1. CardiosclerosisCardiosclerosis

3. Hardening of the Heart What is “hardening of the heart”? Exactly 20 times in Exodus, chapters 5-14, it is said that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. What does the Bible mean by this?

4. The Heart That Is Hardened Basically, the heart is the center of man. –t–the center of the intellect –t–the center of the emotions –t–the center of the conscience –t–the center of the will.

5. Because the heart involves the will, it is self-determined. Thus, it would be right to say that when Pharaoh’s heart was hardened he had made up his mind or will!

6. Hardening of the Heart There are three words used with reference to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. They express the degree to which Pharaoh had “made up his mind.”

7. The first means, “To make insensible.” Thus, Pharaoh made up his mind, to the extent that he was not going to be touched or moved by anything or anybody. This is the searing of one's conscience.

8. 1 Timothy 4:2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

9. Hardening of the Heart The second means, “to make unimpressionable.” Thus, when Pharaoh hardened his heart, he made up his mind that nothing was going to make an impression on him!

10. This is the way in which many listen to sermons: ““I'll listen, but nothing he says will make any impression on me.” ““He can preach until he's blue in the face and not even phase me!”

11. The third means, “to make firm or stiff so as to be immoveable.” Thus, when Pharaoh's heart was hardened, he made up his mind that nothing or nobody was going to change his will!

12. Thus, when a man hardens his heart, he decides (makes up his mind) that he is going to be insensible, unimpressionable and immoveable!

13. He is in a state of hard-heartedness, prejudice, stubbornness, rebellion, and willful opposition to God and God’s message.

14. OTHER HARDENED HEARTS Men were bound and determined (they had made up their minds) that they were going to put away their wives regardless of God's original plan.

15. Because of their hardness of heart, Moses gave stipulations concerning divorce to protect the innocent!

16. Mark 10:2-5 The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept."

17. OTHER HARDENED HEARTS The house of Israel had made up its collective mind that they were not going to listen to God or his messenger. they were hard-hearted!

18. Ezekiel 3:4-6 Then He said to me: "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

19. Ezekiel 3:7 "But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard- hearted."

20. ConclusionConclusion Don’t harden your heart! Soften it! Be receptive to the word of God. Allow it to change your heart.