Just a quick post today, but I came across something in Exodus I thought it was interesting and worth mentioning. It happened during the ten plagues of Egypt when Pharaoh stubbornly kept the Israelites in Egypt instead of letting them go to Caanan to worship God. Although what I noticed was just a small detail, I think its implications are important.
Often I’ve wondered why the heck Pharaoh kept going back on his word to let the Israelites go. Couldn’t he see that he was in a battle he wouldn’t win? The power of God was causing chaos, death and destruction across Egypt. Why was he so stubborn? A small, repeated phrase might provide some answers.
Out of the ten plagues, the Bible only mentions Pharaoh hardening his own heart after five of them. In the others, it says that “The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” or something to that degree. To me this seems to say that God allows for free will but also intervenes in situations where he sees fit. But why would he keep hardening Pharaoh’s heart when that means the Israelites remain as slaves for longer?
After the 7th plague (storms and hail) the Lord says to Moses:
“Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”
God wants His glory to be known and displayed and praised. He wants His power to be seen. We often don’t understand why He works the way He does, but we can stand assured that it is for His glorification. If we’ve truly taken up our cross and died to ourselves, the glory of God is always the best possible outcome.
Seeking The Light 
Well, the way I see it, Pharoah made his bed with the first five plagues, God saw his choices and helped him “stay the course” — right into the Red Sea.
Yep, I agree. You can see several times later on that God says he’s going to defeat the Egyptians for His glory. Thanks for reading!