Why Would God Harden Pharaoh’s Heart?

This is core Christianity, where answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question. At 1833.

The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez I am welcome back to the core. So glad you're joining us today as we open up the Scriptures together with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez and if this is your first time listed in the program answer your questions about the Bible we love hearing from you. We love talking about the everyday Christian life and how the word of God applies to it in court. The relevant magazine. The research agency. Barnett has released their new brand of evangelical's report finds that most Americans don't think very highly of evangelicals. In fact, just 30% of adults in the country have a positive view of evangelicals might have been wrestling with this idea because Jesus did say write me read the Gospels and he says to his disciples place like Matthew 10 verse 22.

You will be hated by all for my namesake, so there is a sense right which the world is not going to like us because we follow Jesus there also seems like at least today. There are a lot of people who reject or dislike evangelicals not because were preaching Jesus, but for some other reason, right or following Jesus we say we are and we point our finger at all the people out there who aren't. While many leaders in the church are committing great sins, and even crimes. Yeah, people see hypocrisy and it's not very encouraging. I think one reason a lot of non-Christians don't like evangelicals because the label, the term has now been identified with politics rather than with Christ's kingdom began the announcement that he has come to set prisoners free. We really need a recovery that word again. Don't leave any interest centered on Jesus just call ourselves Christians. There you go. Well were excited about the program for today we have a question here from Justin on the book of Exodus, let's listen in you from saying what you're talking about narrowing God.

God told Moses that he hardened Pharaoh's heart in order to demonstrate his own power because God hardened his heart they got stuck with all those different plagues seems that cruel.

He told Moses go in telemedicine hardening. His heart just to show you my power.

You may like Pharaoh might alert the Israelites go away before I had that God hardened his heart sounds cruel yet adjustable.

First of all, of clear evidence that you understood the passages in in view is that you think that it's cool because that's our first inclination. Our first judgment it's it's a rush to judgment because what you even have in that original narrative there and Exodus is God hardening Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh hardening his heart.

You have both of them side-by-side. We like to pick one or the other but as her matter-of-fact Pharaoh was hardening his heart as God was also hardening his heart the same word that melts wax hardens clay and soap Pharaoh's heart was already clay his heart was already hard rock, God is hardening his heart further so that and that Pharaoh won't let his people go because God has a greater purpose in view. Namely, the redemption of his people from is from Pharaoh's hand and for all of that to play out to one full God is going to keep preaching his judgment to Pharaoh and that preaching of judgment continually leads to greater and greater hardening. You know, we look at this and we say that's not fair.

Will think of it, on the other side.

God has mercy on whom he will have mercy were all hardhearted. If God did not have the power to melt wax if he didn't have the power even in fact, to take away the hardness of pottery of hardened clay. Why would we believe in him because we can't change our hearts.

Only God can change us remember reading Romans nine where Paul refers to this passage in Exodus and he says you know before the twins Jacob and Esau were even born still in the mother's womb, having done nothing good or bad so that it would be according to God's election, and based on nothing they did see the mother Rebecca was told the older will serve the younger. Just as it is written, Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated what shall we say in response to this is God unjust. See, that's what we ask. That's what you're asking Justin and that's what tells me you're really understanding these passages because Paul understood that we would ask that question then is God unfair heaven for bid for how will the clay say to he who formed it, why did you make me like this or does God not have the power from the same lump of clay to make some vessels for mercy and other vessels for wrath salvation does not depend on him who will soar on him who runs, but on God who shows mercy the way we have to think about this. Justin one lump pulse is there in Romans nine work we all are born into this world. One lump one lump of fallen humanity that will never that will never soften our hearts will never come to Jesus and yet God takes from every tribe, and kindred, and tongue and people and nation pieces out of that lump informs them into objects of his mercy, and then he leaves the rest as anybody is free to do if you talk to a benefactor and say I admire you for giving so much money out of your own income to help poor people. But why don't you help everybody I know that you have a special concern here that you've shown to people in India, but what about people in China will God has shown his mercy to people from every nation but he is free to choose whom he will have mercy on whom he will and to leave the rest in their misery that they themselves have chosen if I could read one more passenger in Ephesians 1, Paul says that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world being predestined unto the adoption as sons. In Titus three. Paul tells us beginning of verse three for we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient lead astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another, but the when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, and he says he he did this not according to our words, but according to his grace and purpose which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world was even created. This is actually good news that God can soften our hearts because he has the power over all people to have mercy on whom he will and to have compassion on whom he will show compassion and you know Justin, I mean we we recognize that there is ministry here when we think about the doctrine of God's sovereignty and the fact that all people are responsible including Pharaoh.

