A Study of the Life of Moses
Sermon # 7
“The Consequences of a Hard Heart”
Exodus 7-10
Dr. John R. Hamby
Proverbs 29:1 states the biblical principle, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
This morning we are going to examine the consequences of a hard heart. The next three chapters (7-9) are given to a telling of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart and how God works out the deliverance of his people. Pharaoh hardened his heart and resisted the authority of God over his life. Pharaoh blinded himself and refused to recognize God, and in so doing he incurred the wrath and judgment of God. Some are quick to point out that it says that “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” but the truth is that we are told numerous times that “Pharaoh hardened his heart” before we are told that finally “God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” If you decide to reject God long enough he will enviably grant you your wish. Only after Pharaoh had proceeded to harden his own heart; knowingly, willfully and sinfully, did God oblige him.
This morning I want you to see with me four responses of a hard heart.
The First Response of AHard Heart: Blatant Disobedience
You will remember that Pharaoh’s initial response was blatant disobedience. Moses and Aaron had stood before Pharaoh and delivered the message of God, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Let My people go…” (5:1). Pharaoh’s response was, “Who is the LORD that I should obey his voice?”
Or to put it another way he was saying, “Who does Jehovah think He is to tell Pharaoh what he must do?”
Pharaoh only increased the burden of the children of Israel, from now on they would make the same number of bricks but they would have to gather their own straw. Moses left the presence of Pharaoh dejected and depressed, the people even blamed Moses and Aaron for the increase in there work load. Moses took his burden to the LORD (5:22), there God reassured him of his unchanging purpose. He told Moses “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh….” (6:1).
God tells Moses that he is to go back to Pharaoh and
tell him “he must let my people go.” (Ex 6:10). God explains to Moses what he can expect to happen in Exodus 7: 1-5, “So the LORD said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. (2) You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. (3) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. (4) But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”
Pharaoh does indeed ignore the signs done at the hands of Moses. In Exodus 7:10 we read, “So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.”
Pharaoh was not convinced that the miracle that he had just witnessed possessed any uniqueness to that which the magicians in his court could duplicate. The magicians were summoned and they did indeed seem to able to turn their rods into serpents. Just how the magicians were able to do this is a matter of conjecture. Whether they were able to perform some kind of optical illusion, used sleight of hand or a actually worked a genuine miracle through Satanic power is argued by Biblical scholars. But the one thing we do know is that whatever they did seemed to satisfy the heart of this wicked king.
Exodus 7:14, tells us “So the LORD said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.”
Pharaoh had resisted all efforts of Moses to get the children of Israel released. The issue now has to be forced. It would take ten plagues before Pharaoh would give the command let Israel go. Now the plagues begin. As the plagues progress, Pharaoh’s heart becomes increasingly hardened. Even when the Pharaoh seems to relent he inevitably fails to keep his promise.
The first of God’s judgments was against the waters of Egypt. The Plague of the Nile turned into blood (7:14-25). In verse 25 we are told that “And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.” The plague lasted seven days. It was a severe judgment, but the Bible says that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to let the people go (7:22).
The Second Response Of A Hard Heart: Insincerity
The second plague that God brought was the Plague of the Frogs (8:1-15). Aaron stretched forth his hand over the water of Egypt and frogs came up out of the waters and covered the land (v. 6). This is especially significant because the frog was considered sacred in Egypt and could not be killed. The consequence was the there was nothing they could do about this situation. They came to loathe the very symbols of their worship.
The magicians were again summoned and asked to perform the same miraculous act, this they did. But the fact that the magicians could produce even more frogs could hardly have been of any comfort. What they need was less frogs not more frogs!
When times got tough enough Pharaoh yielded to God verbally, we will see that he later changed his mind when things were better. In Exodus 8:8, we find, “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” (9) And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.” (10) So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.”
In Pharaoh’s reactions we see the mistakes that individuals make to day when things get difficult in their lives. In times of difficulty, they put God off. He puts off submitting to God until the last possible moment. “Tomorrow” he says will be soon enough. In times of crisis, they cry out to God. When and only when they have exhausted every human possibility they turn to God in prayer (v. 28). In times of relief, they forget God. He promised to let the children of Israel go, but when that there was “relief,” that is the frogs were gone he changed his mind . Exodus 8:15 says, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said.” Today is no different, many people when faced with difficult situations, pay lip service to God never intending to fulfill their vow. How many of us have in the midst of some extreme difficulty, cried out to God, “Oh Lord, get me out of this, and I will do anything.” But when the Lord has delivered us we withdraw our promise just like Pharaoh.
Because of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart the people had to endure yet another plague, commonly called the plague of the gnats (8:16-19). The exact identity of these insects is not known. We get the word gnat from the Greek version of the Old Testament. The Hebrew word here may indicate a form of sand fly or flea that dug beneath the skin and caused itching and pain. In the South if you think of “chiggers,” I believe you will understand what the Egyptians were going through.
The importance of this third plague is that for the first time the magicians of Egypt were unable to produce these gnats, even though they tried. This was convincing enough to provoke a most remarkable confession, for the magicians say to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” (v. 19).
