Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Exodus chapter 4 verse 21.

And the Lord said to Moses,

when you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles

that I have put in your power, but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

Now, this is an interesting phrase that we see all throughout the story of Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. It's interesting because

sometimes scripture talks about God hardening Pharaoh's heart which is exactly what we see here in Exodus

421. There are other times when we see the story talked about Pharaoh hardening

his heart against God.

And so, which is it?

And this is where the Bible, and this is all over scripture,

leaves us with mystery.

How this works, how does God reign sovereign in a world of evil

where men and women are responsible for sin? And so we've got to keep these two realities intention.

Ultimately, God is sovereign over all things, over everything.

At the same time, we see all throughout the Bible and in the story of Pharaoh that while God is

sovereign, Pharaoh is responsible for his sin. He is hardening his heart all throughout

this story. There is not a desire to obey God, not a desire to glorify God and he is held responsible for

that for his sin. And so when we see sin around the world? Is God's sovereign? Absolutely. Is man and woman responsible for

sin? Absolutely. And how you bring those two together is theologically a mystery but it's true it's all over

scripture it's not a contradiction it is a mystery and it's one we hold

intention as we read through the Bible.

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