Pharaoh is responsible for his cinnamon. He was hardening. His heart is all right and so so but that there is ministry here and I think we have a really hard time with this talking in particular because we want to be on the throne. Yeah, I remember throwing my Bible across the room. When I first read Romans nine and really took it to heart. I'd never really read room. We love to avoid passages like Romans if you really want to sort of drink the sovereignty of God. Rank the ants go back and read Romans nine from start to finish. I remember I read it as a teenager I read it I threw it across my room and I said if that's the God who is there.

I want nothing to do with them and then I realized this is a really comforting doctrine because it says salvation is in my hands yeah and I have chosen you and I have adopted you and you belong to me and nothing will take you out of my hand.

Amen Lee assess on Instagram first Corinthians 1031 says so, whether you eat or drink whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

My question is how do you understand this.

How can we tell the difference between sin and places we have freedom a really practical question in a really important question Lydia look this is important for us to understand. I don't get to make up sins that aren't defined in Scripture and then this is what oftentimes happens in the church hold other people to my standard sin is what happens when we fail to conform to God's law or we just flat out break God's law. The first God that defined Satan's law, you have the 10 Commandments but you also have Jesus's summary of the 10 Commandments to love God with all of your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself.

When we fail one to love God or our neighbor as we should, and to we do the opposite of those things. But when we pay our neighbor or or sin against transgress against the Lord's commandments we've sinned, and I think this is key because so many people just think, so long as I don't do bad things. I'm not sitting letters I can be neutral if I can stay away from the evil in the world.

I'm doing pretty good, but sin doesn't just happen when we break God's law happens when we fail to keep the positive elements the commands of God's law that you doesn't just call you not to hate your neighbor because you love your neighbor and maybe you're not taking over the trash cans are throwing stuff into your neighbor's yard. But are you neglecting them to save a lot of God is hard enough for any of us to keep without us trying to add extra rules and regulations that aren't outlined in the Bible, God's word gets to define sin, not me. But as you mentioned, Lydia, there are some gray areas in Scripture where something is it necessarily called to sin, but the way we use it or abuse it can lead to sin. And this is where wisdom has to come in and elsewhere Paul said that anything you can't do in faith is a sin for you to look if you have a certain TV show that you watch or a beverage that you drink every time you do it. Your conscience is riddled with guilt you're unable to watch the show with a clear conscience and don't I doesn't mean that every Christian is in the same place you are and if the Bible doesn't speak specifically to that issue then you have to be careful you don't impose your personal rules onto others. We have to let the word have the ultimate say in this area or the word doesn't clearly speak.

We need to exercise wisdom and love. And so Mike, I'm sure you know with your experience in the church is one my experience as a pastor.

We see this over and over again.

You know believers who add to God's law of the week which we try to create other rules for ourselves and for the people around us sometimes to just letting God's word.

Speak to us as to what sin is, and frankly I think one of the reasons we do it is because if I can make up rules there like you're permitting an API than great but not what the Pharisees were doing right exactly. Jesus says if you follow the.

The commands of men and make void the law of God. That's really what's going on here, but there's an opposite kind of legalism where a lot of us you know when me through we come out. Of that kind of legalistic background. We now make laws that you have to indulge your Christian liberty in the same way we do know what Paul says so clearly in Romans 14 for example in in so many other places is that you look you follow your conscience let other people follow their conscience is not like it is free to do anything you want. You got a look around and make judgment calls based on what's wise and everything in that instance but don't bind other people to your conscience to what you think is right or wrong, unless you can ground that explicitly in Scripture. Lydia, you know you look at that passage again.

First Corinthians 1031 whether you eat or drink whatever you do, do all to the glory of God and what what an awesome encouragement. It in whatever you do and do it to the glory of the Lord. If you can't do it, to the glory of God. You don't do it don't do it, so hopefully that's an encouragement to you sister and appreciate your question or answer your questions here at Christianity about the fate he can give us a call. The numbers 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the core. You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com a great resource if we want to let you know about over@ourwebsitechristianity.com yeah drill were sharing her popular Bible study. Why is the world a mess.

What you don't hear that every day to add it. You can download it by signing up for a weekly newsletter. This study is designed to help you have a biblical perspective on pain and suffering that we see all around us in our own lives. So head over to court, Christianity.com/offers to download why is the world a mess you can all see that resource by calling us at 833-843-2673. That's 1833. The core let's go now to another question and from Colorado Springs between having safe and being foolish when taking big risks for God. Great question. This is a place where a lot of Christians need discernment.

There is a big difference between faith and presumption faith is trusting in God's promises presumption is basically determining what God is responsible to give us.

If we do X, Y, or Z. That's magic, that's manipulating God stepping out in faith itself is not beneficial. Stepping out in faith to embrace God's promises is what Scripture teaches a really important thing here Mike. It seems this is wisdom writing grounded in God's word having a multitude of counselors being able to go to other brothers and sisters within the church think the elders of the church. For example, to get guidance and care how we need wisdom we do and we need to stop thinking of faith as a leap. That's part of the problem is generally in our culture. Even even faith in whoever it is you believe in any given religion people tend to put faith in the category of a blind leap.

