Hard Hearted

Exodus 7:1-5

The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm gonna harden my heart
I'm gonna swallow my tears
I'm gonna turn and leave you here

"Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash

Pharaoh, what a guy. Earlier in Exodus we learn that there is nobody now alive who remembers what Joseph had done for the nation of Egypt. By interpreting Pharaoh's dreams and administering the national's wealth wisely he had saved Egypt from certain death. Of course when everything is dandy, who remembers when times were hard. Joseph was forgotten.

Israel was now a nation of slaves in the kingdom of Egypt, and life is never good for slaves. Moses has been called by the Lord God to bring his people out of Egypt. Of course, like so many of God's prophets Moses will be reluctant. Since the fate of prophets is well known, maybe caution is a good trait. The Lord God answers Moses' questions and objections, and so he is sent, along with his brother Aaron to bring the word of God to Pharaoh.

Nominally, the God's request is that the nation worship the Lord in the wilderness. In the end, the result will be so much more. But as we well know, Pharaoh will not listen to Moses. The Lord will harden Pharaoh's heart against the nation and Israel will only be released and free when God's hand is stretched out against Egypt. Only under harsh discipline and great acts of judgement will Pharaoh know the Lord is God.

Pharaoh echoed Quarterflash. He hardened his heart. When his nation suffered under the hand of God he swallowed his tears. His plan was to turn his back on Moses and Aaron and the Lord and leave them all to rot under the harsh slavery of labor. This until the Lord would be mocked no more. This until the final plague.

The plagues of Egypt were many, after each Pharaoh's heart was hardened, until the last. Even after the final plague of Passover Pharaoh chased the nation with horse and chariot, only to be lost in the sea.

Here is an important point, as with yesterday's reading, God was patient with Moses waiting for the right time to call, commission, and consecrate him for service. So too, the story of the release of the nation begins with chapter three and doesn't end until chapter fourteen of Exodus. This takes the nation from the Call of Moses to escape at the Red Sea. This before forty years in the wilderness.

Freedom is great and glorious, but it is never as quick as we desire. Freedom comes only from God; and only after he breaks our hard hearts.