Mensa Otabil - A Teachable Spirit (11/09/2025)
Exodus chapter 4, verse 21. And the Lord said to Moses, «When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.»
So the Lord gave Moses specific things to do. He gave him some miracles to perform, and he was supposed to turn the stick, his rod, into a snake. The second sign was that his hand would become leprous. Then God gave him a third sign and said the rivers of Egypt would be turned into blood. So these are three things God said he should do. The first two would be done, and then the third one, the turning of the waters to blood, would begin a new series of signs that God would work in Egypt. Then the Lord spoke to Moses about what He, the Lord, would do if Pharaoh does not yield to the first two signs that would work. He says, «I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.»
Now, this part of verse 21 has been a source of controversy for many, many people because it seems as if God set up Pharaoh and punished him. He said, «I will harden his heart,» and then He punished him for a hardened heart. Is that what is happening here? The question has been: if God was the one who hardened Pharaoh’s heart, why is Pharaoh blamed? To answer that, you have to read the entirety of Exodus. But I’ll take you back a little to chapter 3, which is the previous chapter, verse 19. And this is what God said to Moses: «But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.»
So earlier, God had said to Moses, «In spite of all the signs you work, when he sees the rod become a snake and your hand become leprous, he will still not let you go. I know him.» So God is using foreknowledge. He is not saying that He has hardened Pharaoh’s heart at that time, but He knows how Pharaoh will behave. And so then He speaks in chapter four and says when you do these signs, he will not believe. And if he doesn’t believe, then I will further harden his heart. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart because Pharaoh had chosen to harden his heart. He first chose to harden his heart, and God hardened it.
Now, why would God do that? If the man has chosen to harden his heart, why doesn’t God soften his heart? Why does God have to harden it further? Well, there is a nature of God that you have to understand. When you read the Psalms, you will hear in Psalm 18:25–26, the psalmist says, «To the merciful, you will show yourself merciful. With a blameless man, you will show yourself blameless. With the pure, you show yourself pure. With the devious, you show yourself shrewd.»
Our response to God colors His response to us. If you are hardened, then He is going to harden your heart. But if you have a humble heart, then He receives you. So Pharaoh’s attitude is that which prompts God’s response. That is a very important lesson for us: there are times that God gives up on people. He gives up on us because we’ve chosen a foolish way. We’ve chosen a wrong way, and He gives up on us. There are many examples of that in the Bible where God gives up on people to let them have their way. Do it the way you want. Please yourself, more or less.
So that’s what He is saying. Please yourself. If you want to harden your heart, please yourself, and woe unto you when God tells you to please yourself. It means now He has left you to your own devices, and you are coming under severe judgment. And that, exactly, is what He tells Pharaoh. May the Lord have mercy on us and keep us from hardening our hearts to the extent that God says, «Please yourself.» That should not be our story.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me not to harden my heart against Your will. Give me a humble and teachable spirit in Jesus' name. Amen.»