 I wanted to kind of come, hopefully this won't be too long. I don't intend for it to be too long, but I was sitting here and I saw a comment. I said, you know what? I've got some time. Go ahead and push record. And I was just gonna just make the video and then just send it out. I said, you know what? I've got even more time. Let's go ahead and make this a live. And so maybe we may have a little bit of interaction, but something in regards to the video on yesterday that someone brought up about Farrell's being hardened, this is Christ centered. The person that says Farrell hardened his heart first, then God hardened next. God removed his hand restraint and allowed Farrell to have his own way. Then he says dot, dot, dot into hell. Okay. Well, the question is one, is that true? Might be true, might not be true. But let me just say this guys, we have a tendency to interpret scripture through the lens of our doctrine. Whatever our doctrinal stance is, we tend to wanna incorporate that into how we read the scriptures. Now, the way you do it might be correct, it might be wrong, but we have to be careful. Oh, by the way, you're not the only ones that do so. Also, people who are just as guilty of this, and I'm not imputing their integrity anything like that behind, I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm saying. But when you read the Bible, some will say that I don't read Bibles with commentary. Well, someone who's a textual critic, someone who understands how the Bible is put together will say, yes, you do. You do read the Bible with commentary. Well, no, I don't look and the guy opens his Bible up and says, see, I don't have any commentary. He says the very words that you have on there are commentary because there's no such thing as a word for word translation. So therefore, they have to tell you what they think the word means or how to put it. In other words, they're giving a commentary on a word because it can be taken mean this way or that way. And we're gonna see a little bit of that example here as we read, as we go through this. And I wanted to, for just an example, use a recent video by Mike Winger, who I'm subscribed to. I like him a lot. And I wanna see what he says in covering this. Let's examine it and see if what he says lines up with scripture. Most cases he does. In most cases, Mike Winger does it. So very solid teacher. And so I wanna go ahead and go to it, but this is over this issue of Pharaoh's heart being hardened. Who does the hardening first? 51% of you guys right now say that God hardened Pharaoh's heart first. 30% said that God hardened it after Pharaoh. So Pharaoh hardened his own heart first. Then God added to the hardening. And then Pharaoh, 12% say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Nothing to do with God. And then 7% say, not sure. I like the 7%, I like the 7% because often times we might wanna just, let me just tell you what I think. Whether I'm right or wrong, I'm just gonna tell you what I think anyway. Well, let's go ahead and listen to Mike as he addresses this. And then we're gonna go ahead and also look at it ourselves. But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he did not listen to them as the Lord had spoken to Moses. So here, let's put this in context. Okay, the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. Let me see if I can find the passages I'd like to share with you on this. We were just in Exodus chapter nine. Here's us in Exodus 12. It says that Pharaoh's heart grew hard and he did not heed them as the Lord had said. Now, he's actually really in Exodus, is it? I'm sorry, nine, yeah, he's in Exodus nine. There it is. Let me make sure, because I'm not sure which passage he's on. I wanna say he's in, yeah, no, I'm sorry, he's in Exodus seven. He's in Exodus seven. And so let's go to Exodus seven. And I wanna show you something a little bit different. As a matter of fact, let me do something here. Let me do something kinda on the fly. Notice what it says. It says, verse 12 of chapter seven, for each one threw down his own staff, this is as Moses or Aaron, both of them are going to Pharaoh. But each one threw down his own staff and turned into serpents, but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staff. Verse 13, yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he did not listen to them as the Lord had said. Now, I wanna go, before I go to this, I wanna look at the word, the word that you use here is the word Isaac, which is to harden, to make hard, to become strong, what have you. But I wanna go ahead and take this off. And what I want to do is I wanna add the King James version. One, two, three, four, five. So I wanna add the King James version and then I look at verse 13 comparing that. It says, and he hardened Pharaoh's heart that he hearkened. So what translation, I wanna see what translation is Mike reading from. Hold on one second. Okay, well, Pharaoh's heart. I'm not sure which translation he's reading from. Let's see, the King James version says, and he hardened Pharaoh's heart. Verse 14, Pharaoh's heart through stubborn. Let me try a different one. Let's see what, again, I'm not sure which one he's using. So let's see if I can find a different one. One, two, three, four, five. Pharaoh's heart was hardened. I'm not sure. I'm not sure exactly which translation he's looking at. There are some, and I'm not gonna pull up every translation. But the translation might say he grew it himself or God did it. Well, let's pull back up the Hebrew. And unfortunately, guys, even in looking at the Hebrew, it really doesn't, one, two, three. It really doesn't help us. No, it wasn't the