(It is significant to note that from the fourth plague on the children of Israel are not affected (vv. 22-23). The land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived had an invisible shield of protection around it.)
The onset of the fourth plague, The Plague of the Flies (8:20-32), brought great swarms of flies and other insects over the land. In fact the Hebrew text merely says that it is “swarms” not bothering to specify what insects were involved. It is highly probable that all the insects of Egypt increased unnaturally and infested the streets, homes and even the court of the Pharaoh. This plague elicits a new response from Pharaoh he tries to bargain with God.
The Third Response Of A Hard Heart: Bargaining With God
Pharaoh offers four different bargains to God. The proposals that Pharaoh offers to God are the same that Satan offers the Christian today.
1. Serve God But Stay In Egypt (8:25)
“Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” The same temptation is offered today, “Be a Christian but also be in the world and of the world. Conform.”
Yet the New Testament warns us in Romans 12:1-2,
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
2. Don’t Fully Commit Yourself (8:28)
“So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.”
Leave your options open, live with your eyes on Egypt.
Three more plagues are necessary to convince Pharaoh of his error. Yet another plague befalls Egypt, the Plague upon the livestock (9:1-7), as a result almost all the livestock of the Egyptians is wiped out. Since wealth was measured largely in terms of cattle, this was an unparalleled economic disaster.
The sixth plague seems to have followed quickly upon the plague that affected the livestock. But this one was worse because it was directed against the bodies of men. The plague of the Boils (9:8-12), seems to be some sort of open running sore. As the boils continued the powerlessness of the false gods of Egypt were brought into sharp contrast. But still Pharaoh refused to let the people go.
Now there is no pause in the terrible judgments that come. Next is The Plague of the Storms (9:13-35). This plague is the worst thunderstorm in Egypt’s history (v. 18) and the destruction that occurs is the result of both hailstones and lightening (v. 24).
The Plague of the Locust (10:1-20), devours everything that had been left in the fields after the destruction of the hail.
These locust came in such great numbers that they fill the houses of both Pharaoh and his servants. The patience of the people seems to be at an end. They question the wisdom of the kings response to Moses and Aaron (v. 7). The Pharaoh was not willing to appear unmoved by the plight of the people, but in an attempt to maintain his pride, offers to Moses yet another compromise.
3. Don’t Force Your Beliefs On Others (10:11)
“Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.”
Pharaoh offers to let the men go but not the women and children. “If you have to go then go but don’t take your loved ones with you.” The Devil is still trying to convince believer’s, “Let your children make up their own minds when they are old enough. Don’t try to teach your children about God. Don’t try influence your child to attend church let your children be a part of the world so they can have all of its advantages.”
When the plague struck, Egypt Pharaoh confessed his
sins and asked Moses for forgiveness and asked that the plague be stopped (vv. 16-17). His confession is not real however and when the plague was removed Pharaoh returned to his old ways and would not let Israel go (v 20).
A new plague, The Plague of darkness (10: 21-29), now fell over Egypt. The darkness was so intense that for three days the Egyptians could not arise from their beds. The darkness was so great that the Bible says that it could be felt (v. 21). Pharoah’s response to the plague was to offer another compromise to the children of Israel.
4. Don’t Commit Everything (10:24)
“Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.”
Serve God without sacrifice. Its ok to have your religion just don’t let it affect the way you live your life. When Pharaoh’s offer was refused by Moses, he warned Moses to leave his presence and that if he should ever return it would mean his death (v. 28).
The Fourth Response Of A Hard Heart: Conviction Without Commitment (9:27-30, 35)
As a result of the Plague of the Storms (9:13), that I have already mentioned, Pharaoh saw the error of his ways and the consequences of his actions. Pharaoh was convicted and, (9:27-30), “And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. (28) Entreat the LORD, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” (29) So Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the LORD’S. (30) But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the LORD God.”
Pharaoh was convicted but he made no change. Being convicted of our sins is not the same as being saved from our sins. You can sit in a service with tears streaming down your face because of the deep conviction of your sins, but that does not save you. It takes more than conviction it take commitment. To be delivered from our sins we must commit ourselves to the Lord.
Because there was not true change in Pharaoh’s heart we read in Exodus 9:35, “So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses.”
Pharaoh was a thoroughly modern man in his responses to God. He was a man who reacted to each new circumstance in his life. His principles if he had any were: Sin when you can get away with it, Ignore God when it is convenient, and Repent when you have no choice!
Eventually Pharaoh lost. By then Egypt was in ruins. Pharaoh had lost his kingdom. Egypt had been devastated by the death angel. And Pharaoh had lost his son! What will it take before you will surrender to God?
The New Testament warns in Hebrews 3:7-8, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, (8) Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,”
Conclusion
“You may be in the danger zone …..You have played fast and loose with your life, ignoring warning after warning. You have shoved aside essential truths for so long that your heart has become hardened. And the longer you harden it, the more difficult it will be to allow God’s light to finally break through.” [Charles Swindoll. Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication. (Nashville: Word, 1999) p. 188].
