Quote Originally Posted by Parture View Post
You're confused. The first active instance of the heart of Pharaoh being hardened was him hardening his own heart first. Piper said this too though contradicting himself of course. .
I do not follow Piper, but the WORD OF GOD! He is right though ..but ..what you need to understand .. is .. men naturally have hearts of stone... so the way God hardens hearts, is He just withdraws the common grace of God and GIVES men over to their own depraved nature.. God hardens their hearts, by not softening their hearts! In other words, men are evil and when they do good, it is because GOD softened their hearts! Thus men can ONLY go to Christ if GOD softens their hearts!

There are MANY passages that say GOD hardened his heart ..

Exodus 9:12
"But the LORD hardened the heart
of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses."

Exodus 10:20
"But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s
heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go."

Exodus 10:1
" Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I HAVE
hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I
may show these signs of Mine before him,"

Exodus 10:27
"But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s
heart, and he would not let them go."

Exodus 11:10
"So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did
not let the children of Israel go out of his land."

Exodus 14:8
"And the Lord hardened the heart
of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the
children of Israel went out with boldness."


What do you do with these passages .. blot them out with a magic marker?

How about a NEW TESTAMENT interpretation from PAUL?

Romans 9:17-20
"For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My
power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on
whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His
will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me
like this?”




I am not sure how he could be more clear.. Was Paul driven by an evil spirit like Hitler? Was Paul unloving and always inserting into the text that which is not clearly stated? Paul clearly is interpreting what happened with the Pharaoh ... as God hardening his heart so he will not repent.. having mercy on whom HE WILLS and HARDENING whom HE wills .. there is just NO OTHER HONEST WAY TO INTERPRET IT.. I am READING WHAT IT SAYS,,.. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO KEEPS INSERTING YOUR WORDS INTO THE TEXT! Funny. Pathetic! You HATE the true God and His word with every fiber of your being and you would blaspheme till your last BREATH before you would accept the true Jesus.. It is EASY to accept a jesus you MADE to be the way YOU want him to be .. that is why men MAKE idols.. they can CRAFT a god that appeals to their carnal sensibilities.. but one can ONLY accept the TRUE Jesus, if He CHOOSES you FIRST!