Whoever thinks being a Christian is easy never read Exodus 10. Especially the three verses that specifically state, "The LORD hardened Pharoah's heart." I looked all over (translated: I did a Google search and looked at maybe three or four web-pages, such is modern research, I guess) for some kind of explanation of this. Nothing. At least, nothing satisfying. There were plenty of explanations, from "different translations say one thing but they mean another," to "Pharoah sinned against God which was how God hardened Pharoah's heart," to probably the one I thought was the closest: that it wasn't so much God hardening Pharoah's heart as much as it was God restraining Pharoah's heart from hardening itself. Once God removed His hand, Pharoah's heart was hardened. This argument makes sense to me; after all, what can we accomplish without the hand of God?
But the Bible doesn't say that. It doesn't say "God removed His hand from Pharoah's heart." It doesn't say "Pharoah hardened his own heart." It doesn't even say "Pharoah was about to change his mind, but his heart was hardened." No, it specifically says, "The LORD hardened Pharoah's heart." Period. On to the next plague.
What the heck was God thinking? Why did He feel it necessary to harden Pharoah's heart, when Pharoah was arrogant enough to do it himself? Aren't we all like Pharoah? When something bad happens, we tend to say "Okay God, you win. I'll do it your way." Five minutes later (and sometimes not even THAT long) we've completely forgotten our promise to God and we've reverted back to form. Exodus 10 reads a lot better and a lot more logically WITHOUT those three verses.
But then I imagine God having enough of my demanding petulance, dropping His "New Testament" veneer and letting loose:
So, I don't make sense to you. Gee, I'm so sorry. Perhaps you can tell me what part of My Plan I'm interfering with by hardening Pharoah's heart. Oh yeah, that's right: YOU AIN'T SEEN MY PLAN! Well, now that you think you've lifted yourself up to my level, allow me to go old-school Job on you. News flash: I don't answer to you!!! This may come as a shock to you and some of your buddies down there, but there's a lot of things you don't know because either you are incapable of figuring them out or I choose not to reveal the answer to you. Sometimes both! Notice I didn't say "yet." You may never know the answer. Can you live with that?
Still think I'm being arrogant? Well, pardon a guy for giving himself props for creating EVERYTHING.
Oh, and another thing, as long as you think you're at My level, perhaps you can explain why you blame Me for all the bad things that happen to you and everyone else down there. ESPECIALLY since y'all seem to have such a foothold on bringing it all upon yourselves. I'll try and put this in words you can understand: there's this cat called Satan, right? And his whole purpose is to reject Me, get you to reject Me, and to be all kinds of evil. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Me, who has plans for you, plans to prosper you. Me who loves you with a boundless energy, infinite wisdom, and eternal tenderness. So tell me again why I get all the blame and Satan gets away unscathed.
So yeah, I hardened Pharoah's heart. Don't understand why? Here's a clue: focus on the stuff you DO understand. A lot of times, if not all the time, that's all you need and all I'm gonna give you. If you don't like it, you're welcome to try and find a suitable replacement for Me. You won't be the first, you won't be the last, and you won't succeed. And don't be a wiseguy and say "science." This may come as a shock to you that I invented science by creating the very brains you use to try and prove I don't exist!
In Him and around the corner (and, if I'm honest, still bugged that I don't have all the answers),
Al
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2 comments:
You're on to something!!!! ;-)
~Nicole B.
Al - this is quite a topic that you are thinking about! For me, it comes down to this... consider the ramifications of whether or not human freewill is alive and well. I don't disagree with the proposal that God is omni-everything. And, in that "omni-ness" God has unlimited rights. However, like many things in the OT, there is a palpable tension between whether or not humans actually have freewill.
I think that your hypothetical God-rant, isn't actually so far off base of what God actually does in the OT. The flood, the Tower of Babel... you name it, God has God's rants!!
Of course, one might say that the point of the story is WHY God hardened Pharaoh's heart not THAT God hardened Pharaoh's heart. The "truth" in the story is found in the why. And, that would be a fair statement - but that also negates the fact that God actually hardened Pharaoh's heart.
Your blog pointed specifically to the TRUTH that the story conveys. But, the story itself alludes to the fact that God imposed God's will upon Pharaoh's abilities and therefore was able to work in the midst of "Pharaoh's world". If God had not "hardened P's heart", then would God have been able to work the miracles that God spoke of? My thought is that yes, God could!! However, God chose to impose. (Which, again is within his "rights"...)
Granted, I'm taking a very different perspective on this... So, good points, but what I want to know... to what extent are humans allowed freewill? Enough to bring the wrath of God (flood), but not enough to get in the way of God (Pharaoh vs. miracles)???
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