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THE HARDENING OF PHARAOH’S HEART (3)

Guarding against A Hard Heart

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     We are engaged in a 3-part series on “The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart.”

 

B.      In our last lesson, we examined seven factors that contributed to the hardening process.

 

C.     This lesson is important to us because it is possible for us to harden our hearts to the will of God (Heb. 3:8, 15; 4:7).

 

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

 

D.     Since we can harden our hearts to God’s will, we need to be informed of some things that we can do to guard against a hard heart.

 

I.                    REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

 

A.     Humans may be the crown of God’s creation, but we are still just dust (Gen. 2:7; 3:19).

 

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground…for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

 

1.       Flesh is weak and frail. 

2.       It is subject to sickness and disease.

3.       Eventually, all of us will die (Heb. 9:27).

4.       Jesus exhorts us to remember who we are in the first beatitude (Matt. 5:3).

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit:  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

B.      We also need to remember that we are sinners (Rom. 3:9).

 

What then?  are we better than they?  No, in no wise:  for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.

 

1.       Sin happens for several reasons.

a.       We are deceived.

b.      We are selfish.

c.       We are weak.

d.      We are rebellious.

2.       None of those reasons involve something of which anyone should be proud.

 

C.     As humans, none of us can compare to God.

1.       The traits that we do have that are like unto God do not measure up to His standard:  love, wisdom, strength.

2.       And, God has traits that we can never possess:  eternal, omnipresent, omniscient.

3.       Psalm 71:19

 

Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things:  O God, who is like unto thee!

 

D.     Remembering who we are keeps us honest, grounded, and humble.

E.       

II.                 OPEN TO GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

 

A.     Here, we are talking about our attitude in receiving the Word of God.  We must be “open,” that is accepting of anything and everything God desires for our lives.

 

B.      Examples:

1.       We need to heed Eli’s instructions to Samuel when he told him to say:  “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth” (1 Sam. 3:9).

2.       We should follow the example of the prophet Isaiah who told the Lord:  “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6:8).

3.       We should walk in the footsteps of Jesus who said:  “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:24).

 

C.     As the Creator, God bears the right to rule over us as part of His creation. 

1.       He is the right to issue commands of us because He has all authority. 

2.       Our duty is simple:  Do as God instructs.

3.       James 1:21

 

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

 

III.              NEVER REFUSE TO OBEY GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

 

A.     The first round of disobedience might be painful.  Our conscience might inflict agony upon our minds, and we might experience some sleepless nights.

 

B.      The more a person disobeys, the less the sting of conscience there is.  The heart soon gets seared over.  Soon there is no pain at all.

1.       In Ephesians 4:19, Paul writes about some who were past feeling. 

 

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

 

2.       When he wrote to Timothy, he described some who had “their conscience seared

with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2).

3.       It is possible to reach a point of no return.  Nothing will renew the individual to repentance (Heb. 4:4-6).

 

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were make partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

 

IV.              WEIGH YOUR CHOICES CAREFULLY

 

A.     Even the smallest choice can have a major hardening effect on one’s heart.

 

B.      Esau made his choice for lentils.  The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to recall his example (Heb. 12:15-16).

 

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.  Lest there by any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

 

C.     The choice of one friend, one relationship, one place to go, one job, one drink, one drug, or one website may be the first step to hardening your heart.

 

D.     Once a choice is made, it is often difficult to go back and undo it.

Once the choice is made, the consequences may have to be suffered.

 

V.                 DO NOT ALLOW PRIDE TO GROW IN YOUR HEART

 

A.     Never exalt yourself.

 

B.      If Nebuchadnezzar were with us, he would testify to the danger of pride.

1.       At one time, he was an arrogant man (Dan. 4:29-30).

 

The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty.

 

2.       As he spoke the words, the Lord drove him into the wilderness to live as a beast of the field.

3.       Fortunately for Nebuchadnezzar, he was softened by God’s discipline.  He “blessed the most high,” and he “praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation” (Dan. 4:33).

 

C.     Many who develop hearts of pride do not respond like Nebuchadnezzar did.  They are more like Pharaoh and are brought to destruction.

 

D.     The wise man was right (Prov. 29:23).

 

A man’s pride shall bring him low:  but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     A hard heart is truly a deceitful thing.

1.       The person is tarnished, but there is no shame about that.

2.       The person does not have God’s approval, but he does not feel sorrow about that.

3.       The person is lost, but he is not concerned about that.

 

B.      When we see a Pharaoh and his demise, we almost rejoice over his destruction.

 

C.     When a Christian, on the other hand, develops a hard heart, there is deep sorrow.

1.       The faithful is unfaithful.

2.       The loyal and true is now AWOL.

3.       The feelings of pride and thankfulness turn to grief and sadness.

4.       The one who was bearing fruit has become unfruitful.

5.       The saint is now a sinner and needs to repent quickly.

6.       But, the heart is hard.  Thus, he will die in a condition of no hope.

 

D.     Nothing is sadder than knowing a person died having NO HOPE.