Since many of you may have some extra time on your hands, here's a bonus question:
How do you interpret God hardening Pharaoh's heart? There seem to be three options:
1. God is in total control of the situation and is controlling Pharaoh's actions, so Pharaoh is simply doing what God wants him to.
or
2. Pharoah has complete freedom of will and is using his will throughout the story and God is not in control in the story.
or
3. Pharaoh, as with all God's enemies, is ultimately doomed to fail in his pursuit of oppressing God's people but he acts according to his own will in the unfolding of the story.
There's no right or wrong way to interpret this or any text. Which interpretation do you prefer? Or do you not like any of them?
Click on the icon below this post that says "comments" and, in the pop up box, tell me what you think!!
Allison
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
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I believe the most accurate option is a combination of #1 and #3. Exodus 4:21 says, "I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." This is clearly in line with #1, but I also believe Pharaoh was acting according to his own will. Pharaoh had his own gods and did not have any great respect for the one true God. Of course, God knew what Pharaoh would do before it ever happened. God is always in control. If God had wanted Pharaoh to let the people go at the first request, Pharaoh would have done so. I don't think God really had to intervene to stop Pharaoh from letting the people go. I think He knew Pharaoh would not let them go. In this instance, I don't believe God changed Pharaoh's heart, because I don't think He needed to. If Pharaoh had a reason to change his mind, I believe God would have restrained Pharaoh to act according to His plan.
ReplyDeleteIt's a classic text for the predestination/God's sovereignty v. free will discussion! Was Pharaoh doing what he wanted to do or was he doing what God wanted him to do? (And I usually take the middle road in that argument, just as you have.) We don't actually know for sure, though it does seems that sometimes God hardens Pharaoh's heart and other times Pharoah hardens his own heart.
ReplyDeleteWhich leads to the question: why does God harden Pharaoh's heart all the while prepping Moses for the task at hand? Doesn't it seem self-defeating?
Or maybe the question really is this: if, as you point out, God really is in control (#1), then does Pharaoh really have any choice (free will) in the matter?
What say you?
A