God's Actions are Based on Perfect Foreknowledge - Exodus 7-8 and Matthew 15:1-20
One of the hardest things for us to understand in the Bible is why God would say, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart." I believe we need to come to grips with what God meant by that statement and how it applies to our lives, too. I pray that God will speak to you about this as you read these passages.
I do not believe that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he could not or would not believe in God. I think that is what most people think that God meant, though. What is another way of understanding this? I believe God acted with perfect foreknowledge. God knows everything. He knew what Pharaoh would do before He did anything to Pharaoh. God knew that Pharaoh would not give in and believe in God, so God put together a plan based on His foreknowledge that would lead Pharaoh to hold out against God longer. This would allow God to work the 10 plagues and show all of the Egyptians, even Pharaoh, that He was the only True God. How did He do that without forcing Pharaoh to do His will? Did you notice that the first signs that Moses and Aaron worked before Pharaoh and his magicians were duplicated by the magicians? Did God know in advance that they would do that? Yes, He did. Did He know the results that would have on Pharaoh's already unbelieving heart? Yes, He did. Since He knew Pharaoh would not ever give in, He used what He knew to work out His great plan for His glory and show the world He was God. I believe God does this all the time without forcing people and always giving everyone every chance to trust Him.
Look at what Jesus did in Matthew 15. He had a confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees over the Traditions of the elders. What brought this on? Jesus and His disciples did not keep the traditions. They followed God's Word, but not man's rules about God's Word. Did Jesus know in advance that the Pharisees would have a problem with this? Yes, He did? Why did He instruct His disciples to go against their rules openly? He knew it would make most of them mad or hardened, because they were not ever going to believe on their own free will. However, He knew this course of action would lead to being able to point out to everyone the difference between His teachings and their teachings, so people could turn to Him. Therefore, Jesus was doing to the Pharisees about the same thing God, the Father, did to Pharaoh in Egypt. God does not force people to believe in Him, and He certainly doesn't force people not to believe in Him. However, based on His perfect foreknowledge He takes the right actions to show the whole world that He is the only True God, so the people who will believe have every opportunity to believe in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 9-11 and Matthew 15:21-39.
I do not believe that God hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he could not or would not believe in God. I think that is what most people think that God meant, though. What is another way of understanding this? I believe God acted with perfect foreknowledge. God knows everything. He knew what Pharaoh would do before He did anything to Pharaoh. God knew that Pharaoh would not give in and believe in God, so God put together a plan based on His foreknowledge that would lead Pharaoh to hold out against God longer. This would allow God to work the 10 plagues and show all of the Egyptians, even Pharaoh, that He was the only True God. How did He do that without forcing Pharaoh to do His will? Did you notice that the first signs that Moses and Aaron worked before Pharaoh and his magicians were duplicated by the magicians? Did God know in advance that they would do that? Yes, He did. Did He know the results that would have on Pharaoh's already unbelieving heart? Yes, He did. Since He knew Pharaoh would not ever give in, He used what He knew to work out His great plan for His glory and show the world He was God. I believe God does this all the time without forcing people and always giving everyone every chance to trust Him.
Look at what Jesus did in Matthew 15. He had a confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees over the Traditions of the elders. What brought this on? Jesus and His disciples did not keep the traditions. They followed God's Word, but not man's rules about God's Word. Did Jesus know in advance that the Pharisees would have a problem with this? Yes, He did? Why did He instruct His disciples to go against their rules openly? He knew it would make most of them mad or hardened, because they were not ever going to believe on their own free will. However, He knew this course of action would lead to being able to point out to everyone the difference between His teachings and their teachings, so people could turn to Him. Therefore, Jesus was doing to the Pharisees about the same thing God, the Father, did to Pharaoh in Egypt. God does not force people to believe in Him, and He certainly doesn't force people not to believe in Him. However, based on His perfect foreknowledge He takes the right actions to show the whole world that He is the only True God, so the people who will believe have every opportunity to believe in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 9-11 and Matthew 15:21-39.