We must not allow our hearts to become hardened and fail to listen to God.
Exodus chapters 7-10 list God’s judgements, coming with increasing severity upon Pharaoh, his court and the land of Egypt. God’s final act of judgement on all the first born was still to be released. In Exodus 4:22, 23 God had told Moses to tell Pharaoh that ‘Israel is My firstborn son, let My son go to worship Me. But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son’. It’s also worth noting in Exodus 4, that the people of God knew first what was going to happen.
Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. Exodus 4:29-31
We should also note that in the first three confrontations the magicians of Egypt performed the same signs! The devil was able to imitate some supernatural events, but was quickly outstripped by the power of God.
After every plague the Bible comments directly about Pharaoh’s heart!
But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Exodus 8:15
Every time the Lord came in judgement, Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt, had his heart hardened or reacted that way himself. By hardening his heart Pharaoh lost the ability to ‘listen’. He wouldn’t turn and release God’s firstborn, Israel.
Pharaoh’s officials said to him, ‘How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realise that Egypt is ruined?’ Exodus 10:7
Pharaoh, his advisers and his army resisted God and His people to the end and perished.
A different scene recorded by Nehemiah;
‘But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them… Nehemiah 9:16, 17
For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. Exodus 9:21
God’s own people became stiff necked towards Him, despite all His kindness and faithfulness to them. We must remain tender hearted and able to hear the Lord no matter what provocations we must face.
Better to bow the knee and listen, than harden the heart.
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