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Did God really harden Pharaoh's heart?

Exodus 9:12

But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses. 


That is an insightful question. God did harden Pharaoh’s heart on a few occasions, but Pharaoh actually hardened his own heart first. It centered around releasing the Israelites from slavery in Exodus. God had Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and warn him to let God’s people go. He even gave them signs and wonders to accompany them to show Pharaoh His power and that He was serious. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so he would refuse Moses and Aaron. He did this to display His power (Exodus 7: 4-5).

However, here is the question behind the question: If God deliberately hardened Pharaoh’s heart, does that lend support to Calvinism? The answer is no, it does not biblically reinforce Calvinism. Why?

If we dig deep enough into the story of Exodus, we will notice that Pharaoh actually hardened His own heart first in Exodus 8:15 and 8:32. Pharaoh hardened his own heart more than once and resisted God (which had been happening for years… and millions were affected by it). God simply hardened it even further.

Some disagree with that, saying that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart back in Exodus 4:21, but that’s not actually true. God did not harden Pharaoh’s heart in Exodus 4:21, He merely said He was going to do it later. We don’t see explicitly that God Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart  until Exodus 9:12. 

Although God did not force it to happen originally, He knew beforehand that Pharaoh would harden his own heart. That is why He said in Exodus 4:21 that He would do it later on, because He knew Pharaoh was going to do it himself first. Just because God knew, doesn’t mean He forced it. Foreknowledge does not force. It was Pharaoh’s choice from the beginning.

God is extremely patient, but at some point sin has to be dealt with. God will properly execute justice toward sin. He does not enjoy the chastisement of the wicked and He wants them to come to Him (Ezekiel 18:23), but as a perfect just and righteous God, He has to deal with sin. Now, the harsh reality is that in some extreme circumstances, God will give a person over to their sin. I don’t believe that happens often, but at times, if they want it that bad and they resist Him that much, He will finally give them over to it and a debased mind (Romans 1:28). To me, that is what happened to Pharaoh.

Now, free will does not negate God’s sovereignty, nor does God’s sovereignty nullify free will. In fact, they perfectly compliment each other. God is so sovereign and wise that He knew how to make the two fit. I once heard a wise man of God say, “You don’t have to reconcile good friends.” That is speaking of God’s sovereignty and the responsibility of man to receive his Creator.

God’s heart is that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He knows most will not receive Him (Matthew 7:13-14), but He still died for all. Don’t ever forget that you were made in God’s image, that He loves you, and that He died and rose so that you could be saved.


1 Peter 3:9

The Lord is … longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.