In this topic, as in the one next preceding, the point of chief interest is the moral one—that which locates the moral responsibility for the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart—that which defines and places truthfully the really responsible agency in the case. Was this hardening the work of God, by his immediate hand? Was it wrought by his power so exclusively and in such modes as to overrule and throw out of account Pharaoh’s own responsible agency?
Or was the responsible agency that of Pharaoh only, altogether his and his alone? Did he harden his own heart, in the exercise of his own free will, in carrying out the purpose and desire of his own soul, essentially as other sinners and as all sinners do?
This question is one of immensely vital moment. Let us approach it with both care and candor.
We may reach the true answer by studying,
(1.) The history of the case;
(2.) What is said of God’s purpose in this matter;
(3.) What he has taught us of his character, and of his agencies in the existence of sin.
(1.) The history of the transaction will doubtless throw light on the question—How came Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened? How was it done?
The history of the transaction, developing the steps of the process, bears more vitally upon the question, Who is responsible?—than may at first view be realized. For, let it be carefully considered: God’s ways of working by his immediate, direct, exclusive agency will forever be mysterious and inscrutable to us. It is idle for us to ask—How does God work a miracle? Of course it must be idle for us to inquire after the natural law of such working because the very idea of a miracle is that of a work not wrought according to any known laws of nature. If now the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart were wrought by God’s miraculous, direct, immediate hand, we shall look in vain for the law of his operations. It would be simply preposterous to inquire after the laws of mind in accordance with which the thing was done—the supposition being that it was done according to no known laws of mind whatever.
On the other hand if Pharaoh hardened his own heart, there will be no mystery about it. It so happens that we all know but too well how sinners harden their own hearts. There is rarely the least difficulty in tracing the operations of the human mind and the influences of temptation which produce this result. Therefore, if the history of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart brings out the working of his mind, according to the common modes of human sinning—if we see that his mind worked as the minds of other proud sinners are wont to work under like circumstances, then the whole question is settled at once and forever. If we can actually see how Pharaoh hardened his own heart and can identify the whole process as being the very same which occurs in the case of all proud sinners who resist God’s power and especially resist the appeals of his love and mercy, what more can we ask? It were worse than idle—it were impious to exonerate Pharaoh from the least portion of the moral responsibility for his hardened heart and to seek to cast it over upon God.