ESV. I was looking at the ESV. It wasn't the ESV, Romeo. By the way, hello, Romeo. But it really doesn't help us a lot in verse 13 to say who's doing the hardening. It just says, I'm sorry, Zakaq. Now, better than to say who's doing the hardening. And it says, Leb, a Pharaoh. So, and was hardened the heart of Pharaoh. But it doesn't say who's doing the hardening. So there is a little bit of interpretive commentary at it, depending upon which translations or which group of translators you're looking at. It might be that it's saying that Pharaoh's hardening himself or that God is hardened. Or in this case, his heart was hardened. Now, in this case, his heart was hardened, I think is a good translation because it doesn't really say who's hardening. Is it God hardening his heart or is that Pharaoh hardening his heart? So I just wanna pull that out. Let's go back to Mike and let's see what he has to say. Grew hard, that's interesting. But that's not something that it says God did. That's something that Pharaoh, his heart is doing. So now there will be my first objection because he said that's not something that God is doing. That's something that Pharaoh is doing. The question's gonna be, how do you make that case? Or do I say that this is something that Pharaoh is doing on his own because this is my theological bent? Whereas someone else's theological bent might say, no, this is definitely God doing it. Okay, the text in and of itself on that, when you say he's using the New King James version, in and of itself does not say one way or the other. Let's go to the New King James version. Let's go to the New King, I don't care what anyone says. I don't care what anyone says without question. Without question, there it is, you're right, you're right. Without question, the best group of people on YouTube. Isn't that even close? Smart Christians, it's not even close. Which by the way, this is weird though when you look at it, because the King James version and New King James version, they didn't be parallel, but it didn't say that he grew, well, I guess you could say, but is it Pharaoh's heart grew hard? But again, you're making an interpretive commentary to say that this is what the scriptures are saying, that Pharaoh's heart grew hard because of Pharaoh. Similarly, you'd be making an interpretive commentary in saying that Pharaoh's heart grew hard because of God. Now, are there some scriptural backing to go with this? I think so, but again, let's finish listening to him. But again, I think it'd be wrong to say that Pharaoh's caused his heart to grow hard, where we don't see that in the text. God's not directly doing, this is important to recognize this because this matters when we understand the causal nature of what happened to Pharaoh's heart. So the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hard. Right, but what happened? Well, his heart grew hard on its own, in this case, in this particular situation. Let me see, we have in verse 14, in verse 22, Pharaoh's heart grows hard again, and he doesn't heed them. It's not God as the agent here. And it could easily have said God hardened Pharaoh's heart here, but it doesn't says that his heart grew hard. So we get this other times as well. Now, he said it could easily say that God caused his heart, but the truth be told, it could easily say that Pharaoh made his heart hard as well. There's both ways to look at it. It could easily say that Pharaoh made his heart hard, or just as like he said, it could easily say that God made his heart hard. And so he goes to verses 14. Exists 8, 19, Pharaoh's heart grew. So he says in verse 14, then the Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. Now the word here for stubborn is a different word. It's not the word, it's not, it is the word, Ka'bad or Ka'bad, which means to be heavy, to be difficult, okay? So, but it still, it still has the same meaning. And let's drop down. He says, let's go to verse, I think it's at 18 or 22. I think it's at 22, let's drop down to 22. Yep. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret, secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart was hardened. Let's go up here. Pharaoh's heart was hardened. Let me do something. Let's put the Hebrew, let's see if the Hebrew adds anything to this. And verse 22, and Pharaoh's heart was, nope, same thing. Same thing. And so still it's difficult to see if it's saying that it was hardened by someone, some outside agent. The verb is just a simple call. So it's hard to say, again, this is where it would take your own interpretation. However, I don't think we need to really rely on our own interpretation. We'll get there in a second and we'll see kind of the big picture. Us, God, our heart, and God's will. Again, it's just this thing, his heart is doing on its own. God is not directly causal in that. And then finally, we get to your passage, which is Exodus 912. Well, I guess I could go to 97 first. The heart of Pharaoh became hard again. Okay, but this is again, he's on his own. And then chronologically, finally at the end, we have God hardened Pharaoh's heart. And that was in Exodus 912, the passage. Now he's speaking chronologically and we'll deal with the issue of chronological order because it's very important. But he goes to chapter nine, verse seven says, but Pharaoh sent and behold, there was not even one of the last of Israel dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not let the people go. Now, again, it's not saying who hardened it, but it's the same word. This is the word for heavy. Did not let him go and then go down to verse 12. He says, and the Lord hardened. Now in this one, it