It's not. It's faith in credible promises and where we don't have those promises given to us explicitly. We need to exercise wisdom, and as you say drill. That's where God is given us counselors. I'm not great at handling family finances but my wife is better than I am and we have a counselor who helps us. That is what we need to do when we don't have a clear line of promises from God like you have a another phone call here, this is Pat under the 10 Commandments, or are we only responsible to keep New Testament commands will there are two ways Pat of being under the 10 Commandments.

The first is being under the moral law as a covenant and is the basis for our salvation. That's the principle of do this and you will live. Break it and you will die, but Christ fulfilled that law in our place perfectly, and he bore our curse for having violated it when we place our faith in Christ were given his status as the faithful law keeper even though we ourselves are far from performing that. That's why the New Testament tells us that were no longer under the law but under grace. Romans 614 in the gospel were told not only that Christ lived and died for us, but that he rose again for us and that we are baptized into his victory over sin's guilt and tyranny, and he sent his Holy Spirit to us to give us a new heart and to unite us to Christ through faith, which itself is a gift so were not under the law at all, as a way of being saved.

The law can't condemn us. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 81. But there's a second sense of being under the law, and that's being obligated to what the law requires. Jesus taught that were still obligated to the law, loving God and our neighbor being the summary of the 10 Commandments.

Matthew 22 verse 40 Paul similarly teaches that the law of Christ is simply this command to love.

Galatians 62. So the moral law hasn't changed but now this comes to us as those who were justified free of the terrors of the law who now spontaneously from the heart long to love God and our neighbor, the content of God's moral will for our lives hasn't changed the 10 Commandments still summarizes that moral will now the moral law can't condemn us, but it does still guide us. It still tells us what God requires.

Even though it's no longer the taskmaster telling us a do or die because Jesus has done and died for us so Mike, having been justified. We have this new relationship to the law and that word justification is used to live in the church today can you unpack it a little bit for us yet. I wish it were used little more in the church today, yet means to declare righteous, a lot of Christians believe that God saves us by making us righteous. And that's the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. For example, if we cooperate with God's grace we will finally attain to merit a final salvation, where God says you've done everything I've asked. We deserve it. You deserve it. None out justification says Christ deserved it.

Christ merited our right standing before God, he fulfilled the law perfectly. He, unlike Adam did everything the father commanded him to do and he did it from a liberal gracious loving heart. He obeyed the law fully for us keyboard our guilt on the cross and then he was raised for our justification. On the third day, so now we are declared righteous before God. The last judgment. The verdict of the last judgment. A lot of people are terrified taking about judgment, they think on that day that final judgment there. Not sure what that verdict is inside the the envelope.

Justification tells you right here right now. Here is the envelope open it acquitted before God's bar of judgment. It says more than acquitted. It says declared righteous. For the sake of Christ. That's great news it's the best nosed we could have, but we have time for one more email. This is Trevor. What is the most biblical way to evangelize. Will Trevor. First of all, good on you for wanting to tell others about Christ.

Anyone who's saved wants to tell other beggars were to find the bread but I think sometimes people struggle with how to do that. That's where I think we all kind of get shaky in the knees when I was growing up was popular to give people a tractor. Sometimes we went door-to-door with a set of questions. I'm sure God bless these tools but they're just tools and they probably aren't very effective, especially today when people used to sales calls and Mormons are Jehovah's Witnesses showing up at the door. We don't want to sour people more than were actually having a chance to share the gospel with them.

But here's the thing. People who really know what they believe and why they believe it are in a great position to share their faith in all sorts of normal circumstances of daily life. I really think one reason people don't share their faith is because they're not sure what they would say they're just not confident enough about what they believe or their ability to communicate it. Peter reminds us in first Peter 315 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect.

A lot of Christians I talked to are nervous about sharing their faith because even though they trust in Christ.

They believe in Christ but they don't know enough or they're worried that they won't be able explain it well enough where you start first. Knowing what you believe what you believe it, but then in terms of communication. It really all depends on the person in the conversation.

That's why I'm not sure about these canned presentations because you know you kinda have to let the other person determine which way you're going to go here. Sometimes I begin by talking about my own struggles and why I need a Savior to rescue me, but what ever I say along that front. That's just to strike up a conversation. You got to go to Christ as quickly as possible.

When the apostles talk about their testimony there. Talk about what they saw and heard concerning the word of life their tongue mother testimony to Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Paul even reasoned with those in the marketplace and the synagogue about this.

So we gotta be ready to reason not just tell people about our experiences. They can walk away and say how very nice for you know these are things that happened in history we all have to deal with this because they happened publicly and historically, then my last thing with the gal at the other person talk, and that's key we were not no little. Remember, Peter says we should be ready to defend the faith. But then he adds that with gentleness and respect and be ready for the next person. The Lord sends to you.

Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers and the menu for or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33. The core when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together