act a certain way. One logical way to read this is that YHWH is contravening the free will of Pharaoh by hardening Pharaoh's heart.
- Example 2:
"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments." Exodus 7:3-4
In Example 2, YHWH again states that he will act to prevent Pharaoh from listening to Moses. He also states his reasons for doing this - so that he can "lay his hand on Egypt", i.e. punish Egypt. Here, YHWH effectively sets up Pharaoh and
punishes all of Egypt when Pharaoh does exactly what YHWH wants him to do.
- Example 3:
"And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go." Exodus 8:32
In Exodus 8, Pharaoh hardens his own heart. The language is clearly different from that of YHWH's threat and promise in the preceeding texts.
- Example 4:
"And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses. " Exodus 9:12
In Example 4, YHWH again gets credit for Pharaoh's condition.
- Example 5:
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD." Exodus 10:1-2
In Example 5, YHWH expands his intervention to the servants of Pharaoh as well as the monarch himself. All for the stated purpose of visiting further punishments upon Egypt.
- Example 6:
"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only...But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. " Exodus 10:16-17 and 20
In Example 6, Pharaoh repents of his sin and asks Moses to intervene for him before YHWH. Moses, being a good prophet, does so and YHWH removes the latest curse from Egypt. YHWH immediately turns around and harden's Pharaoh's heart again!
- Example 7:
"But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go." Exodus 10:27
In Example 7, Pharaoh is again victimized by the deity who hardens his heart.
The story goes on, but even you should be able to see the pattern from seven examples.
Saying that God hardened Pharaoh's heart is no different than saying that God made Pharaoh mad. People often get mad when they are shown definitively to be wrong (surely you can relate), but it's not that those who proved them wrong forced them to become bitte, angry, or spiteful.
Frankly I find such an interpretation of the plainly written text incredibly naive, Tubo. The idea that, Ramses, a monarch of the Egyptian empire and one of the greatest generals of his day would bring his people to destitution, famine, and pestilence because he got irritated shows a unrealistic view of human thinking. One does not rise to such power and military ability without being able to control one's temper.
It's not like God sprinkled magical hardening dust on Pharaoh's heart. Why would God command Pharaoh (through Moses) to let His people go, and then force Pharaoh to disobey? :hammer:
The text answers that question plainly on two different occasions...
"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you,
that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments." Exodus 7:3-4
"I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants,
that I might shew these my signs before him: And
that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son,
what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD." Exodus 10:1-2
"
