Monday: Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
Daily Lesson for Monday 21st of July 2025
Read Exodus 7:3,13-14,22. How do we understand these texts?
Nine times in Exodus the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is ascribed to God (Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3; Exodus 9:12; Exodus 10:1,20,27; Exodus 11:10; Exodus 14:4,8; see also Romans 9:17-18). Another nine times Pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart (Exodus 7:13-14,22; Exodus 8:15,19,32; Exodus 9:7,34-35).
Who hardened the king’s heart—God, or Pharaoh himself?
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It is significant that in the Exodus story of the ten plagues, in each of the first five plagues, Pharaoh alone was the agent of his heart hardening. Thus, he initiated the hardening of his own heart. From the sixth plague on, however, the biblical text states that it was God who hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12). What all this means is that God strengthened or deepened Pharaoh’s own choice, his willful action, as God had told Moses He would do (Exodus 4:21).
In other words, God sent plagues to help Pharaoh repent and to free him from the darkness and error of his mind. God did not create fresh evil in Pharaoh’s heart; instead, He simply gave Pharaoh over to his own malign impulses. He left him without God’s restraining grace and thus abandoned him to his own wickedness (see Romans 1:24-32).
Pharaoh had his free will—he could choose for or against God—and he decided against.
The lessons are obvious. We have been given the ability to choose between right and wrong, good and evil, obedience or disobedience. From Lucifer in heaven, to Adam and Eve in Eden, to Pharaoh in Egypt, and to us today—wherever we abide, we choose either life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19).
An analogy: imagine sunshine that beats on butter and clay. Butter melts but clay hardens. The heat of the sun is the same in both cases, but there are two different reactions to the heat, and two different results. The effect depends on the material. In the case of Pharaoh, one may say that it depended upon the attitudes of his heart toward God and His people.
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What freewill choice(s) are you going to make in the next day or so? If you know what the right choice is, how can you prepare yourself to make it? |
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Mercy is what hardened Pharaoh's heart. The same sun that melts butter hardens clay.
Absolutely 💯
“Because they did not receive the love of the truth… God will send them a strong delusion…” (2 Thessalonians 2:10–11).
God does not lead people to sin, but when people willingly and persistently continue to reject His saving grace, God respects their choice and gives them over to the consequences of their chosen rebellion. God hardening Pharaoh’s heart was a confirmation of Pharaoh’s own choice. It is indeed sobering and deeply serious that while God is patient, His patience is not infinite. God’s saving grace cannot be taken for cheap and granted. “Don’t be misled, you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant” (Galatian 6:7,NLT).
There comes a point when God stops to contend with a willful and persistent sinner (Gen.6:3). He allows them to be fully consumed by their sinful choices (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). This should serve as a clear warning to us and a call to humility to be responsive to God’s grace.
“Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness… not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”(Romans 2:4).
Life is filled with choices, including the choice of listening to, and obeying God, or not. Each time we make the choice it becomes easier to make the same choice again. God loves us enough to honor our choices but if we choose to ignore/disobey Him, He does not give up on us easily. He constantly woos us like a Divine Lover to choose Him.
It would be unjust for God to punish Pharaoh for consequences that were His own fault. I like the lesson explanation…
God confirmed Pharaoh’s own repeated choices. How? God gave Pharaoh over to his own sinful impulses; the Holy Spirit was withdrawing from him per his wishes (Rom. 1:24,28). Say “Go away” enough times and the Holy Spirit goes. God pursues us patiently, but He has a limit and Self-imposed boundaries around our free will. This grieving away the Holy Spirit one can do by continually denying the obvious truths He is presenting us with, just as the Pharisees denied the obvious truth that Jesus is divine and instead attacked Him. Pushing away God’s Spirit is the most scary wrong choice we can make, says Jesus, because His Spirit is who pricks our conscience to know we’re making fatal choices (Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29). Saying “no” as our final answer to God’s Spirit is the “unpardonable sin” because He alone brings us to Christ, the source of pardon.
