I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Exodus 7. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply My signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out My divisions, My people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it” Verses 1-5). Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? I have often wondered this. (I am NOT a Bible scholar…this is personal interjection) I believed the reason was three-fold. The first reason is in the chapter, so that the Egyptians would know who the REAL God was. Why was that important, in reading the chapter the magicians of the time could replicate most of what Moses did, thus logically (from Pharaoh’s perspective at least) his magicians were on the same level as the God of Israel. So God would up the ante so that not just Pharaoh, but all Egypt would understand that God was ALMIGHTY. Second it was for Israel themselves. they’d stopped listening to God due to their bondage. They needed to realize that not only could God free them, but sustain them as well. Lastly, it is for us, to realize that the very same God who did all those signs and wonders is alive, active , and for us.