“For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.” Romans 9:15-18 NLT
I have always believed that Jesus, and the writers of the New Testament do the best job in interpreting the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul shows us this in Romans. When I had read in Exodus that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. I had a difficult time understanding that and believing it. What did it mean, God hardened his heart? “And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go.” Exodus 4:21. The phrase then shows up after every plague thereafter, “and Pharaoh hardened his heart.” When the plague was over and the disaster disappeared, Pharaoh went back on his word to let the people of Israel go.
Here’s the thing; I believed that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened because he resisted God, disobeyed God, and in doing so, his heart became more and more like a stone rather than flesh. I believed that Pharaoh’s heart-hardening was because it was his choice to resist God. The Apostle Paul however, giving both the interpretation and the application of that idea (hardened heart) was that God to harden Pharaoh’s CHOSE not Pharaoh himself! God chose the Pharaoh of Egypt to display his power over the most powerful human in those ancient days. The Egyptian Pharaoh’s power, wealth and influence was renowned and unstoppable. Paul makes it clear here in Romans, God does what He wants to do by His will – and it is always perfect.
Paul writes, “God chooses people according to his own purposes…” Even later stating that there are those both “prepared for destruction,” and those, “prepared beforehand for glory.” God’s foreknowledge may not force anyone to rebel and resist Him. And, possibly, even in God’s choice of destiny, it could be said that He knows when one will resist no matter what happens. But from our very limited understanding of time and eternity, it becomes a theological battle. Is it free will or predestination? This has been the big debate in Christendom for hundreds of years. Famous theologians have argued vehemently over it. Eventually it became a label, a division and an embarrassment to Christianity. There is a Christian theological dispute between the followers of John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius that continues to this day. These are the mysteries of God’s ways and should always be held in tension. We will not see resolution until the end of time. It is not free will OR pre-determinism, it is both. God’s ways are above our ways, His thoughts above ours! Plus, God in His mercy and grace is always right, true and just! Our lives, our beliefs and behaviors should be based in faith, not in works and we should trust to participate with God in all things at all times. The annoying thing about us as humans is that we just don’t like that!
Prayer
Dad,
We really do not like tension in a world we do not understand, do we? It’s when we make these outlandish statements the the extremes of one belief over another that we arrogantly fall prey to divisiveness. Help us Oh Lord, to be under one banner of Love and Jesus. Help us be united, unified in our faith and not be belligerent in our beliefs or badgering in our words towards one another.