A Hardened Heart or a Hardened Lens?
Few passages unsettle thoughtful believers more than the story of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. The idea that God would harden a man’s heart can feel troubling—even unfair—as though Pharaoh were set up to fail. I’ve heard sincere Christians wrestle with this passage, wondering whether the problem lies in God’s character or in the story itself. But over time, I’ve come to believe the discomfort often points somewhere else entirely—not to a hardened heart in Scripture, but to the lens through which we read it. ...