I used to scare a friend of mine sometimes, and every once in a while when I scared them, they would say something they probably shouldn’t have said. Then they’d look at me and say, “You made me say that!”
No, I didn’t make you say it. All I did was reveal what was already in there.
This can help us understand something about Pharaoh. The Bible says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and at first that can sound unfair. You might think, “If God hardened his heart, how could God punish him for having a hard heart?”
But God wasn’t putting rebellion into an innocent man’s heart. Pharaoh was already resisting God. In fact, Scripture repeatedly tells us that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.
Think about a ball of wax and a ball of clay sitting beneath the same sun. The same sunlight that melts the wax hardens the clay. The difference isn’t the sun. The difference is what the sun is shining on.
God kept revealing Himself to Pharaoh. He demonstrated His power. He gave warnings. He showed mercy. He removed judgments. He gave Pharaoh opportunity after opportunity to humble himself. Yet instead of God’s mercy softening Pharaoh, Pharaoh used every moment of relief as another opportunity to resist.
But then consider another king, Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t a godly king either. He was a proud, pagan king who looked over Babylon and took the glory for everything he had accomplished.
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)
God humbled Nebuchadnezzar just as He had humbled Pharaoh. But Nebuchadnezzar responded differently. After being brought low, he lifted his eyes toward heaven and acknowledged the God who had humbled him.
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever… (Daniel 4:34)
And when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and gave God the glory, God restored him.
At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me… and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. (Daniel 4:36)
Two kings encountered the same God. One became harder, while the other was finally broken of his pride.
Pharaoh experienced the power of God and hardened his heart. Nebuchadnezzar experienced the power of God and eventually humbled his heart. One resisted until judgment overtook him. The other humbled himself, gave God glory, and was restored.
The same sun that hardened the clay melted the wax. God knew both of their hearts, He knew how they would respond. Yet in His mercy He still gave both of them the opportunity.
And He knows our hearts. So we need to be careful how we respond to the opportunities that He gives.
God can show us mercy, grace, patience, and longsuffering, and instead of allowing His goodness to lead us to repentance, we can mistake His patience for His approval.
Just because God hasn’t judged something doesn’t mean He approves of it. Just because He has given us another opportunity doesn’t mean He has changed His mind about it. His longsuffering is not permission. It is an opportunity to repent.
The question isn’t simply, “Is God shining on me?”
The question is, “What is His presence revealing in me?”
Or perhaps even deeper, “What am I going to do with the opportunity that He has given me?”
Romans 2:4 (TLB)
Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.
Hebrews 3:15 (KJV)
While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
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