"THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART!"

Exodus 11:6-10                             (ESV)

"6 There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has NEVER BEEN, NOR EVER WILL BE AGAIN.

7 But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that THE LORD MAKES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN EGYPT AND ISRAEL.'

8 And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, 'Get out, you and all the people who follow you.' And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.

9 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, that MY wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."

10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and "THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART", and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land."

Hebrews 10:31 says "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living GOD"!  Pharaoh was, at the time of The Passover, the most powerful ruler known to man.  He, nor the Egyptians, had any reason to be concerned with the Israelites as they were an unskilled people with no military training or instincts.  That the lowly Israelites would be used to glorify GOD would be a precursor to GOD demonstrating HIS Sovereignty over all mankind throughout history.  

That there would be "a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has NEVER BEEN, NOR EVER WILL BE AGAIN" informs me that GOD was setting up a display of POWER that would be unmatched FOREVER!  Through Moses, GOD spoke that the Israelites would be told to "get out, you and all the people who follow you"!  But in verse 9 of Exodus 11 GOD spoke to Moses "Pharaoh will not listen to you, that MY wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."  

Was GOD tantalizing the Israelites by making them wait to be set free?  My belief is that GOD was getting the MOST GLORY when "THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART".  The Israelites had to wait 430 years in captivity and I'm sure they were ready to NOT be oppressed any longer than they had to.  But "not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either MAN or BEAST" so no one had to fight or struggle for their release!  As a matter of fact, when the Israelites were leaving "they plundered the Egyptians" (Exodus 12:37)!  

Keep in mind the Israelites were not fierce, brutal people, but GOD was directing their ways and HE can cause us great success, especially when HE gets all the Glory!  The Israelites had to wait until GOD got all the Praise and Glory for their release, and ultimate entry into the Promised Land.  Whenever we feel like we are being made to linger in oppression and captivity, just remember that "THE LORD HARDENED PHARAOH'S HEART" and HE can orchestrate matters on mine or your behalf!