God hardened a heart already hardened toward Israel to work His will and glorify His name....He did the same thing when He sent a lying spirit into the prophets of lies...He merely enhanced and used what was already there...all this was the working together for the good of those who love Him....
Corrupt Leaders = Proof Of Free Will
- Thread starter KingJ
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God hardened a heart already hardened toward Israel to work His will and glorify His name....He did the same thing when He sent a lying spirit into the prophets of lies...He merely enhanced and used what was already there...all this was the working together for the good of those who love Him....
Brother Paul, I think if he was enhancing what was already there then scripture would include that. IMHO
I know it is not as apparent with Pharaoh but we can see he was not treating the Israelites as the Pharaoh's at the time of Joseph...they were his slaves. Pharaoh already did not like them. He already worked them seven days a week relentlessly. They were not free to come and go anymore.
Exodus 1 tells us "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom (City of Justice) and Raamses (City of the Sun)...And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage...in all manner of service...all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour (hardness, cruelty)."
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This was already their attitude toward Israel before the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. God already tells Moses in Exodus 3:19 (still before He hardens Pharaoh's heart) that He is sure Pharaoh will not let the people go.
The same is true of the lying spirit scenario...these prophets are already prophesying lies. God (by His sovereign choice) is using their already present personality and character, He does not instantly transform them outside of their willful preference and propensity.
brother Paul
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Basically if God was not holding back evil after Adam and Eve's lack of faith, then everything would have fallen into complete evil. God does not need to hold back evil but does. Someone walking in faith in the Holy Spirit has no evil because they are not in evil. Those walking in the flesh need God to hold back evil because without God it is all evil and no love.
To harden someone God only needs to not hold back evil and because they are not in faith they will succumb to the evil because they have no defense against it. It is only by God that those who are not in faith can still have "good" thoughts. Without God holding back evil all thoughts would be evil. I put good in quotes because only by faith in God is the good actualized.
"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way."
It is not evil holding back evil. If God holds less evil back and someone's heart is hardened, God did not do evil. God has no obligation to hold any evil back. He has given everyone the measure of faith. They can choose to use it or not.
To harden someone God only needs to not hold back evil and because they are not in faith they will succumb to the evil because they have no defense against it. It is only by God that those who are not in faith can still have "good" thoughts. Without God holding back evil all thoughts would be evil. I put good in quotes because only by faith in God is the good actualized.
"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way."
It is not evil holding back evil. If God holds less evil back and someone's heart is hardened, God did not do evil. God has no obligation to hold any evil back. He has given everyone the measure of faith. They can choose to use it or not.
Also look at Samuel and King Saul. It was God's will for Samuel to be their leader. Instead the people wanted a king and God gave them the king. King Saul was a reproach to people. Evil leaders are a reproach by God. Rather than the people having faith in God, they put their faith in politicians to save the country. Many Christians do this as well. So if people's faith is in politicians and not in God then God is giving them just what their faith asks for.
If God's people humble themselves and pray by faith and repent, God can turn anything around. People have what they prayed for. I didn't vote for either candidate. In fact I don't look at politics at all. As someone who believes God, I am not going to give approval to someone I know is not with God.
If God's people humble themselves and pray by faith and repent, God can turn anything around. People have what they prayed for. I didn't vote for either candidate. In fact I don't look at politics at all. As someone who believes God, I am not going to give approval to someone I know is not with God.