Understanding Pharaoh's Heart in Exodus 5-15

Oct 31, 2024

Lecture Notes on Exodus 5-15: The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

Introduction

  • Focus on Exodus chapters 5 through 15
  • Main topic: Hardening of Pharaoh's heart
  • Important theological discussion: Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?
  • Complex issue: Multiple Hebrew words involved

Hebrew Word Study

  • Three Hebrew words related to the hardening concept:
    • Chazak
      • In "kol" stem: To be strong, firm, or hard
      • Often describes Pharaoh's heart as hard
      • "Piel" stem: The action of making something hard; often God's action
    • Chabad
      • In "kol" stem: To be heavy or weighty, but also dull or desensitized
      • In Hebrew, 'heart' (lev) combines emotion and reason
      • "Hithiel" stem: Pharaoh makes his own heart dull
    • Kashe
      • To make hard or stiff; akin to stubbornness

Complexity of Pharaoh's Heart

  • Not a single action or word
  • Description vs. Action:
    • State of being: Pharaoh's heart is described as hard and desensitized
    • Action: God hardens Pharaoh's already hard heart
  • Progression:
    • Pharaoh initially has chances to respond to God
    • Sixth plague: God actively hardens Pharaoh's heart

Theological Insights

  • New Testament references (Romans 9-11, Hebrews 3)
  • Emphasis on the deceitfulness of sin and its impact on the heart
  • Importance of one's heart posture: Metaphor of butter vs. clay

God's Purpose

  • Demonstrate His power through signs
  • Exodus 10 & 14: God reveals Himself to both His people and Egyptians
  • Ultimate purpose: Freedom and covenant relationship

Pharaoh's Actions

  • Acts shrewdly, sees Hebrews as less than human
  • Distorted wisdom: Enslavement and murder
  • Rejection of God’s truth, stubbornness

Conclusion

  • Importance of understanding progression and choice in Pharaoh's actions
  • God’s ongoing purpose of revealing Himself and His salvation plan
  • Chapter 14: Strategy of apparent confusion, victory at the Red Sea
  • Lessons on trust and God's protection through adversity

Key Verses

  • Exodus 6: Purpose of God’s deliverance
  • Exodus 14: God's strategy and ultimate victory

Reflection: Consider the posture of your own heart and how you respond to God’s actions. The progression of Pharaoh’s heart serves as a warning and a theological reflection on the state of our own hearts in the face of divine influence.