#12680 Did God Harden Pharaohs Heart? Cattle, Myrrh, and Heaven - Jimmy Akin

Catholic Answers Live

Catholic Answers

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“Did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?” This question opens a discussion on divine sovereignty and free will, alongside inquiries about the ownership of cattle by Israelites during the plagues, the significance of myrrh given to Jesus, and the meaning behind God’s rest on the Sabbath. Each topic invites a deeper understanding of faith and scripture.

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Questions Covered:

01:32 – Ex 9. Regarding the 5th plague and the cattle dying. It says that the Israelites had cattle. Were slaves allowed to own cattle?
07:21 – Regarding the Myrrh given to Jesus by the Magi. Do we have any evidence that this was more than just embalming material for death but rather something tied to the priesthood?
15:08 – Regarding the sabbath. Why did God need to rest on the last day if he doesn’t get tired?
22:59 – Did God take away the pharaoh’s free will when he hardened his heart in Exodus 21?
29:44 – Who did God marry at the wedding at Cana? Why are there 14 stations of the cross?
44:25 – The first will be last and last will be first. Does that mean everyone will go to heaven?
49:10 – Jesus told his disciples his Father’s house has many rooms. What does that mean?
51:45 – What was the relationship God had with the Israelites and how did Jesus dying for our sins change that? What exactly changed for humans?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Buying or selling your home, real estate for life can connect you with a pro-life real estate agent.
0:05.2	When Real Estate for Life receives a referral fee, they donate 65% to Catholic Answers.
0:11.5	Learn more at realestateforlife.org. Welcome back.
0:32.6	Catholic Answers live, Jimmy Aiken, our guest, it's Bible questions for Jimmy Aiken.
0:37.3	Your Bible questions, the number's 888-3-1-8-8-8-4. It's Bible questions for Jimmy Aiken. Your Bible questions, the number's 8883187884.
0:41.3	It's not often that we get a question that essentially is the title of the guest's brand new book.
0:49.3	The answer is like, what evidence do you have for Christ?
0:52.3	Well, how about if I send you my new book?
0:55.2	Evidence for Christ.
1:10.2	How we know that Jesus is the Messiah, that's Jimmy Aiken. And it's a brand new one. A new Jimmy Aiken book out. I hope you'll check it out at shop.catholic.com. You can get it at your local Catholic bookstore. Just tell them if they don't have it, they'll get it for you. They probably have it at your local Catholic bookstore.
1:12.7	Jimmy, thanks for coming back for another hour.
1:13.6	You ready for more Bible?
1:28.1	More Bible questions? Oh, sure. Oh, yeah. All right, well, let's go to Colorado then. We'll start with Edna in Broomfield, Colorado, listening on our app. I do not know where Colorado came from. I don't know where that came from, Edna, but I'm glad you're here.
1:31.6	Well, that's okay, and I'm glad you're there.
1:32.7	Well, thank you, Edna.
1:44.2	My question is about the book of Exodus, and we know that the Israelites needed to be free in order to worship God.
1:49.2	On the fifth plague, which is the death of the Egyptians' livestock,
1:54.1	says the next day the Lord did this thing.
1:56.8	All the cattle of the Egyptians died,
2:01.5	but the cattle of the sons of Israel, not one died.
2:07.4	So if they had their own, did they have their own cattle?
2:12.2	Did they have their own, how could they not worship God if they had their own cattle? I mean, I know they had to have some lambs left for Passover, but, uh,
	...

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