I have always enjoyed reading Exodus.  The good guys, vs. the bad guys.  Of course the good guys, are Moses, Aaron and all the Hebrew slaves that had been so mistreated by that villainous Pharaoh.  He and his magicians are the bad guys of course.  They  made slaves of God’s people and wouldn’t let them return to Canaan or for that matter even release them for a few days to worship in the desert.  It’s time for action. However, there is a very strange paradox here. The Bible tells us that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh.  Why would God seemingly decide to harden this man’s heart, apparently making him more resistant to allowing the release of these Hebrews?  We have to dig deeper.

God did not arbitrarily or capriciously decide to harden Pharaoh’s heart.  First of all, the Hebrew word for “hardened” actually means to “strengthen or make firm.” God actually strengthens Pharaoh’s resolve to do what he wants to do.   God does not override  Pharaoh’s freedom of will but reinforces it.  So what does this actually mean?

From the outset, God explained that He intended to make His a contest with the Egyptian pantheon of gods into a public affair.  He said, “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments —I am the Lord” (Ex 12:12). Pharaoh was considered a God, after the Sun God, Ra.  His word was the same as a god speaking.  Our God intended to use this  as an example of man’s power as opposed to the real power of God. He would establish His name (reputation) and His identity in the eyes of His people Israel, in the eyes of all Egypt, and in the eyes of the whole world.  “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst. (Ex.7:5)

Don’t forget, the Hebrews had been under the influence of Egypt for 500 years. Undoubtedly they had forgotten the “roots” of their faith.  Now God intended to show them.   He was preparing them for deliverance and  to make them into a nation…. not only for Himself but ultimately to bring blessings to the whole world.

God not only would use the so-called gods of  Egypt to bring the Egyptians to their knees but He seeks to reveal His sovereignty to all human beings,  so that they can truly know Him and reflect His image….not some god of man’s creation.

Pharaoh is a free moral agent, genuinely responsible for his own deeds, yet God is behind it all, orchestrating everything for His own redemptive purposes.  He also desires that Egyptians repent and come to belief in the God of the Hebrews, the only God they need.

Of course, we know that Pharaoh does not repent even after the terrible plagues that Egyptians  suffered.  But Pharaoh is finally crushed by the weight of the final plague which culminated in the death of his first born son. This final act brings the mighty Pharaoh to his knees and under duress releases the  Hebrew slaves.

  The Hebrews are told to avoid this final plague by putting the blood of a lamb on their houses. That terrible night is now recalled in the Passover which is celebrated in most Jewish homes today. It is called the Seder. There is a whole ceremony which has evolved to commemorate that night and this year, Passover, will begin on the 23rd of April.

Jesus and His disciples celebrated their Passover meal because it was commanded by God in remembrance of their ancestors’ deliverance from their oppression in Egypt.

We as Christians also celebrate this ceremony but we call it the Lord’s supper or Holy Communion.  I wonder how many of us really understand the true meaning of that observance. We remember our “Lamb of Sacrifice” with the matzot (unleavened bread)  reminding us of His body and  the wine of His shed blood.  We take this “meal” as a reminder of the  night before Jesus became our ultimate sacrifice.

God has a plan that will not fail and our choices still matter.  We need to remain alert so that we don’t fail to play our part or worse, like Pharaoh…. resist it.  Each of us has a real responsibility to God and His plan to bring others to know Him as Creator and Redeemer. How are you and I fulfilling our share of this responsibility?

God made His grand entrance onto the stage of world history and sent a message to the whole world.  “I exist, I am God, there is none like Me!” Israel as a nation, is the trophy of His victory. We as Christians are blessed because God has saved us through them.