My Answer: God caused it in the sense that He “Permitted” it and by withdrawing His grace in punishment of Pharoah’s malice.
- Does God put our free will ahead of our salvation?
- In exodus when it would say “God hardened pharaoh’s heart…” did God actually do anything that would make Pharaoh not release his hebrew slaves? Whether it was straight out mind control, or even just divine temptation to keep them I don’t see the nobility of prolonging the suffering Egypt when the common person hardly had a say in the workings of the Egyptian kingdom.
Exodus 7:13-17
For every man cast down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the Lord had said. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; wait for him by the river’s brink, and take in your hand the rod which was turned into a serpent.
And you shall say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; and behold, you have not yet obeyed.” Thus says the Lord, "By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and it shall be turned to blood
Exodus 7:21-23
And the fish in the Nile died; and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the Lord had said. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not lay even this to heart.
Exodus 8:15
But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them; as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:19
And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:32
And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
Exodus 9:7
And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the cattle of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
Exodus 9:12
But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them; as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
Exodus 9:34-35
But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken through Moses.
Exodus 10:1-2
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your son’s son how I have made sport of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them; that you may know that I am the Lord.”
Exodus 10:19-20
And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
Exodus 10:27
But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
Exodus 11:10
Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.
It is important to notice that scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and that Pharaoh also hardened his own heart. The interesting thing about this is that those things that God did that hardened Pharaoh’s heart are the very things that should have awakened him to God. Moreover, those same things strengthened the Israelites and also converted many Egyptians that eventually left Egypt with the Israelites in the exodus.Exodus 14:8
And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the people of Israel as they went forth defiantly.
Very good. And if one looks carefully, it says Pharoah hardened his heart for most of the first 5 plauges, and God did it for most of the last 5. Also, sometimes it’s unclear who did the hardening. Basically, both contribute towards it. Second, it is important to note that God became especially angered when Pharaoh hardens his heart immediately after letting them go and forcing them to return (ie breaking his promise), upon doing that twice, God assured the last 3 plagues would be pretty guaranteed as punishment.Here are all of the verses pertaining to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the OT:
It is important to notice that scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and that Pharaoh also hardened his own heart. The interesting thing about this is that those things that God did that hardened Pharaoh’s heart are the very things that should have awakened him to God. Moreover, those same things strengthened the Israelites and also converted many Egyptians that eventually left Egypt with the Israelites in the exodus.
The Church historian, Origen, explains how God’s grace simultaneously softens some hearts while hardening others. Origen makes an analogy that goes something like this:
Some hearts are like wax and others are like wet clay. When the sun shines on the wax, it softens. When the sun shines on wet clay, the clay dries and becomes hardened. The interplay of God’s love, mercy, justice, and divine will with the will of man is complex and beyond our understanding. God’s design of man, and God’s plan for salvation, allows man’s free will to remain intact. God created man in his own image and likeness, and free will is essential to our humanity.
I hope this helps.