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Slide Notes

In Exodus 14...The drowning Pharaoh was filled with regret. He had dug his own grave. And as the waters swallowed him up, he probably wished he could go back in time and changed his decisions...but it was too late.
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Pharaoh's Hard Heart

Published on Feb 04, 2016

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1.

It was too late for Pharaoh

In Exodus 14...The drowning Pharaoh was filled with regret. He had dug his own grave. And as the waters swallowed him up, he probably wished he could go back in time and changed his decisions...but it was too late.
Photo by just.Luc
2.

There's no Time Machine

He had no time machine.

You ever feel like that? You ever wish you could go back and put things they way they used to be? You ever wish you could change some of your past decisions?

I know I do.

Let's look at what brought Pharaoh to this point...
Photo by JD Hancock
3.

The Plague Events (ex 7-11) Show...

  • God's awesome power
When we look at the Plague events, I am struck by the awesomeness of God's power.
Photo by Keoki Seu
4.

"by this you will know that I am the Lord." (Ex. 7:17)

Pharaoh's main issue: he wanted to be boss. He wanted to be the one in control of the universe. God's main issue: let me be the boss. When I'm the boss it all works out. Why? Because He is the inventor. He actually knows what's best.
Photo by ro_buk [I'm not there]
5.

1.Blood

Photo by Csutkaa
6.

2.Frogs

Photo by deanj
7.

3.Gnats

The other miracles the magicians could repeat...but the gnats out of dust thing...nope.
Photo by webponce
8.

4.Flies

Photo by Doundounba
9.

5.Dead Animals

Photo by Fake Plastic Alice
10.

6.Boils

Photo by Foxtongue
11.

7.Hail

Photo by Piccadilly Pink
12.

8.Locusts

Photo by Aeneas42
13.

9.Darkness

14.

10.Death of Firstborn

Photo by Free HDR & Photomanipulations - www.freestock.ca
15.

The Plague Events (ex 7-11) Show...

  • God's awesome power
  • Pharaoh's stubborn
In the face of God's awesomeness, we see Pharaoh's stubborn heart. He has a hard heart.
Photo by Keoki Seu
16.

1.Blood

"and Pharaoh's heart became hard" (7:22)
The writer of Exodus was careful to keep record of Pharaoh's hard heart... let's look at each plague.

Pharaoh saw power of God, but refused to go with God.
Photo by Csutkaa
17.

2.Frogs

"he hardened his heart and wouldn't listen" (8:14)
And Pharaoh saw the power of God again and wouldn't listen.
Photo by deanj
18.

3.Gnats

"But Pharaoh's heart was hard" (8:19)
The other miracles the magicians could repeat...but the gnats out of dust thing...nope.

And Pharaoh sees the power of God, but closes himself from God's power.
Photo by webponce
19.

4.Flies

this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart (8:32)
And again...Pharaoh see's God's mighty hand, his hand of rescue and he hardens his own heart.
Photo by Doundounba
20.

5.Dead Animals

his heart was unyielding and he wouldn't let them go (9:7)
And then when livestock just dies all over the place and stench fills their nostrils, Pharaoh still keeps thinking about himself. And he wouldn't let them go.
Photo by Fake Plastic Alice
21.

6.Boils

the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart (9:12)
Here the scene changes. Instead of Pharaoh hardening his own heart, God comes in and hardens it for him. This is a mystery...
Photo by Foxtongue
22.

7.Hail

he sinned again: he...hardened his heart (9:35)
But the next plague, we go back and Pharaoh sins, he hardened his own heart. He saw the power of God, and refused to go with God.
Photo by Piccadilly Pink
23.

8.Locusts

the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart (10:20)
And now everything is getting destroyed and Pharaoh...he's losing control. And God hardens his heart for the second time.
Photo by Aeneas42
24.

9.Darkness

The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart (10:27)
And now...an oppressive darkness. And for the third time, God hardens his heart.
25.

