A daily, 32-day Lenten Devotional Series by Rev. Dave Brown
In the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, this condition of hardness of heart is defined as a “state of persistent and sometimes hostile rejection of the Word of God. This involves not simply a refusal to hear the Word but a refusal to respond in submission and obedience.” Pharaoh was a classic case.
In the case of Pharaoh, he is said to harden his own heart (Exodus 8:15) On the other hand, God is also said to harden Pharaoh’s heart. (Exodus 4:21; 10:1).” In some way both of these statements are true.
We may not be able to fully explain the interaction between human will and divine sovereignty as it pertains to this issue. We should at least consider what this means for those summoned to speak on God’s behalf.
God had barely persuaded Moses to return to Egypt with the instruction to “do before Pharaoh all the miracles I have put in your power.” Then he added these words: “But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.” What did that mean? Simply, that the liberation of the slaves was not going to come by successful negotiation or even by clever efforts put in front of Pharaoh. Liberation was going to be a work of God’s sovereign intervention in which God would demonstrate to Pharaoh that He was the LORD, not Pharaoh.
If Moses thought that he might prevail against Pharaoh in any other way, those words should have laid that fantasy to rest. But we are success driven. We think we can come up with a winning plan of our own. Philip Ryken said, “Moses misunderstood his calling as a prophet. Moses was a pragmatist. He had a performance-based approach to prophetic ministry. He assumed that it was up to the prophet to get results. If people listened to him, then he was doing his job; if not he should find some other line of work.”
Moses was not the last pragmatist in leadership! Philip Ryken tells the story of a fellow pastor who struggled with this issue. He tried his hardest to succeed as a church planter, but failed. This triggered a time of despondency and resentment against God. Eventually (this pastor) came to understand that his real problem was his definition of success, and that “God’s servants are not called to be successful but to be faithful.” (Liberating the Ministry from the Success Syndrome as quoted in Ryken:200)
Reflections: How do we pursue this better course? Jesus’ final words in Matthew 11 help me to pursue this course. It includes a word of thanksgiving, a word of knowledge and a word of invitation.
A word of Thanksgiving: “I Thank you Father that you have hidden these things from the wise and learned…and revealed them to little children.”
A Word of Knowledge: “No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
A Word of Invitation: “Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
God is sovereign from beginning to end. Our call is to be faithful and obedient and wait for the movement of God in our world.