Why did God let Pharaoh think that he was in control? This is one of those parts of the Exodus account that intrigues me.
Certainly God could have freed Israel in one fell swoop. Are all those plagues really necessary? If it was the death of the first-born that would convince Pharaoh to let Israel go, then why didn’t God just send that plague first?
There are several points on this.
First, one of the truest indicators of God’s sovereignty is the limiting of himself to allow others to participate in deciding the events of history. This is a tough theological concept to grasp because on the one hand God is the sovereign King of history and that all that happens is under his control and working according to his will and purposes. On the other hand, it’s clear that God allows human decisions to have real consequences in history. How do we hold both of these truths in tension? Being transcendent (outside of time and space), God develops his plan for history with in light of knowing all human decisions before they are made. This doesn’t necessitate the elimination of human free will. Human free will must remain in tact for Jesus redemptive work at Calvary to be effective.
This means that the choices we make matter (deeply). We are not left to fate, or destiny (contrary to what Hollywood tries to tell us). God created humanity as the pinnacle of the creation. Humanity’s decisions and behavior matter and deeply impact the course of events in history.
This point is of special interest in this story precisely because of the language of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Ex 9:12). The firs thing to point out on this is the 1 Sam 6:6 says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Cf. Rom 9:17–18). What does this mean exactly? It means that his mind would not be changed. A lot of the time having a fixed will is a virtue. Sometimes, however, it can be a great danger. It’s dangerous when we get to a place where our thinking is air tight. There is always more to the picture because the truth of God is infinite and will always go beyond the confines of a human mind. Nothing is ever completely understood. There is always more investigation to be done. This is why we must be careful when creating dogma (not that dogmatic statements are bad and should be done away with, just that we should be very careful when doing it).
Second, God allowed the process of the plagues for his glory. We get into trouble when we think that the story is all about Israel and her redemption. No, the story is all about God, his glory and sovereignty to save humanity from its plight. It was crucial that Israel and Egypt witnessed the power of the One True God in the midst of a polytheistic, pagan society. Through the plagues God is mocking the Egyptian pantheon; he is demonstrating that the god of the Nile is no god at all.
Fourth (this list is not exhaustive), this narrative demonstrates how leaders and their decision impact their followers. This is true for politicians, pastors, bosses (employers), even parents. God has created the cosmos with a working hierarchy. That hierarchy is good. That hierarchy also means that those at the top, those with special decision-making authority have a tremendous impact on those beneath them.
What’s our takeaway?:
1. Let’s keep our leaders in prayer.
2. If you’re leader, be especially sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, God has delegated the well-being of others into your hands.
3. God can use everything (even evil) to glorify himself. This means that we should consider our suffering a joy. Somehow he can use our difficulties for his greater purposes.
4. Don’t have a hardened heart. Be open to God’s voice. This seems simple, but when we allow the Holy Spirit to explore us, he will faithfully show us where we have hardened our hearts. We have all hardened our hearts at one point or another. We must be open to God’s direction.