says, and the Lord hardens, hardened Pharaoh's heart. Now, the issue is what happened first. And by the way, this hardened is the word Kazakh. And so the issue is, which happened first? Which came first chicken and beer? But before we get into it, let's let him say some more. So the verse you gave, the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. What are we getting from this? That it's not just a single action on behalf of God, that God is actually just hardening Pharaoh's heart. God hardened Pharaoh's heart, but the question is, how did this take place? Well, it took place as Pharaoh hardened his own heart through seeing the things God was doing and choosing to reject them. Moses gives a sign, Moses brings a plague, Pharaoh sees it, hardens his heart, decides not to let the people go. It happens again, his heart becomes hard again. So Pharaoh is active in the hardening of his own heart. This is key, this is very important. What we see in the end is this picture of God hardening hearts. Is that there are people who are, because of their own sinful attitudes, they're disposed against God. And God shows them miracles, God shows them light, God gives them truth. And because of their attitudes, they reject the light, they close their eyes to the truth and they become harder. So God, by showing them himself in glory, effectively hardens their hearts because they are wicked. God knows, hey, Pharaoh is so against me in his attitude that when I show his miracles, when I show my miracles and I demand for him to let my people go, he will harden his own heart. If I ask him now, he'll harden his heart. So God hardens his heart by showing him miracles, hardens his heart by demonstrating his power, hardens his heart by demanding he let the people go. God's not hardening his heart by doing heart surgery. He's hardening his heart by confronting wicked Pharaoh with light and Pharaoh closes his eyes. Now, this is where I've got it apart from his belief. One, he brings up that God is not doing heart surgery. I contend that God is always doing heart surgery, that God needs to do heart surgery. Remember what God's issue is, guys. We've covered this a million times, it's covered again, that God has stated his issue with us as human beings is our heart. Do it around me, what does he say? Circumstance your heart, get your heart together, fix your heart, and they don't. So God says that I will. And so the heart of the man is always the issue. The heart is desperately wicked. And so that's an issue. And we're gonna deal with this issue of a heart being hardened first. Someone said to deal with Exodus 9, 16, let's put it on the screen. But indeed, for this reason, I have allowed you to remain in order to show you my power in order to proclaim my name through all the earth. Very important passage, by the way. And we're gonna cover this again in more detail because it's vitally important to see what God is trying to do. If we go to Exodus 12, 35, there's something happening here as well. Let's go there. Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses where they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Wait a minute. The Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. What does that sound like? It sounds like he's touched their heart as well. So God can. It seems like God can touch their heart favorably or negatively. God can make their, make gifts on one favor in their heart or make you look bad in that person's heart. Remember the Bible says that God says that the hearts of the judges are in his hand. Whose hand? God. God. One thing I think we need to be clear about guys. I don't think anyone would have a problem with saying that Satan is busy. I don't think anyone would have a problem with saying that the enemy is always out to do harm. Peter says that he's like a roaring line seeking whom he may devour. So he's busy. He's active. Let's not also say that God is not active. God is active. God, as a matter of fact, he must be active. First of all, he's keeping everything in perfect harmony. But he's also working in us. Are you with me? Now I want to go to a passage that speaks about, and I'll come back to this issue about what they're doing here. But I want to go to the passage that precedes all of these. The first time that we hear about Pharaoh's heart being hardened, I think the chronology is important. This is God. We know what happened when Moses meets God at the burning bush and he says, go and tell the people. Go and tell Pharaoh, let my people go. And so he has this discussion. Well, I can't speak. It's not, you know, anyway, but what's interesting is Moses does end up speaking. But that being stated, that being stated, look what he says to Moses when he says, I'm going to send you, but this is going to happen to Pharaoh. He says, the Lord said to Moses, when you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power. In other words, so God has given him the power to do so. Again, God is active. God has put in his power given because previously Moses couldn't do anything. Neither could Aaron. God has put this power and then he says, but I will, I will, I will. And this is how it's taken. This is the only way it can be taken, but I will harden his heart. Remember we talked about this in Leviticus 17 when he says that I myself will provide the atonement on the altar. And we have this, why I need, not a team. Well, here we have this, I need, why I need, right here, why I need and I, which is I myself will harden. I will harden. That's the only way this can be taken. As a matter of fact, this is, this is, this peel is kind of an intensifying, which is important. Peel in