“God Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart”

Directly God hardens no one’s heart, for he is love (1John 4:8), he loves everybody (John 3:16), he is not willing that

anyone be lost (2 Peter 3:9), and he wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Indirectly God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3, 13, 14, 23) by asking Pharaoh to “let my people go” (Exodus 7:16), but Pharaoh was selfish, wanting to keep free slave labor, and so directly Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 9:34), as do all rebels against God (Acts 7:51). Directly every person has the responsibility to make a choice between God and Satan: “Choose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).

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