10.Death of Firstborn

Pharaoh says, "Go!" (12:31)
We don't hear about Pharaoh's heart here...but we do hear about it in the next...
Photo by Free HDR & Photomanipulations - www.freestock.ca
26.

Once Israelites were gone...

"The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart" (14:8)
Here's Pharaoh's hardened heart once the Israelites are out of Egypt! He thinks oh my, I've lost control! Let's go!
Photo by leoncillo sabino
27.

Pharaoh's Hard Heart

  • Refused to listen
  • Walked in sin
  • Destroyed life
  • Oppressive
  • Blind to needs of others
Do you see what Pharaoh's hard heart caused? He didn't listen to God, he walked in sin, destroyed his life and others. He was oppressive with his life and he was blind to the needs of others.
Photo by notanyron
28.

The Plague Events (ex 7-11) Show...

  • God's awesome power
  • Pharaoh's stubborn
  • Tension b/w free will & God's power
Now we can't go through this story without pausing to recognize there is a tension between Pharaoh's choice and God's power. 4 times it says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart!
Photo by Keoki Seu
29.

Did God give Pharaoh a choice when he hardened his heart?

So here's the question...

Why is this important? It's important, because if God controlled Pharaoh that way, then he can do that today. If Pharaoh didn't have a choice...it's possible that you and I don't have a choice.
30.

The more He said "No!" to God, the easier it was to say "no" the next time.

But here's what happened...
31.

Pharaoh had a choice when he enslaved the Jews & killed their babies

And he was saying no to God even before the plagues. He CHOSE to make the Jews slaves. He CHOSE to kill their babies.
32.

When God "hardened" Pharaoh's heart, it was a push in the same direction Pharoah was going.

So, here's the reality...
33.

God gave Pharaoh a choice at the beginning. Pharaoh chose him own direction.

34.

The Plague Events (ex 7-11) Show...

  • God's awesome power
  • Pharaoh's stubborn
  • Tension b/w free will & God's power
  • God's love has judgment
Photo by Keoki Seu
35.

it is because He loves
that He judges sin.

Think about this: His love and care for the broken people of Israel is what caused him to judge the Egyptians so harshly.
36.

it is because He loves
that He sent his Son.

John 3:16: God so loved the world that he sent his only son.
37.

it is because He loves
that He gives new hearts

Your heart my be so hard.
38.

I will give you a new heart. And put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Eze 36:29)

You're not gonna get a time machine. You're not gonna get a do-over. But (and this is the good news) God can give you a new heart.
Photo by fractured-fairytales
39.

What about you?

Photo by schafferjes
40.

What's your heart like?

Photo by schafferjes
41.

Signs of a hard heart?

  • When my heart is numb.
  • When I ignore other's pain.
  • When all I think about is me.
  • When I use others.
42.

It was too late for Pharaoh

There was no time machine for Pharaoh. He chose his fate. He sank to the bottom of the sea.

Guys! I don't want that for you! I don't want you to live a broken, chewed up, self-centered life.
Photo by just.Luc
43.

It's not too late for you

There was another drowning guy: Jonah. He cried out in his fear and God saved him. He cried out in his drowning and God lifted him out!
Photo by just.Luc
44.

The waters closed in over me to take my life;
the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head...
(Jonah 2:5-6)

Look at how Jonah described it! He was buried...
Photo by just.Luc
45.

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,
and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol
I cried,
and you heard my voice." (Jonah 2:2)

But in the middle of being buried...in the belly of Sheol, the land of the dead, the place of nothingness, he cried out and found the Something, the One thing, the Someone, God heard his cry and rescued him.
Photo by just.Luc
46.

It's not too late for you

Pharaoh didn't cry out to God. But you can.

Photo by Leonski
47.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Acts 3:19

Repent: turn from your sin. Turn from your hard heart. Turn to God.

Open altars.

1. There's a few of you in here who's hearts are buried. You feel like Jonah and Pharaoh, hard hearted and lost.

2. Come pray for those you know who need soft hearts.

Photo by Leonski

Josh Kleinfeld