Welcome to Curiously Caitlin, where we take a kid question about God, theology, or the Bible, and find a scholar to answer it.

This week, we tackle a question that I have personally been asked so many times by both little kids and grownups.

Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart?

This question is such a good example of a question that is rooted in a specific biblical story,

but pokes at a much bigger theological question.

Maybe we hear the story of the Israelites and slavery in Egypt and Sunday school,

and we hear that Moses was telling Pharaoh to let God's people go and he kept refusing,

and we wonder why it says God hardened Pharaoh's heart.

That doesn't seem like God is acting in the ways God typically acts.

But that question also opens up a much bigger and trickier question.

In this story, it seems like God is making someone do something evil.

Does God do that?

Does God's sovereignty, the idea that he ultimately has authority over all things,

that nothing can stop God's purposes in the world, does that mean

he causes bad things to happen? That huge, big question cannot be answered in one episode.

And we've actually had lots of other episodes that cover other parts of that question.

But today we'll talk about one small part of it. How can God be in control,

but not cause evil?

I don't know.

That doesn't make any sense.

Curiously, Kate, yeah.

Dr. Carmen Imes, welcome back to Curiously Caitlin.

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