2. Welcome! March 5 th 2006

3. Don’t Harden Your Heart

4. Open Your Bibles to Exodus 4:1

5. We are going to look at the entire 4 th chapter, so let’s begin reading 4:1 thru 31.

6. Things to note: “believe the voice”. 4:1,8,9 Is it the voice of the man we are to believe? No, see 7:17 “Thus saith the LORD” We are to believe God’s Word through the man’s voice. Man can say many things, but it’s God’s Word that conveys the Authority man should heed. God’s Word proves itself to be true every time. “The people believed” 4:31

7. “Him Whom Thou wilt send.” 4:13 Notice the next verse God says “Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother?” “Him Whom Thou wilt send.” 4:13 Notice the next verse God says “Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother?” Moses is also a Levite, God states the obvious so there be no confusion that Redeemer will not be a Levite. For God promised; Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

8. (4:14, 27) Aaron was well acquainted with his brother Moses, They may have been schooled together. See 1 Sam. 2:27-28. “ (4:14, 27) Aaron was well acquainted with his brother Moses, They may have been schooled together. See 1 Sam. 2:27-28. “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?”

9. 4:24-26 God wasn’t trying to kill Moses. 4:24-26 God wasn’t trying to kill Moses. “And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him (Eliezer). 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son (Eliezer), and cast it at his (Moses) feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he (LORD) let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.”

10. See See Genesis 17:12 “And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.”

11. Genesis 17:14 “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” This is God’s rule!

12. 4:31 “the LORD had visited”. God keeps His promises. See Gen. 50:24-25 “ 4:31 “the LORD had visited”. God keeps His promises. See Gen. 50:24-25 “And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”

13. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:” Exodus 6:6 “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:”

14. redeem = Strong's Number 01350 Hebrew ga'al A primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.). redeem = Strong's Number 01350 Hebrew ga'al A primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.).

15. Compare 13:13 Compare 13:13 “And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.”

16. Redeem = A primitive root. To sever, i.e. ransom; generally to release, preserve. As with power × at all, deliver, × by any means. Redeem = 6299 padah A primitive root. To sever, i.e. ransom; generally to release, preserve. As with power × at all, deliver, × by any means.

17. We see the difference in these 2 meanings of redeem. God’s visit to the people unto Salvation is as a substitute. A kinsman-redeemer. See Luke 1:68

18. Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,”

19. These are all interesting points of the 4 th chapter of Exodus, and they help us better understand God, but the focus of our study is going to be the Hardening of the Heart. Exodus 4:21

20. Exodus 4:21 “And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.”

21. God tells us that He is going to harden Pharaoh’s heart.

22. #1) Exodus 9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses. #2) Exodus 10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

23. #3) Exodus 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go. #4) Exodus 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. #5) Exodus 11:10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

24. #6) Exodus 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

25. Why?

26. It seems that God was making Pharaoh do evil. This would be a sin. God can have nothing to do with sin. How do we reconcile this?? The Lord was not making Pharaoh do evil, the Lord was "allowing" him to do evil.

27. That's an important distinction that changes the whole picture. Pharaoh (as is all of mankind) was by nature desperately wicked. That is what normally proceeds from the heart of man since the fall of Adam.

28. Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

29. Only God truly understands the total depravity of man's heart against Him. From Adam's fall it is not conditioned to receive God's Word, but hardened as a stone in carnality to reject it. The only thing that keeps man from acting on all of the depravity in his heart is God's hand in the restraint of sin. Otherwise carnal man would soon destroy himself. This stony nature of the heart is illustrated in such scriptures as:

30. Ezekiel 11:19 "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:"

31. Without God's interference, man's heart is a stony heart, where it's hardened to God. But God is determined that His will and purpose be done on earth, and so God places His hand of restraint upon man that His will be carried out to His glory. What man generally doesn't understand is that he is not in control in this world, God is. And God makes his rain to fall on the wicked as well as well as on the just.

32. Jeremiah 17:9 "The Heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reigns, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doing."

