Pharaoh's Heart
"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land
of Egypt." (Ex 7:3)
Did YHVH harden Pharaoh's heart as He declared he would before the Plagues commenced?
Although
YHVH said that He would harden Pharaoh's heart he did not actually do so until after the sixth plague.
"And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this." (Ex 7:23)
"And when Pharaoh saw that the hail ceased, he sinned yet more,
and hardened his heart, he and his servants."
(Ex 9:34)
"And YHVH hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he harkened not unto
them, as YHVH had spoken unto Moses." (Ex 9:12)
In the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardened his heart and in the
final plagues YHVH hardened Pharaoh's heart. The latter implies that Pharaoh had no free choice in
the later plagues. He could not have released the Israelites even if he wanted to. How does this justify the further
plagues and suffering for not releasing the Israelites?
YHVH actually deprived Pharaoh of free choice after the sixth
plague by hardening his heart. That was because his level of corruption was of such a degree that YHVH's only purpose
in keeping him alive was to use him as a means of demonstrating His Power and His Might (Ex 7:5) and the folly of relying
on sorcery and idolatry. YHVH's hardening Pharaoh's heart meant that He gave Pharaoh more strength to absorb the suffering
of the plagues. Were he to repent, it would not be because of the pain, but out of sincere and true repentance and in
the spirit of acknowledging that YHVH Elohim is the righteous and that he and his people were the wicked. (Ex 9:27)
