Dinosaurs, Haters, and Free Will

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We had some great discussion last week at our open-forum Question Box.  We didn't get to all of them, so we going to continue this coming Monday. Here's a list of the questions; what's your opinion?

Questions we discussed:

1. How do you handle a person who hates on you and can’t let it go, how do you handle haters in a Christian way?

2. Should all of the stories in the Bible be taken literally?  (Noah’s ark, the Garden, etc)

3. If dinosaurs were around before people, and God made people on the 6^th day, does that make dinosaurs fake?

4. Did Jesus sacrifice any animals in His lifetime?

5. My pastor talks a lot about singling out a day every once in a while, fully dedicated to praying. What are your thoughts on that?

Questions we'll tackle next week:

1. When is someone considered Christian? How can I help people know or realize they are?  On a sort of off topic side (could these be linked?), how do I /we help someone who has authority over other people but has trouble having them actually listen to them?

This is following the example of Jesus?

2. How do you respond to hatred toward Christianity? People who have had a bad experience with someone and are taking it out on the entire religion? How do you respond to people who believe that religion may as well be the pinnacle of evil? That those who are religious are all ignorant?
3. How do you deal with Christians who have so much hate? Christians who hate homosexuals, and adulterers, just about every sinner… How do you deal with the Christians who make other hate Christianity?

4. How come there is so much killing for God’s purpose when he commands us not to? (Jael killing Sisera, Judges 4:21; the [killing of all the city’s residents at the] fall of Jericho)

5. What happens to those who are ignorant, children, people who were never reached by the Gospel? Do they find the Kingdom of Heaven?

 

6. Why did Jesus get baptized?

7. Where did natural evil originate (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes)?

8. Why did God make the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil when He knew Adam and Eve would sin?

9. How is the idea of God having a “plan,” “using people,” or having “complete control” over all life align with the idea that we have a free will?

Hardening Pharaoh's heart: God's influence on our free will

In response to our 90-Day Challenge to the read the whole Bible, we had some great questions on Monday night. What does it mean that "God hardened Pharaoh's heart"?  Does God sometimes override our free will for his own purpose? And if so, is it really free will?

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.

Ex 7:3–4, ESV

The Problem

This passage, and the twenty other references to Pharaoh's hard heart in the following chapters, have long been concerning to critics, and even some believers.  It seems to imply that God will force the king of Egypt to make a sinful decision, and then punish him for it -- ultimately killing him and his whole army in the sea.  If so, this is the height of injustice; even more disturbing, it would mean that God can revoke our free will at any time -- which really is no free will at all.

Who hardens his heart?

Joel's answer on Monday is a good place to start: it's vital to note that Pharaoh first hardens his own heart.  The first place we see any reference to hardening is Exod 4:21; but in this verse, God only tells Moses what is going to happen, at some point in the future.  The first time we see Pharaoh's heart actually hardening, he does it on his own, with no help from God.  And in fact, he does six times in a row!

From the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

...in the next seven references Pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart (Exod 7:13-14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) before God is said to have hardened it (Exod 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8). God’s first hardening came after the sixth plague. Pharaoh hardened his own heart six times by his refusals. Then later he hardened it again in response to the seventh plague, and God hardened his heart after each of plagues 8-10.

As a side note, it's significant that there are seven references in each case; numbers often (but not always) have symbolic meaning in the Bible, and seven is the number of fullness.  Pharaoh is fully committed to harden his own heart, apart from any action that God takes.

"Strengthen"

But does the fact that God also "hardens" his heart take away from Pharaoh's free will? I don't think so.  If you look at the translator's note on 4:21 in the NET Bible, you'll find an important insight to the word usually translated "hardened":

tn Heb “strengthen” (in the sense of making stubborn or obstinate). The text has the expression (va’ani ’akhazzeq ’et-libbo), “I will make strong his will,” or “I will strengthen his resolve,” recognizing the “heart” as the location of decision making (see Prov 16:1, 9).

This implies that God is making stronger the intent that Pharaoh already had in his heart; rather than making the choice for Pharaoh, God confirms the choice that Pharaoh has already made.

Responding

Pharaoh's heart is hardened both as a result of his own decision and God's action. To look at it in another sense, God influences Pharaoh's heart simply by giving him instructions.  Anytime anyone is told what to do, they will have one of two reactions in their heart: either they will listen and obey, or they will be stubborn and refuse.  Sometimes, depending on what they are being told to do, being stubborn is a good thing. Other times, what they are told is for their own good, and they refuse simply for the sake of refusing. And, as anyone who has ever put a toddler to bed knows, the more they are told to do it, the more stubborn they become. Every time God repeated his command to Pharaoh, it made him more resolute not to comply.

This true for all of us; what has God prompted you to do? Have you responded with obedience, or have you hardened your heart against his voice?