The Heart Reflects The Man

THE HEART REFLECTS THE MAN

Text: Exodus 10:3

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says”: `How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go so that they may worship me’.

“A fan once pressed actor Don Johnson for an autograph while Johnson's eight-year-old son was there. After the autograph-seeker left, little Jesse looked at his famous dad and said, "Can you believe they want your autograph?" Some of the best teachers on humility live in our homes”. * Houston Post, July 21, 1991, p. A-2 McHenry Humility The lesson Maker Can you imagine how humbling this perception seems to have been?

Take this same story and imagine that Pharaoh is the father in this story. As we know from the movie the Ten Commandments this Pharaoh probably had a son that was important to him. Pharaoh was a powerful man in his day. There is no doubt that his son probably looked up to him. There is no doubt that he swelled with pride because of the prestige of his position. One thing was definitely evident, and that is that Pharaoh’s heart reflected his nature and sternness of character. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man” (NKJV). In Matthew 7:16a, & 20, Jesus tells us that we can find out who people are by their fruits. If we go back and read the preceding chapters and the chapters that follow this one, we can confirm his nature because of what we observe from his fruits. His fruit tells us volumes about who he was. His fruit also reveals something about his heart and the kind of man he was.

THE HEART IS A HARBOR

Everyone has traits that they harbor in their hearts that are good or bad and leaders are no exception. A leader is usually known by what kind of person he or she is. The Pharaoh of this time, Pharaoh Menephthath, seemed to harbor ambition rather than compassion in his heart. (Herbert Lockyer. All the Kings And Queens Of The Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961, pp. 40, 37). As someone (Herbert Lockyer) has said, “If Seti I be the king who commenced the oppression, and Ramses II the monarch from whom Moses fled, the Pharaoh whom he found seated on the throne upon his return must have been Menephthah”. (Herbert Lockyer. All the Kings And Queens Of The Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961, p. 41). Another source calls the fellow Merneptah. (Merril C. Tenney. Ed. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia Of The Bible. K. A Kitchen. “Pharaoh”. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978, p. 744). There was a new king who did not know Joseph as it says in Exodus 1:8. You have probably heard of the slogan “under new management”. Such was the case with this new dynasty---it was a new management. This new dynasty felt no reason to be obligated to Joseph. Now why is that important? It is important because Joseph helped Egypt to succeed in her time of need when they were on the brink of famine. One can definitely notice the difference between the Pharaoh of Joseph’s day and the Pharaoh of Moses’ return. The pharaoh, Pharaoh Apepi II of Joseph’s day had compassion compared to the contemptuous attitude of Merneptah.

The heart can harbor humility as well as pride. The heart has always been thought of as the seat of the emotions. We speak out of the abundance of our hearts (Matthew 12:34). So it would stand to reason that we also exhibit in our outward behavior who we are in our hearts. This would be true of pride as well as humility.

Pride and ambition are related. As someone has observed, “Pride and ambition are twin brothers. The word ambition had its origin in Rome, from candidates going about seeking votes. Seeking the honor that comes from men is unholy ambition, and betrays a pride of heart betrays a pride of heart, which is opposed to the Spirit of Jesus Christ. If God be for us we have a majority, and should not canvass for the favor of men”. (James Smith. Handfuls On Purpose. Volume 1. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970, p. 265). It should be said that the danger of seeking “unholy ambition” we have to remember as it says in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful above all things (NIV).

Like Pharaoh Merneptah, it is possible for a person to be too proud to humble himself or herself before God. All we have to do is remember the story of Lucifer and his fall. At one time, Lucifer was heaven’s number one angel. But, he resisted God when he withheld some the praises that belonged to God. He was trying to become like God. He also got banished from heaven as a result along with all of the angels who followed him. (Isaiah 14:12-17, Revelation 12:8-9, Luke 10:18). There are people who like Lucifer abuse the position and power that God has given them by resisting His will.