A Hardened Heart
(Exodus 7:1-13)
Intro.
The first six chapters of Exodus tell us of Moses, his birth, his preparation, his faults and his arguments. He is the Deliverer, certainly a type of our Lord.
The next six chapters will tell of the deliverance of the nation of Israel, the picture and the type of the church. Just as Christ Jesus delivered us from the kingdom of darkness, that is, Satan’s kingdom. So Moses will deliver Israel from the clutches of this ungodly Pharoah. He like Satan is cruel and unyielding, but God will not only bend him, He will ultimately break him.
When we begin to read in chapter 7, we see a great difference in this man named Moses. God has made him to be as god to Pharoah.
I. Moses as God: (V.1)
What a contrast between ch.6:30 and v.1, from a man feeling his inadequacies, his weakness and his sinfulness to a man with great powers over this Pharoah. When God sends us forth to do His will, we know we are weak and we feel the burden of this. But who he sends He endows with His power, a spirit filled preacher is not just a strong man, but one who draws from the power of God.
Look at 6:30, he confesses his weakness, and his unbelief. But God’s grace is sufficient to master the situation. God raises him in power, no longer do we see a man who is filled with doubt, but a man who is mighty in God. He will now go forth with the authority of God, to do the work of God.
Several ways in which Moses will be God to Pharoah. He will actually rule over Pharoah, he will command him to do God’s will and will be used to punish him for his disobedience to God. I want to point out what God said to Moses in vs.1, was not you’ll be as one god among many, oh no, what He said was “I have made thee God to Pharoah.”
The word used for God is El ohim, the triune, creator God of the universe. In other words Moses was to be the representation of the Almighty God to Pharoah. This shows forth him as a type of Christ Jesus. Jesus was the embodiment of the Godhead, and this is what God said to Moses.
Col 2:9, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
Moses was probably the most complete type of the Lord Jesus Christ shown in the Old Testament. I believe after this verse, 7:1, we will not see the weakness of Moses, making excuses why he cannot do what God has appointed. It was as if God filled him with courage and strength.
II. Aaron As His Prophet:
The job of the prophet is to speak the word of God. He speaks for God, “Thus saith the Lord God Almighty.”
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. Exod 4:15-16
God’s prophet is God’s spokesman he speaks for God. The man of God is not to speak what he thinks, nor what someone else has said, but what does God say to the people. His message is to be from God’s great word.
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2 Tim 4:1-2
Paul had earlier in the letter to Timothy said, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim 1:13
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 1 Tim 6:3-5
III. The Hardening Of Pharoah’s Heart: (V.3)
Many have questioned this statement, and they do all sorts of literary gymnastics to try to prove it doesn’t say it. They think they must protect God. But, He doesn’t need to be protected. They say, God merely allowed Pharoah to harden his heart.
Their contention is that if God actually hardened Pharoah’s heart, it makes God the author of his sin. How ridiculous, can we not just believe the word, without trying to call God a liar? Over and over it is stated that God hardened his heart, and in the book of Romans; Rom 9:17-20
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
This is what Paul is addressing here, but we don’t have the right to question God.
Each time God hardened his heart it was so God could display His power, in the plagues. No Egyptian could deny or ignore the power of Israel’s God, Jehovah.
To deny the plain word of God is to declare God to be a liar, is He? Look at
Num 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” He doesn’t need to lie, for He is God.
This goes along with men saying, “God doesn’t make men to will, we have a free will.” God’s word says, “He maketh us willing in the day of His power.” In the book of Phil. 2:13, it says, “It is God that worketh in you, both to will, and do of His good pleasure.” Is it saying He affects our will? Of course!
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Prov 21:1 I wonder if He has to affect that king’s will? We have to be careful our logic will wreck our theology.
Why did God harden Pharoah’s heart? He gives us the answer, Exod 7:4-5
“But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” That God’s power would be displayed.
When God’s word is spoken, one of two things happens; conviction by God, or else men are brought under God’s responsibility. We preach, life unto life or death unto death.
God gives us some information in v.7, Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, why is this mentioned? I believe so you and I would realize it is never too late to serve God. We often get the idea, only young people who can speak well can be used.
In 1 Cor 1:26-31, Paul tells us the qualifications of service;
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Can God use a weak vessel? Yes, and if one is surrendered to Him, He will use them.
IV. The Miracle Of The Rod:
When Moses threw down the rod of God before the Egyptians was so they might know he truly was the ambassador of the Jehovah God of the Israelites. Pharoah was to know that God had sent His messenger to deal with this heathen nation and her king.
Sorcerers and magicians were brought out to show their magic. Was this some slight of hand? Some have conjectured they had serpents hypnotized to remain stiff until thrown to the ground. I believe God included this in the account that we might know, our enemies are very powerful. This is why Peter said, “Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Vs.12 is interesting, it doesn’t say Aaron’s serpent swallowed their serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed their rods. Were these hypnotized serpents, no they were rods that appeared as serpents. Men would like to change the word of God to remove the divine power, but God would have you know what took place was miraculous.
Satan is not a man but a supernatural being, he is not as powerful as God, but he is more powerful than man. He is able to perform miracles before the eyes of man.
Rev 13:11-15
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
With all of this, Pharoah would not hearken unto God. God said he would not and he did not. God hardened his heart just as the word says.
Can you see this great power from both sides, aren’t you glad you have God to call on when Satan gets on your back? I Jn 4:4
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
