Hardened Hearts

 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. - Exodus 7:3-4

    One of the first objections ‘non-biblicals’ (a person unfamiliar with the Bible) make concerning God’s treatment of Pharaoh in Exodus is that God told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. He would ordain it so Pharaoh would reject the request to let the people of Israel ‘go.’ So how could it possibly be Pharaoh’s fault if God made him do so?
    People also often incorrectly blame God for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. They surmise that since Judas was one of Christ’s twelve Apostles why would God allow him to betray His Son? Once again it is either stark disbelief in the Lord’s Word or ignorance of it entirely that leads to their error. Because we are clearly told in Paul’s letter to the Romans -“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” - Romans 1:28.
    Could God also have prevented Adam and Eve from disobeying His command? Could God have prevented Joseph’s brothers from selling him into slavery? Could God also have prevented the Gerasene demoniac from becoming possessed in the first place? The answer to these questions and thousands more like them is an unequivocal ‘YES!’ God can do as He pleases with anyone, anytime and anyplace. So why does God allow such unpredictable irregularities to happen?
    Let me start by saying that the things that people do are neither unpredictable nor irregular. A person’s character is often betrayed by his or her behavior. Did it come as a surprise to anyone that the imbalanced mind in a megalomaniac like Adolf Hitler would lead to atrocities beyond belief?
    When personal choices, both good or bad, lead to habitual behavior in a person, it most often leads to the development of that individual’s character. The formula isn’t rocket science. Consistently good behavior leads to good character building. The inverse is also true.
    Why then does God allow us to make bad choices? The answer shouldn’t come as any surprise - free will. We are not God’s robots. That is why God ‘gives us up’ to our constant inclinations and proclivities. If we choose to shoot heroin on a consistent basis, it is not God’s fault that we become addicts! If we consistently berate, belittle, and abuse our spouses, it is not God’s fault that we become abusers, both domestic and in general. The things we fill our minds and hearts with are good indicators of what kind of people we have become or will become. And quite possibly the very worst thing that can happen to us is that despite warnings, opportunities to change, and even signs from God Almighty, our necks can become hardened against any kind of repentance because we have deliberately chosen to ‘be this way.’ “They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” - Romans 1:29-32.
    We should all heed the words of the Apostle Paul when he tells us - “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” - Philippians 4:8-9. The choice really is up to us.