“But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.” Exodus 8:15 ESV
“Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.” Exodus 8:19 ESV
“But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go.” Exodus 8:32 ESV
There is a scale for everything. There is a scale for music notes (heptatonic), a scale for the spiciness of peppers (Scoville), a scale for acidity (pH), and yes, even a scale for the hardness of objects (Rockwell). In Rockwell’s scale of hardness, it ranges from the softest object, rubber and plastics to the hardest object, high carbon case-hardened steel. But as we delve into truly judging the hardness of objects, I dare mention that the single hardest object I have ever witnessed is not an item of metal or stone…but the human heart.
The last 5 weeks our IMB team here in Guadalajara, Mexico has embarked on a massive campaign of hosting 5 U.S. young adult mission teams in 5 consecutive weeks. And since our primary task in missions is evangelism, we have been sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ a lot. And I mean a lot. And within these varied conversations I have heard just about every possible idea of how you can get to God in heaven. Through good works, possessing a pure heart, loving your family, taking care of nature, being good to animals, giving money to the church, and of course, doing nothing because God is love and everybody automatically goes to heaven. Just last week I shared the gospel with a lady and she informed me that God is so big He is actually microscopic and lives in her blood so she will go to heaven. The world is so good at selling its lies on how to get to God in heaven…and people are lining up to buy them lock, stock and barrel. But what happens when a lie is confronted head on with the truth? What happens when the pure light of Christ is introduced into the utter darkness of this world? Well, just as in our study verses above concerning the pharaoh of Egypt in the book of Exodus…the truth of God’s Word tests the hardness of the human heart like no other scale in existence.
As people share with me their popular belief of how to get to heaven, and ultimately God, it is fascinating to observe their reaction as I share the Word of God with them, and the pure truth of those Words reaches the very heart God created. Some look up, pondering what just happened to their heart. Others look down, wondering what just happened to the possibility of further argument. Yet some, some just look dead ahead in defiance, refusing to acknowledge the truth, hear the truth, or even be in the presence of the truth. Folks, the hardness of the human heart to the truth of God needs a new scale of hardness as it outpaces the hardest metal by a degree of 10.
As Moses continues to bombard pharaoh with God’s demand to let His people out of their cruel slavery in Egypt, we see repeat behavior in him. He habitually hardens his heart to God’s request. And when it comes to the process of repeating behavior, every additional episode becomes just a little bit easier to repeat. Yes, the habit of hardening your heart to the Word of God, His will for your life, and His correction of sin in your life is a habit that over time can become as easy as taking a breath.
Today I caution you to be ever so careful minding the state of your heart. God’s Word, the Bible, is ever attentive is cautioning us against this. In fact, a quick Bible software search shows me over 100 verses that deal with the condition of the hard human heart. Here’s just a few:
“They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” Ephesians 4:18
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 NIV
“For they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:52 NIV
“And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” Mark 8:17 NIV
You see, the human heart left to its own inherited sin nature is at war with God. The human heart is in a perpetual battle with the truth of God’s Word and the righteousness that it demands. Our human heart is not capable of producing what God asks of it. Therefore, there must be a change in our hearts to see those hearts bring forth the behavior that God desires. And to do that we must break the habit of hardening them towards God and introduce them to the only agent that can change their behavior. And this change is ever so eloquently stated in one of my favorite verses:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 NIV
Friends, no matter how hard your heart is today, God can make it as soft as warm wax. But there is a decision you must make. For you see, if you choose to live in the habit of hardening it against the Lord, He will allow you that option. Just as with the hard heart of pharaoh 3,000 years ago, God will allow you, in free will, to resist him today. But I pray you see the tremendous cost of tending a hard heart against the Lord. For there will be no hard hearts in heaven, only those with new Holy Spirit-inspired soft hearts. And to receive that new heart you must simply give up the fight and relent to the fact that you are sinner in need of a Savior. And as Jesus ever so clearly states in John 14:6, He is the only way to God in heaven. (Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me) And folks, in God’s love for the world, anyone that calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be redeemed from the death penalty of their sin. (Romans 10:13) And then, ensuing that salvific moment, one of the greatest of all miracles will ensue…a heart of flesh will be transplanted in place of one of stone. And folks, as I can personally attest, life will never be the same.
Today a heart of flesh awaits you. And living with this new God-gifted heart will allow you to grasp the abundant life that Christ promised His children in John 10:10. Don’t wait a day longer living with a stony, stubborn, habitually hard heart. Ask Jesus to be your Savior and let His heart be planted at the center of your new life.
Blessings ~ Dan
“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit…” Ezekiel 18:31a
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