Exiting Egypt Chapter 4 P2

Exiting Egypt

“The Blessings of Obedience”

By Dennis Lee Part 2 of 4

Exodus 4:18-31

2. With Obedience God Brings Guidance

Read Ex. 4:20-23

When Moses obeyed and started back to Egypt, it is then that God blessed him with both guidance and direction as to what he was to do and what the result would be.

Moses set out to make a permanent move to Egypt. It wasn’t “Let men go and check it out first sort of trip.” Moses packed up his family and his belongings and said adios to his life as a Shepherd. He said adios to that phase of his life and began to move into this new phase by faith.

And when he did, it was then that God met with Moses and continued to meet his need. And it was a very special need that Moses needed met. He needed guidance and direction once he got there. What exactly was he to do. And so God told Moses three things

First he was to go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles God had given him the power to do, those that were given to him at the bush.

Second, God told Moses that He was going to harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he wouldn’t let them go. God wanted to make sure that Moses wasn’t surprised and thus discouraged.

Third, God told Moses what to say.

First was the fact that Israel was God’s son, but not just a son, but His first-born, which is the most loving and honored relationship in that culture. The first-born son was given a place of honor and respect. He received a double portion of the family’s inheritance, would be the one who would succeed as head of the family, and would thus be given authority and responsibility. Pharaoh would not have missed this, which was the most probable reason his heart became hardened. Israel was to be over Egypt, and had the privilege that Pharaoh would have thought only to be for himself.

Second, Moses was to tell Pharaoh that Israel was to be set free to serve God. Again, this would have tweaked Pharaoh, because they were to serve God, not himself. Why, because Pharaoh thought that he was a god, and this would have also served to harden Pharaoh’s heart.

And third, if Pharaoh refused, that God would destroy Pharaoh’s first-born son, which meant that no matter how strong Pharaoh and Egypt were, they were no match for God. And that Pharaoh couldn’t even protect his own household, which then would add to the hardening process.

This aspect of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart; what does it mean? How do we understand? Did Pharaoh have no choice in his actions as it says that God hardened his heart? And if that is the case, then how could he be punished for what he could not control. How do we grapple with this?

First, ten times God is said to harden Pharaoh’s heart. It also says ten times that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

Next, what must be understood is that Pharaoh hardened his heart long before God is said to have hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Pharaoh had hardened his heart against God as a result of the first five plagues. It is then, with the sixth sign that God began to harden Pharaoh’s heart.

In other words, after God became manifest, Pharaoh hardened his heart. Therefore, in judgment, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. And while this seems hard, what we need to realize is that God justice is fair and righteous. He only confirmed what was in Pharaoh’s heart.

You see, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because he worshipped false gods, lived and ungodly and unrighteous life, treated others unjustly and unfairly, brutalizing those he enslaved, and rejected the pleas of God time and again, even when God sent warnings to him.

And so, what this means is that we are the ones who harden our hearts against God, and God doesn’t actively interfere to harden the heart of anyone. People are responsible and accountable for what they do. It is men who harden themselves to God and God, after repeated warnings, grants them their requests.

David, worried that the same might happen to him, because of his disobedience and sin in the whole Bathsheba affair prays,

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit (Psm. 51:11-12 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Roman church talked about the result of those who exchanged the truth of God for lies, and who worshiped and served false gods. He said,

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done (Rom. 1:28 NIV)

Alexander Maclaren in his commentary said,

“God hardens no man’s heart who has not first hardened it himself. Was not the accumulation of plagues, intended as they were to soften, a cause of hardening? Does not the gospel, if rejected, harden, making consciences and wills less susceptible? The same fire softens wax and hardens clay. Whosoever is not brought near is driven farther off by the influences which God brings to bear on us.”

There’s a strong lesson in all of this. God’s call comes to us in some form every single day. Every day we have the opportunity to respond to Him. And although it may not be noticeable to us, refusing these calls will gradually harden our hearts.