THE HARDENING OF THE HEART.
What is that which hardens men’s hearts? It is not the grace of God, certainly, for that makes the heart tender and susceptible to good impressions. It is not the power of God. The devil has this kind of work all to himself. The hardening of the heart is the establishing of man’s nature in evil. It is the business of Satan always. It is one of the works of the devil, which will only cease when he is destroyed, but will be his chief employment till he can no longer do evil. But what is it that hardens the heart? Paul answers this question in the most direct terms. He says, that the hardening of the heart is “THROUGH THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.” Heb. iii, 13. It is evident, therefore, that God does not harden the hearts of men by his own act, unless God inspires men to commit sin. No one who reverences the holy Lawgiver of the universe can ever, for a moment, accept the idea that he instigates men to commit sin, or that he gives to sin an alluring aspect, that men may fall in love with it and become hardened. No, this can never be believed, only by those who make God responsible for man’s transgressions. The Holy Spirit, speaking by David, says, “To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Psa. xcv, 7, 8. The same spirit of infinite wisdom calls our attention, through Paul, to this language of David, and makes it exceedingly emphatic. Read Heb. iii, 7, 8, 13, 15; iv, 7. Paul bids us not to harden our own hearts. So it is not God who hardens our hearts, but ourselves, instigated by the devil to this evil work. And the power by which Satan thus leads us onward to ruin, is what Paul calls the deceitfulness of sin. But does not God harden men’s hearts? For instance did not he harden the heart of Pharaoh? It is certain that God did, in some sense, do this thing; yet we are expressly told that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Ex. viii, 32: “And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.” Also verse 15: “But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.” These texts affirm that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, and, indeed, they imply, especially the first one, that it was Pharaoh who did this act every time. “Pharaoh hardened his heart at that time ALSO.” It was then the act of Pharaoh every time. How, then, shall we say that God did it? Will any one suggest that it was Pharaoh who did the act, but the Spirit of God that suggested it, and that prompted its performance? The words of James furnish the proper answer: “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” James i, 13. The God of infinite purity did not inspire Pharaoh with pride, obstinacy, cruelty, rebellion, and blasphemy. The Lord was not in partnership with Pharaoh in this wicked work. It is God’s work to soften the heart by his tender Spirit; it is the work of Satan to harden the heart through the deceitfulness of sin. But now we come to that fact which is the key to the whole difficulty. After a certain space, during which the tender Spirit of God softens the hearts of men, if that Spirit be resisted, it is at last withdrawn. Then God leaves men to their own evil natures, and to the wicked suggestions of the devil. When God thus judicially withdrew his tender Spirit from Pharaoh, he left him to the wickedness of his own heart, and the deceitfulness of the devil. In this manner, only, did God harden Pharaoh. He never prompted him to evil. No, indeed! But what he did do, was this: He left him to his own wicked heart and to the devil. And why did he do this? Simply because that Pharaoh had sinned away the day of grace. He would not hear the voice of the Spirit of God while it was called “to-day.” He had hardened his own heart through the deceitfulness of sin. So when Moses demanded the release of Israel, and wrought miracles, and inflicted judgments, Pharaoh’s pride, selfishness, unbelief, and rebellion, all prompted him to resist. Satan powerfully incited him to follow these evil passions of his heart, and the Spirit of God having been grieved from him till it had taken its final departure, the Lord hardened his heart simply by leaving him to himself and Satan. It is on this same principle that God is said to send strong delusion upon men. But Paul explains how this is done. God sends men the truth and makes it shine out with clearness before them. They refuse to receive the love of it into their hearts. When the Spirit of God has striven with men till their day of grace is past, it leaves them to their own unrestrained evil hearts, and to the powerful deception of the devil. This is the whole process of God’s sending men strong delusion. See 2 Thess. ii, 9–12. And this is really the whole story concerning the hardening of the heart on the part of the Lord. For the wickedness of men God sets up over them the basest of men for rulers. Dan. v, 17. For this very reason the providence of God raised up this wicked Pharaoh to the throne of Egypt. The nation had reached a terrible state of wickedness. So the overruling providence of God gave the throne of Egypt, at this particular time, to this most obstinate, stout-hearted, stiff-necked, sinner. The Egyptians had no excuse for their wicked course toward the Israelites. It was not only a sin against humanity; it was the basest ingratitude; for the Egyptians owed a debt to the people of Israel, which they could never repay. Pharaoh, who appears to have succeeded to the throne of Egypt after the flight of Moses to Midian (Ex. iv, 19), must have understood the history of Joseph and of the deliverance of Egypt from the seven years’ famine, and had no excuse for being a bad man. What Paul says in 2 Thess. ii, 10–12; Heb. iii, 7–10, relative to the Lord’s working powerfully first, before he gives men up to the devil, shows that Pharaoh had had light from Heaven which he had resisted till it had left him to the blindness of sin and Satan. So God saw it best to make Pharaoh an example for the warning of wicked men for all coming time. His providence, therefore, allowed him to reach the throne of Egypt at the very time when he could have the best opportunity to contend with God. So God announces his purpose to Pharaoh, in words which have often been cited for the purpose of fastening Pharaoh’s guilt upon the Lord. “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.” Ex. ix, 16. Pharaoh’s rebellion was inexcusable, and his end a signal example of the fate of the stout-hearted transgressor.