How and when does the heart of a man become hard?
God does not want any man to perish; but man, thinking he is wise, rejects
God's warnings and stubbornly chooses his own downfall. 2 Pe 39
Consider three men; two from the Old Testament and one from the New.
Abel offered his sacrifice with faith (= assurance of things hoped for. Heb
111 ) He did not just hope, but God assured him of his
forgiveness. It was therefore with joy that he gave the best he could as
a thank offering. Cain had no such joy. He was jealous of Abel; murderously
angry. The Lord personally warned him, "sin is crouching at your door; it
desires to have you, but you must master it." Gen 47 But
Cain did not even try to do so. He immediately devised and executed an evil
plot to kill his brother. And what is more, he never repented of what he
had done, or even express any regret. He was not the first or the last to
pay a high price for ignoring God's warning. (His Dad and Mum were the first!)
Then there was Pharaoh - 5 times he chose to refuse to listen to God or a
man sent by God. Only then did God harden Pharaoh's heart.
| Plague | Exd | |
| 1 | Pharaoh hardened his heart; he would not listen to Moses | 722 |
| 2 | He hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses | 815 |
| 3 | But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen | 819 |
| 4 | But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart | 832 |
| 5 | Yet his heart was unyielding | 97 |
| 6 | But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses | 912 |
| 7 | So Pharaoh's heart was hard | 935 |
| 8 | (Pharaoh 'confesses' his sin, but he did not repent.) But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart |
1016,17,20 |
| 9 | But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart | 1020,27 |
| 10 | The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt | 148 |
Judas
Jesus delighted in the expensive expression of Mary, the prostitute when
she knew she was forgiven. The disciples considered it a shocking waste.
So Jesus corrected them, "She has done a beautiful thing to me. ... Wherever
this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also
be told, in memory of her." Math 2610-13 The disciples realised
they had erred and saw that once more, God's thoughts are different from
man's. Is 558 All except Judas, who thought he knew best and rejected
the Lord's correction. He immediately went out and betrayed the Son of God
for 30 silver coins. Math 2615 That was his God given right; to
accept or to reject. But his choice was disastrous. The Lord knew that Judas
had gone to the chief priests, so what did he do about it? Next evening at
the last supper he gave him every opportunity to repent from his foolish
ways. The Lord of Glory washed their feet; including those of Judas. Jn
132-5 He openly told them that one of them would betray him. Jn
1310-21 He sat Judas in the place of honour, next to him. Jn
1326 He gave Judas the bread. Jn 1327a So, when he
still refused to repent, he told him, "What you are about to do, do quickly."
Then the scripture adds, "And it was night." Jn 1327b, 30
Let us never be like these three men, who by their own choice, failed in
the day of God's opportunity by rejecting God's gracious warning. Their regret
is eternal and tragically unnecessary. Jesus said, "Whoever has (hunger and
desire for God) will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever
does not have (and is content to live without God or to follow his law) even
what he has shall be taken from him." Math 1312
"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks
to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools." Ro 121,22
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Math 724
His heart is not hard nor unresponsive. He delights to hear and obey. And
God delights to reveal the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, to reveal the
truth and give him assurance and faith. Math 1311