Also, I’ve always liked the analogy of the sun hardening clay but melting butter because it shows the process. At first, the clay (attitude of the heart) is soft and not completely hardened. A gentle heat can actually increase the plasticity of the clay. But as the day goes on and the sun’s rays beat down hotter, the clay becomes completely rigid and unmaleable, cracking in the heat. Prolonged exposure to high heat hardens clay. Just so, as God mercifully turned up the heat, and the plagues became increasingly severe to warn of the approaching final judgment hour, this caused Pharaoh’s stubborn heart to get harder. Now, the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) and God could have allowed Pharaoh to collect his wages instantly. But instead, God’s grace holds back the immediate death caused by sin to allow the process of choice to play out. Makes me ask, “In the trials God allows or sends, am I easily softening like butter, or hardening? Am I opening up to the Holy Spirit more and more and melting into submission, or am I stiffening?” Hebrews 3:7-14, especially vv. 12-14, adds more to these thoughts.
Dear Esther,
Many thanks for sharing your thoughtful thoughts. I have been reflecting on the analogy of the sun hardening the clay while melting butter. Is this analogy right? Is this analogy fair? The clay and butter are totally different materials, which by their very nature are bound to react differently to the heat of the sun. Is it right or fair to expect butter to withstand the heat of the sun? Would that be an honest expectation? As human beings, we attempt to explain certain things using our limited understanding. For instance, we may try to explain "who hardened Pharaoh's heart?" based on what we understand from scripture. However, is our understanding truly complete? Who can exhaust the depth of God's wisdom? Even in the power of choice and personal will, can the sovereignty of God be ignored? (Isaiah 55:8–9, Isaiah 46:9–10, Daniel 4:35, Romans 9:20–21, 1 Chronicles 29:11–12).
I am encouraged and comforted by Job's final submission about the sovereignty of God (Job 42:1–6).
A true understanding of God’s sovereignty does not always come with explanations, it comes through encounter, humility, and trust.
Bro Omwenga, thank you for inviting us to contemplate the clay analogy more deeply. I agree that metaphors fall short of a full understanding of God's eternal greatness and our relationship with Him. Though I personally love metaphors and parables because I receive more insight as I pray for wisdom and dig deeper into the comparison. Perhaps it is helpful to remember that God's covenant people are also likened to clay numerous times in Scripture (for example, Is. 64:8; Jer. 18:6). So it is not a handicap to be clay for clay can also soften and be moldable in God's hand. It comes back to our own choice. We all have been created in God's image; we all have the "right stuff" to receive or reject God's Spirit.
Omwenga, you wrote:
Asking questions can be helpful, but in this case, I think it is not. Here's why:
The sun hardening clay and softening butter are analogies. The thing with analogies, as with parables, is that the focus is on ONE aspect of the comparison. In this case, it is the effect of the sun, both softening and hardening a substance. The focus is not on the nature of the substance that is hardening or softening.
The take-away point of the analogy helps us understand why the Bible says both that Pharaoh hardened his heart (e.g. Exodus 8:32) and that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (e.g. Exodus 9:12).
I mention this now because I have seen people run off on theological rabbit trails by trying to make analogies "walk on all fours." It's best to stick to the ONE aspect the analogy is meant to illustrate. 😊
Yes, it's an object lesson. Omwenga, please note that the Bible does not say that some people have hearts of butter and others have hearts of clay. (It does say we have hearts of stone, but that's before we experience God's transformation). The analogy is used by humans to help us understand a spiritual principle.
“Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart?" The Bible says that God did, and Pharaoh did his share of hardening the Bible says the 1st 4 plagues he hardened his heart. Also, the Bible says that Pharaoh’s heart softened, and promised to let God's people go in the severity of the plague, then went back on his promise once the plague was lifted, this happened 9 times. The magicians were able to mimic water to blood, and the Bible says bring about frogs, but when the lice/gnats came they could not mimic any plague beyond the 2nd. They even told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God,” Pharaohs still heartened his heart. Exodus 7:18-19. The Bible said , in essence, Pharaoh never learned and never repented long enough for any of the Israelites to pack up and leave. He did say I have sinned and asked for forgiveness to get the plague reversed then he slid back into disobeying God until God put him through the ultimate plague. The last six plagues were so severe God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, because Pharaoh would not still obey, he also said, "Egypt is finished." So why did he not surrender to God? He had a 'god complex', and pride, his reasoning had left him. But he still acted as king. Reversing his decisions. He praised God when times were ruff and there was a little hope that he could rebuild his empire then he turned right around and spat in Gods face. As the plagues went on it’s as if he decided to sacrifice the whole nation of Egypt.
Many over time have wrestled with the question: Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart? God or Pharaoh himself? Scripture reveals both. At times, it says Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15, 8:32); at others, it clearly states God hardened it (Exodus 9:12, 10:1). This tension isn’t a contradiction it’s a revelation. Pharaoh had already chosen defiance, repeatedly rejecting God's command. God, in His sovereignty, confirmed Pharaoh’s choice, allowing it to fully manifest for His greater purpose. The hardening wasn’t arbitrary, it was a judgment on a heart already resistant to God’s will.
This should stir humility, not confusion. It reminds us that persistent resistance to God can lead to spiritual callousness. But it also highlights God's ability to work even through rebellion to accomplish divine plans. While Pharaoh opposed God's call, Moses obeyed it and the difference in outcomes is striking. One man’s heart grew colder; the other’s grew stronger through surrender. The question isn't just who hardened Pharaoh's heart, but what are we doing with our own?
Does free will stop where God hardens your heart?
God works with what we have in our hearts. He gives us free will to start the building blocks, and so we choose the material. His converting and constraining Spirit leaves us when we choose to continue in our sinful state...leaves us to a reprobate mind because we have reached the point of a sneared conscience...we feel nothing ...liken to the nerves removed and you feel no pain. Woes unto us who are in that position.
I pray today for an understanding of God's word in this lesson. That His character will not be maligned. Join me in praying that God's people will look forward to discussing this topic with unity at Sabbath School this coming Sabbath DV.
God isn't like the devil at all! He doesn't toy with his creatures like a cat does a mouse prior to killing it. That's how Satan operates.
God was throwing down road block after roadblock on Pharoah's "highway to hell." Through the plagues, God was trying to save Pharoah. God was demonstrating that indeed it is harder to be lost than saved. Had Pharoah not fought against the conviction that he was fighting an unwinnable battle against God, he could have saved both himself and his countrymen needless suffering.
If anyone is determined to go their own way into perdition, they will have to crawl across a crucified Savior to get there. God won't give us up without a fight, but he ultimately leaves the final decision to us.
Today and everyday amidst the myriad of decisions we are faced with, may we determine to honor the Lord in them all, rather than the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life.
The apostle Paul admonishes believers not to grieve the Holy Spirit, noting that persistent rejection can ultimately lead to His withdrawal - Eph.4:30. This implies a limit — however undefined — to how long one may ignore or resist divine prompting before that prompting is no longer discernible.
The Holy Spirit was available to Pharoah as well. Without it, we cannot discern God’s stirring to direct our hearts toward Him — a stirring to guide us, convict us, and lead us to surrender our minds and wills to be used for His sovereign purpose - or, for that matter, to reject yieling to it.
The example of Pharaoh serves as a paradigm for willful resistance. His hardened heart was not an arbitrary judgment but a culmination of repeated refusals to heed God’s call. Similarly, any individual who rejects the invitation of the Holy Spirit assumes responsibility for forfeiting the freedom and life that come through divine obedience.
Yet the invitation remains: responding to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, God offers a transformed life, the gift of eternal life, and the faith needed to bring about that transformation. Why would one need to wait when the sole prerequisite is a posture of humility and belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God - and that is the crux of the matter.
The most critical freewill choice that we make every day is whether to be connected to God or not. God is wonderful. He knows more than we do. Even though things may seem dark, the best choice is to allow Him to lead.