Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart or Pharaoh hardened his own heart? If God is the cause, why man is still held accountable? Paul answers this question in Ro 9. However, we can also learn from Exodus. God said, “I will harden Pharaoh's heart.” (7:3; 9:12; 10:20). But at the same time, it is also Pharaoh’s choice: “Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them” (7:13-14; 7:22) and “But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.” (8:15)
Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart or Pharaoh hardened his own heart? The answer is “both.” In one sense, God is the ultimate cause of every event. On the other hand, man makes his own choice. God’s act is like sun shine. The sun shine that shines upon the ground hardens the ground but the same sun shine that shines upon the snow melts the snow.
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