33. The heart is deceitful above all, and who can know it? Certainly not man, for he thinks that he’s a good person. But God knows better! He tested Pharaoh's heart and it was found wanting, and by removing His hand of restraint, Pharaoh's heart returned to it's dark (hardened) state. This God does as judgment, that He might give him according to his evil ways.

34. Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

35. In this last Scripture King Abimelech may have "thought" it was all his doing not to touch Sarah out of the goodness or integrity of his heart, the Lord lets us know that it wasn't that the king was good, it was truly because God Himself was at work and put integrity in his heart.

36. He did this restraining without the King's knowledge preventing what he had in his heart from coming to fruition in sin against God. That is not a statement to take lightly. In order to get His will done on earth, God restrains the evil of man's heart.

37. Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure." Hebrews 13:21 "Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen".

38. Exodus 8:15 "But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said."

39. God says He would harden Pharaoh’s heart 6 times, But Pharaoh hardened his own heart 6 times. Exodus 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7, 9:34 This God allowed.

40. If someone were physically holding someone else back from committing a crime, and he told him he'd let him go if he would not commit crimes again. And when he let him go, He committed crimes again, is that one man responsible for another man's sin simply because he no longer physically restrained him?

41. Psalms 76:10 "Surely the wrath of man shall praise God." Exodus 9:16 "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee My Power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

42. How does this affect us as believers? We don’t have hard hearts…?

43. The dictionary defines the word "harden," when applied to our hearts, as "insensitive, unfeeling, unyielding, calloused." With this understood we certainly don't always yield to the Lord as we should. Those are all symptoms of a hardened, or calloused, heart.

44. Mark 6:48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary to them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh to them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

45. 6:49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith to them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

46. 6:51 And he went up to them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. 52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

47. They had very soon forgot His feeding of the 5000. Jesus' disciples had hardened hearts because they were shocked and amazed to see Jesus walk on the water. They had very soon forgot His feeding of the 5000.

48. We should be blessed to see the supernatural power of God manifest, but we shouldn't be shocked. If you relate easier to the natural and its problems than you do to the supernatural and its miracles, you have a hardened heart. (OUCH!)

49. Was Jesus amazed when He Himself fed 5000, or walked on water? No way! He believed and received exactly what he expected. Of course we are not Christ, but we are to be Christ- like.

50. The fact that we would be shocked to see someone raised from the dead or blind eyes opened is the reason most of us may have never seen those things.

51. God says their hearts were harden due to their improper response to the supernatural event of Jesus walking on the water.

52. Certainly the disciples have learned their lesson; Let’s see what happens just a few days later.

53. Mark 8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. (Skip down to vs. 16)

54. Mark 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith to them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

55. 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say to him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he said to them, How is it that ye do not understand?

56. We not only have physical eyes and ears; our hearts have eyes and ears as well, that allow us to hear and see God. People with hard hearts aren't seeing and hearing from their hearts. They are limited to only what their senses tell them. That's a severe disability.

57. What causes a hardened heart toward God? The answer is back in Mark 6:52, which says, "For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

58. What we consider is what our heart becomes open or sensitive to. The inverse is also true. What we fail to consider, our heart becomes closed or hardened to.

59. The word “consider” means “to study, ponder, deliberate, examine or meditate.” In other words, whatever occupies your attention, you become sensitive to, and you become hardened to everything else.

60. The way we change this problem is to change the things we are considering. Remember, whatever we consider, our hearts become sensitive to. This doesn't happen automatically. It takes time.

61. Consider this; You can't be tempted by something that you don't think about. We must substitute the things of the world with the things of God. In this way we will guard our hearts from becoming hardened.

62. The closer we are to God the easier it is to hear the Holy Spirit speak to our heart. The further we turn from God the less we hear from our Councilor. The closer we are to God the easier it is to hear the Holy Spirit speak to our heart. The further we turn from God the less we hear from our Councilor.

63. Can you hear the Voice?