the Hebrew, and I won't go through it, but peel is kind of more intensive. So if I use a call verb, let's say to break, to break something in the call is just, I just broke it. Could have been an accident, but I just broke it. But then peel means I smashed it. I smashed it. It's a more intensified way, which helps us to understand something. God is the one that is going to harden his heart. And he says so in an intense fashion. Now, let me just say this. Sometimes you can see both sides where there's both of an argument there. The argument is this, that Pharaoh hardened his heart first. Well, truth be told, there's some truth to that. Why? Name the heart that's born on the planet that's not born hardened or hostile towards God. All of our hearts have a natural enmity or bent towards, I mean, against God. We have a natural disposition that is against what God is trying to do. However, we're like she. And so it doesn't take a whole lot to bend us one way or the other. How many times have you been someplace and you end up doing something or thinking something or saying something or behaving in a way that you would have previously thought that I wouldn't do that? But because you're in that situation, the environment was being said kind of moves you this way. It's this power of persuasion that others might have. It happens all the time. How do I know? Go look in your closets, go look in your pantries and look what you bought. You didn't buy that because you thought it's a good idea for me to buy this. No, the power of persuasion. Even over the TV, the radio, you saw someone else wearing it or buy it. That's how this stuff works. And so I'm not saying, I'm not saying totally here, but again, our hearts are not that strong. They're not that strong. And so when God says that he is going to harden, yes, there's already a natural hardening, but does that mean Pharaoh is the cause of these Jews not being released after the first few signs? No, this is clearly God, God making the point. This is God doing the hardening. Otherwise, I believe personally that he would have let him go. But why wouldn't he, why would he not let them go? Again, what we can say, and there is no theological bit here because it literally says what it says that God says that I will harden their heart. I, I'm the one doing this. The reason for the catalyst for the cause of this, of Pharaoh's heart being hardened. And I mean to a degree to where he's not gonna wanna let you go. A hard heart can also turn. We see that all the time. We can see someone begrudgingly do so. And so our hearts are in a natural hard state, a naturally hard state. And so God isn't the cause of them being in a naturally hard state. That's the result of the fall. However, God can also be and oftentimes is the agent of change, the agent to cause someone to either agree with or resist. If you don't believe that God can be the agent to have someone do something against their will, go ask Nebuchadnezzar whose idea was it for him to be a cow for 70, who? Nebuchadnezzar, let's play Bessie. Was that God's idea or was that Nebuchadnezzar's idea? We see this happening all the time. As a matter of fact, the Bible is clear on telling us who can resist God's will. We see that in Romans. We see that in Job 9. We see it in 2 Chronicles. No one can resist his will. Now, do you have the right to come back and complain about what God does to you? And we'll see what we've the password says that God hardens and has mercy. But because he hardens, do you have a right to come back and say, wait a second, you hard me. I can't do it. No, because you were already in that state. However, and you're gonna do more anyway unless God does the other thing. So because you're in a natural hardened state, you're going to sit against him. You won't come to him unless God does something hard to keep you coming to him. But this is a little bit different in that God is the reason why Pharaoh has a more intense hardening. This hardening of Pharaoh's heart, it's the same as ours. We have the same hard hearts. All of us do just like Pharaoh. We're no different. Let's stop that for a second. By the way, this is the same Pharaoh. This is the same Pharaoh who decided that he won't, I say this, we believe it's the same Pharaoh who decided to kill all the babies and firstborn males were by Moses escaped. So this is a wicked person anyway. This is a horrible person anyway. But guess what? So are we. So are we. What did God have to do with our hearts? That part, we can't escape either. Let's stop acting like God is sitting there leaving us up to our own devices and watching where the chips will fall. Remember what God says, and he is the change agent. Go to Romans chapter eight, 28. You don't have to turn there, I'll turn there for you. But he says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God. Who's the person in charge? Who's the cause agent here? It's God. Forget this word. Sooner gay. God is working with, he is causing this to work for his glory. Not we are taking part in that we, now he will use us. He will use us obviously. Thank you, Craig for the Super Sticker. But it's God who is God. We are, I gave us a good rule. Good rule to live off of. One, one, you're not God. I'm sorry, God is sovereign. There's only one God. Two, you're not God. Three, don't forget rule number one. You're just not that good. You're not that great. You're not that smart. You're not that loving. You're not that willing to do right. You just are not. Don't believe me. Go find the nearest two-year-old, the nearest three-year-old and see. Test my hypothesis with every other human being that's ever lived. That