Why did God harden the heart of the Egyptian Pharaoh?

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I don’t have the exact quote, but God hardened the heart of the Pharaoh so that he would follow the Jews and he could drown the egyptian army. So, if God had the power to harden his heart, why wouldn’t he just make his heart pure? That would solve his problems without having to kill everyone. Plus, the pharaoh only had a problem after God hardened his heart. What is with that?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I’d suggest you read in context and not try to pull out a couple of verses out of context.

God ‘hardened’ Pharoah’s heart with Pharoah’s full cooperation. God did not take an ‘innocent’ Pharoah and make him act all mean and nasty. God simply allowed Pharoah to be fully Pharoah. In fact, God gave Pharaoh what he wanted. . .

Pharaoh had opportunity after opportunity to humble himself to God, but each time, he himself–Pharoah, not God–decided that he was greater than God.

God gives us free will. That means we can choose good or evil. If all we could do was choose good, we’d be robots.

 

[kristanl]

Yea if you read that place in Exodus, you will see the the Pharoah was trying to be greater than God, and didnt want anyone to believe in God- just him. That is why God acted through Moses to try to get Pharoah to listen, but when he wouldnt he listen he hardened his heart. God wanted the Israelites to know that God will save them. The theme throughout this is God saves his people, he saves the people who listen and are obedient to him.