Why did God harden Pharoahs heart. This always perplexed me
Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
God does not tempt anybody do to evil, so why would God harden Pharaoh's heart.
Exo 7:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
Why would God be mad at Pharaoh if God was hardening Pharaoh, for then it would not be Pharaoh's fault.
Exo 9:12 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.
The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh.
Exo 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
Exo 8:32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.
The Bible says that Pharaoh hardened his heart.
1Ki 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
God would sometimes allow a lying spirit to deceive people that are doing evil.
I do not believe that God hardened Pharaoh's heart, but that he allowed an evil spirit to deceive him, or Pharaoh did it by the flesh in arrogance, and power.
1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
Not many people in positions of power, and authority, are called, because of the condition of their heart, that they like power, and control, and to exalt themselves, and their heart is not that motivated by the love of people, but self exaltation.
Pharaoh was that type of person, and God wanted His power to be known in Egypt, so they would know that He is God, and for that to spread to the other nations, and wanted to deliver the Jews from Egypt, which God could of made it easy to deliver the Jews from Egypt by touching Pharaoh's heart to be kind, and let the people go without hesitation, and avoid the ten plagues on Egypt, but because Egypt was cruel towards the Jews, and wanting to rule over other nations, and Pharaoh thinking he was a God on earth, and God wanted to show His power on earth so people would know He is God, He left Pharaoh alone and he became hardened by his own flesh, and exaltation of himself, to be stubborn in to letting the Jews go out of Egypt.
That is what I believe it means is that God did not make it easy for Pharaoh to let the Jews go, so he allowed him to go through the ten plagues, before Pharaoh finally let the people go, but he still would not let the people go but chased them and Pharaoh and the army drowned in the Red Sea.
So God hardened Pharaoh's heart by not making it easy for him to let the Jews go, by touching Pharaoh to be kind, but He did not touch Pharaoh to be hardened for God does not tempt any person to do evil, but Pharaoh got hardened by his own pride of the flesh, and possibly an evil spirit, and he let the Jews go after the ten plagues for he realized there was too much destruction going on, especially the death of the first born son in Egypt, and after a while Pharaoh was breaking down, and even told Moses to tell God to forgive him for he has sinned.
After the tenth plague he let the people go, but then chased after the Jews, but drowned in the Red Sea with his army.
During the first 6 plagues Pharaoh did not budge, but after the 7th plague Pharaoh said he had sinned, and told Moses to ask God to forgive him, but after things settled down he hardened his heart again.
Which some people are like that they go through trouble and they cry out to God, but when things settle down they are back to acting the same wrongful way.
God hardened Pharaoh's heart because He would not make it easy on Pharaoh to let the people go so He could show His power by the ten plagues, and the Red Sea, but it was Pharaoh that did it to himself by his own flesh, and arrogance.
God could of made it easy for Pharaoh to let the Jews go by intervening softening Pharaoh, but He did not.