Whom God Hardens
Rom 9:17,18 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (Ex 9:16) Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
A person can't chose whom God chooses to have mercy on. Of course that doesn't mean that we have no idea whom God has chosen to mercy on. Nor does it mean that people play no part in obtaining mercy. For example if God arbitrarily said that He would have mercy on anyone would could run a 6 minute mile, it would take effort to obtain such mercy, but nonetheless no matter how much effort one made, one could not change God's mind on the subject. Thus we have no control over what category of people God has chosen to have mercy on.
But in fact we do know what category of people that is. Under the New Covenant God has mercy on those who put their faith in Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." John 3:16-18
And just as there is a category of people to whom God has chosen to have mercy, so also there are those whom God has chosen to harden their hearts. Pharoah was such a person. But if we study the subject more comprehensively we find that those whom God choses to harden are those who are proud. In fact the hardening of the heart is in cooperation with the individual. Take Pharoah for example. It says, Ex 8:15 "But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said" But "blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Pr 28:14 It's really pride which is the choice on our part. The Lord has ordained it such that pride results in one's heart being hardened, becoming desensitized to the things of God. Thus also, humility is the most essential of character qualities. The Lord says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Is 66:2b
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
Rom 9:17,18 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (Ex 9:16) Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
A person can't chose whom God chooses to have mercy on. Of course that doesn't mean that we have no idea whom God has chosen to mercy on. Nor does it mean that people play no part in obtaining mercy. For example if God arbitrarily said that He would have mercy on anyone would could run a 6 minute mile, it would take effort to obtain such mercy, but nonetheless no matter how much effort one made, one could not change God's mind on the subject. Thus we have no control over what category of people God has chosen to have mercy on.
But in fact we do know what category of people that is. Under the New Covenant God has mercy on those who put their faith in Christ. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." John 3:16-18
And just as there is a category of people to whom God has chosen to have mercy, so also there are those whom God has chosen to harden their hearts. Pharoah was such a person. But if we study the subject more comprehensively we find that those whom God choses to harden are those who are proud. In fact the hardening of the heart is in cooperation with the individual. Take Pharoah for example. It says, Ex 8:15 "But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said" But "blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." Pr 28:14 It's really pride which is the choice on our part. The Lord has ordained it such that pride results in one's heart being hardened, becoming desensitized to the things of God. Thus also, humility is the most essential of character qualities. The Lord says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Is 66:2b
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