is the case. Now let's go back to what he says. He says, I will harden, but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, so now, oh, by the way, look what he brings up though. Then you will say to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, Israel is my son, my firstborn. Well, what's he getting ready to do? He's getting ready now. He didn't know this, but he's getting ready to kill some people. He's getting ready to do some things. He's getting ready to do some damage. Now he does harden his heart again in Exodus 14-3. He says, for Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, they are wandering aimlessly in the land, and the wilderness has shut them in. Thus, look what God says. I will harden Pharaoh's heart. This is God doing so. He says again, I will harden Pharaoh's heart and he will chase after them. And look what he says, and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his arming and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord and they did so. So God is going to get glory. He's gonna harden his heart to hold them back. Nope, he ain't going nowhere. But then he's gonna do something to where he's gonna kind of soften their heart. We'll go to that in a second, but then he's gonna harden his heart again and chase after them, why? Now it's time for me to really show my power. Jesus was asked the question, who sin caused this man to be born blind? Was it his mother's father? Was his parents' sin? Was it his sin? What is it? Jesus says, what in their sin but so that I can get glory and you'll know my power. You'll know I'm God. I'm in charge here. When God puts on a display, he puts on a display, which is why I say to someone, if you're out here saying that God is moving mightily, well, every time that he's moved mightily, everyone saw it. Everyone believed it, at least those that could see. Believers and nonbelievers. And he typically did it in the space of the nonbelievers to demonstrate who he is. Remember when Naaman has to go to Elijah and what does Naaman's servant girl say? Oh, that my master would know that there is a prophet in Israel to find out that there is a God there, that God is powerful. And so God is always trying to put on a demonstration. But now go back to Exodus 12. And look what he says, verse 36, And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they let them have their requests. Thus they plunder the Egyptians. Now, why is that important? Why is that important? I'm glad you guys asked. I'm so glad you asked, which is why we tune into the Smart Christians channel. Because we wanna keep things, remember, literal, grammatical, but here's the historical part of our hermeneutic. Do y'all remember, do y'all remember why the Jews are there in Egypt in the first place? They're there because Joseph was the second in charge in Israel, I mean, in Egypt. He dies and the Pharaoh then also dies and so this new Pharaoh didn't know them. But the reason why he's the second in charge there is because that Pharaoh had a dream. And why that's important that he had a dream is because there's a person there who God has gifted to interpret dreams. Well, what's the dream that he's having? That there's gonna be the seven years of good and plenty and then seven years of famine. Question, who's causing the seven years of good and plenty? And who's causing the seven years of famine? Oh, I don't know. Maybe someone else's heart didn't know. It's God who's doing that. God causes the good and he causes the famine. Well, why is he doing that? Well, because, and the only reason why Joseph is there to do so is because his brothers were jealous of him. Why were his brothers jealous of him? Why, because Joseph had a dream. Why did Joseph had a dream? Well, because God gave that dream to him. Why did God give Joseph this dream? Well, it goes back to something that his ancestor Abraham said. Remember God, I said to Abraham, you are gonna be this father of these different nations, these many nations. And Abraham asked a question, he gets an answer. He says, Abraham said, oh, God, oh, Lord, oh, God, what will you give me since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eleazar of Damascus. And Abraham said, since you have given no offspring to me, one born of my heir, my house is my heir, then behold the word of the Lord came and said to him, this man will not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body, he shall be your heir. By the way, who's doing that? Who is going to cause, one, Abraham the ability to perform and then two, the ability for his wife, who's also old to get pregnant, that's God. And he took him outside and said, now look toward the heavens and count the stars. If you are able to count them, and he said to him, so shall your descendants be. Then he believed the Lord and he reckoned to him righteousness. And look what he says, I want you to catch this. He says, and how will you know that? How, how will I still know Lord? I want to know how am I going to possess this? I am the Lord who brought you out of ear of the cow beings to give you this land possess it. He said, oh Lord God, how will I know that I will possess it? Look what he says. Now he's going to have this ceremony where there's going to be this covenant made with him. Then he goes on later on. He says, let's drop down to verse 13. God said to Abram, know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs. Question, where is this land going to be? Egypt. So God says your descendants will be strangers in a land. There will be slaves that he's saying, excuse me, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for 400 years. Are you following