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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
“The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this.” (Exodus 7.21-23).
Today's message will deal with the heart of Pharaoh, the heart of man in general, and the heart as it applies to each living person. One of the classic sermons contained in a classic series is entitled The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart by the late N. B. Hardeman (Hardeman's Tabernacle Sermons and One Dozen Sermons). Largely at issue in these classics is the question of how Pharaoh's heart became hardened and who was responsible for it.
Like the ground surrounding the burning bush where God called Moses, the heart of man is sacred ground! Issues of eternal import are conducted within the heart of man – issues that deserve to be studied over and over again. The book of Exodus clearly states: (1) God hardened Pharaoh's heart (see Exodus 4.21 and others), (2) Pharaoh's heart was hardened by the plagues (Exodus 9.7 & 9.34), and (3) Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8.15 & 32). Some have erroneously attempted to determine which of these three elements/forces hardened Pharaoh's heart. This is a futile and unnecessary attempt! The truth of the matter lies in all the statements about Pharaoh's heart; Pharaoh hardened his heart as a result of seeing matters associated with the plagues which God sent upon the land of Egypt. It is true that God hardened Pharaoh's heart but it was done through the process of time and circumstances to which Pharaoh was exposed. While God was involved in the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, it was Pharaoh who ultimately allowed and was held accountable for the hardening of his heart.
Fundamental truths about the human heart are contained in the first three chapters of Genesis. God made man in His own image (meaning, among other things, that man had the capacity to reason and choose). By definition man has these abilities. God will not violate these inherent attributes of humanity. These are, in fact, the attributes which set humans apart from the animal kingdom in general. As long as man is man, he will be able to think and choose; when he cannot do so, he ceases to be accountable before God. With this basic concept in mind, God created an environment where man had to think and choose; he had to think about the responsibilities and limitations that God placed upon him. Man also had to choose which foods to eat and which ones not to eat. These choices were moral choices in as much as some of them were good and some of them were evil. Herein lies the truth about the heart of man. God made the heart in a pure condition; He still makes them like that today. If man's heart is damaged by sin, it will be by man's choices and not by God's direct intervention into man's affairs of thinking and choosing.
So where does this leave us today? For one thing, it leaves us accountable! If we make wrong choices (and we will), we can choose to blame others BUT we cannot shift accountability! God is not responsible for my wrong choices any more than any other person is responsible. As a human being, I and I alone am accountable for what I think and choose. God will provide guidance and counsel; friends and family may provide guidance or example, but in the final analysis, I am the person who makes the choices and who bears the consequences (good or bad) of these choices. This is the FIRST law of human accountability! Any doctrine, philosophy, or teaching which contradicts this law is not of God!
Questions:
1. Regarding the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, can all statements found in the book of Exodus be true?
2. If man had no faculty for moral choices, would he still be made in God’s image? Why or why not?
3. If man’s heart is stained by sin, who is accountable? Who must accept responsibility for sin in order for it to be forgiven? Is God responsible for my sin even if He created an environment where sin could potentially exist (such as the Garden of Eden)?
4. What is the FIRST law of human accountability?
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