1. Abundant Warnings About A Hardened Heart
Mark 6:52 – did not understand because heart hardened
Mark 8:17 – “Do you not perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?”
John 12:40 – he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts
Acts 19:9 – when some were hardened they spoke evil of the way

2. 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.'
11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.' "
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
Hebrews 3:7-15

3. X
The Bible Heart

4. Men Have Strange Ideas About Hardening The Heart
“Already hardened – born that way”
Text (Heb. 3) was a warning to those already born
Ezek. 18:4, 20 – not bear sin of father
“God just arbitrarily hardens one’s heart”
Acts 10:34 – God is no respecter of persons
Ezek. 33:11 – God has no pleasure in death of wicked
“Surroundings, environment hardens the heart”
Idea of blaming everyone but self
Suggests that we have no choice
Men like Joseph, Daniel, and Paul had bad surroundings
How would one overcome?

5. The
Hardening of
the Heart

6. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
of the Heart
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

7. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
God (Exo. 4:21; 7:3, 13; 9:12; 10:20, 27))
Magicians (Exo. 7:22)
Pharaoh himself (Exo. 8:15, 32; 9:34)
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

8. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
How Did God Do His Part?
Made demands contrary to what Pharaoh wanted to do
Demand (“Let my people go”) and the plagues are all God did
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

9. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
How Did God Do His Part?
What Did Magicians Do?
Tried to duplicate the miracles of Moses and Aaron but couldn’t (Exo. 7:22; 8:18)
Effect: Gave Pharaoh the impression that they had as much power…
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

10. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
How Did God Do His Part?
What Did Magicians Do?
What Did Pharaoh Do?
Looked to his own interest, own will, prominence, material progress
Yielded to pride, self will, prestige, and power
Had he been willing to do God’s will – effect would have been different.
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

11. Who Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart?
God (Exo. 4:21; 7:3, 13)
Magicians (Exo. 7:22)
Pharaoh himself (Exo. 8:15, 32)
By the demands
By their deception
By his stubborn will

12. The Hardening of the Heart
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
The Hardening of Our Heart

13. The Hardening of Our Heart
Possible For Any of Us to Have Hardened Heart:
Heb. 3:12-13
1 Tim. 4:1-2
The Hardening of Our Heart

14. The Hardening of Our Heart
Possible For Any of Us to Have Hardened Heart:
The Demands Have the Same effect
Commands are for our good (Deut. 6:24)
Yet may be contrary to my desires, pride, vanity, selfishness, passions, etc. (Acts 24:25; Mk 8:34)
Attitude is determining factor:
If heart is set on self will, fleshly desires, own pleasure, etc. – Heart will be hardened!
Gospel can harden or soften
2 Cor. 2:16
Sun hardens clay / softens wax
The Hardening of Our Heart

15. The Hardening of Our Heart
Possible For Any of Us to Have Hardened Heart:
The Demands Have the Same effect
Magicians Today
Magicians deceived Pharaoh into thinking Moses & Aaron were not of God
False teachers today deceive (1 Jno. 4:1-6)
Mislead
Confuse
Create prejudice
Result: hearts are hardened to the truth!
The Hardening of Our Heart

16. The Hardening of the Heart
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
The Hardening of Our Heart
Evidence of a Hardened Heart

17. Evidence of a Hardened Heart
Hearing is Dull
Matt. 13:15
Acts 28:27 – Paul’s preaching fell on deaf ears
Not because they could not hear
Because they would not hear
Hardened by the message preached
When hear some principle over and over … doesn’t affect you
Evidence of a Hardened Heart

18. Evidence of a Hardened Heart
Hearing is Dull
Eyes are Blinded
Matt. 15:14 – blind leaders of the blind
John 12:40 – blinded their eyes and hardened
Rom. 11:7 – elect obtained & rest blinded
Not that cannot see – but will not see!
Evidence of a Hardened Heart

19. Evidence of a Hardened Heart
Hearing is Dull
Eyes are Blinded
Conscience is Numb
1 Tim. 4:2 – conscience seared
Not bothered by unheeded passages
When one sees he is not right and thinks: “I know, but so are others…”
Evidence of a Hardened Heart

20. The Hardening of the Heart
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
The Hardening of Our Heart
Evidence of a Hardened Heart
Preventing a Hardened Heart

21. Preventing a Hardened Heart
Use Daily Reminder
Heb. 3:13 – exhort daily
Acts 17:11 – search scriptures daily
Preventing a Hardened Heart

22. Preventing a Hardened Heart
Use Daily Reminder
Beware of Deceitfulness of Sin
Heb. 3:13 – hardened by deceitfulness of sin
Sin is misleading
Appears as fun, harmless & even good
Hides its consequences
Can convince ourselves (Gal. 6:3)
Preventing a Hardened Heart

23. Preventing a Hardened Heart
Use Daily Reminder
Beware of Deceitfulness of Sin
Beware of Drifting
Departure comes gradual (Heb. 2:1)
Could I be changing – even slightly?
See it in my attitudes?
See it in my attendance?
See it in my study?
See it in my praying?
See it in my worship?
Preventing a Hardened Heart

24. Preventing a Hardened Heart
Use Daily Reminder
Beware of Deceitfulness of Sin
Beware of Drifting
Practice Self Examination
2 Cor. 13:5 – to see if are in the faith
Jas. 1:22-ff – look in the mirror to see what changes need to be made
Preventing a Hardened Heart

25. The Hardening of the Heart
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
The Hardening of Our Heart
Evidence of a Hardened Heart
Preventing a Hardened Heart