me? But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve and afterwards they will come out with many possessions. Hold it right there. Let's go back to what he said in Exodus 12, 35. He says in 35, now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they let them have the request thus they plundered Egyptians. What did God say is going to happen? They're going to leave. They're going to be slaves in this land for 400 years in Egypt and they're going to leave with great possessions. And he also said, I'm going to judge that land. I'm going to deal harshly with that land. God did all of that. How does God do that? Does he do so by guessing? I got an idea. I got a hunch that I just think, maybe there's going to be a famine and maybe you guys might work your way down to eat. No, no, God does cause things to happen. Now does God cause all things to happen? Meaning that he caused me to put on this shirt. He caused me to get these glasses. He caused me to go right when I could. Do I think that he causes every single thing? I don't think he causes every single thing but I think that he works every single thing and some things he does cause. That part is that you cannot escape that biblical fact that God does cause some things and he's not depending upon you having a hard heart and you hardening your heart. He's not waiting on that. He's not depending on that. Cause by the way, even with the children of Israel when they saw a miracle and they saw a sign, they stood up straight and got right for a moment. But the problem was still their heart. And that's the issue. And we see different examples of God hardening people's heart all through the scriptures. And so we go, let's go forward to Romans nine in terms of what he's going to do with Israel which is where this question comes up. For the scriptures say to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raised you up to demonstrate my power in you that my name might be proclaimed. Which is what we read earlier. And this is so that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth. It is. So that he has mercy on whom he desires and he hardens whom he desires. God can harden. So when I talk about this general hard state that we already, that all of us have, we all have a hard heart. That's our natural bent. That's our natural sin proclivity. That's not what he's speaking about with Pharaoh because we have the exact same thing. God intensifies it. God makes it more so. And that's why he didn't let him go. But then the reason why he ultimately let him go is because God did a number on not just his heart but also the people. Here, take what you want. Get out. Here, take this, take this, take this. You want some more? You want some of this? You want some of that? Just go, just go. Then he hardens his heart again because I'm gonna deal with this guy one last time so that I will get power, that you will know who I am. God is in the habit. Let me get this. I want you all to understand this. God is in the habit of making sure that we know he's God. He wants us and everyone else around us to know that he is God. That's why he says to us, Jesus says so, let your light so shine that people will see your good works and then do what? Glorify you. No, glorify God. That's the whole point. He is after glory, not you. And so if it were up to your heart to do good or do bad, then you would get the glory. But God will always get the glory. And so to answer the question, who hardened Pharaoh's heart? God did. Did Pharaoh have already some natural hardness to it? Yes, just like all of us did. Just like all of us had this natural hardness to our hearts, but that can be changed. That can be changed. And we see some people from time to time make a public or positive affirmation and then stop. Well, that's because the hardest, the hardest is like this. Goes back and forth. And so when God says he hardens his heart, God is the reason why Pharaoh decided I'm not letting him go. Which is what he stated. He said that he will not let you go because I will harden his heart. What happens is we put our own theological lenses on and read through that. And I know folks, what about free will? Well, your will is only free as long as God allows to be free. It's only free to the extent, your will is only as free to the extent that God allows it to be. At any point in time, if God wants to do something to your heart, he can. Does he ever do so? Yes, we see that again. We only need one example of that. That's Nebuchadnezzar. We see people's hearts melt before the Lord. We see people's hearts change because of God. So without putting a theological spin on this, we'll just take the scriptures for what they say. We'll take the scriptures for what they say and God said that he did this. And for this reason, he raised some of us that his glory might be shown, which is what he said to Abraham, which is what he said to Moses. And which is what Paul also said as well. So guys, be interested to your comments, whether you agree or disagree, if you have a different take on it, be willing to listen to it. This is not an issue of, well, I guess it does. The reason why someone's gonna disagree with it is gonna deal with, especially if a person is not Calvinist. Again, I'm not a Calvinist, but I agree with the text. They also, they agree with the text, but because I'm not a Calvinist and they know which way a Calvinist will take this, I disagree. I disagree. I disagree. God didn't do anything, no. Okay. So what does God do anyway then? What exactly does God do? Other than nothing, if you're gonna say that God can't do that or done do that, what does God do? Whatever he wills. Amen.