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Real Questions. Honest Answers Series – Week 4

  • Writer: Josiah Kenniv
    Josiah Kenniv
  • Jul 24
  • 3 min read

If God Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart, Does That Mean He Made Pharaoh Sin?

“If God hardened Pharaoh's heart, does that mean He made Pharaoh sin?”

This is a weighty question and one of the most debated in Scripture. It strikes at the tension between God's total sovereignty and human responsibility. Did Pharaoh really have a choice? Was God unjust in hardening him? How do we make sense of this?


Summary Answer

No, God did not force Pharaoh to sin. But He did act decisively in Pharaoh’s life in a way that exposed and intensified the hardness that was already there. God gave Pharaoh over to the rebellion he had chosen, and in doing so, used Pharaoh’s defiance to display His justice and power. Pharaoh was not innocent, and God was not unjust.


1. What Scripture Actually Says

The book of Exodus presents Pharaoh’s hardened heart in three different ways:

  • Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 8:15, 8:32; 9:34)

  • God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 4:21; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27)

  • His heart was hardened (passive) (Ex. 7:13–14)


These aren’t contradictions. They show that God is sovereign, and Pharaoh is responsible. He wasn’t a neutral man longing to obey God, he was proud, cruel, and deeply opposed to God’s word. God’s action didn’t implant evil into Pharaoh’s heart, it confirmed and intensified what was already there.


2. God’s Hardening Is Judicial, Not Manipulative

Scripture is clear that God does not cause sin (James 1:13). But He does hand people over to the sin they’ve already chosen. This is called judicial hardening, when God removes His gracious restraint as an act of judgment, allowing people to follow their own path more freely.

This is exactly what happened with Pharaoh:

“For Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you.’”— Romans 9:17

God didn’t override Pharaoh’s will, He gave him over to it. He didn’t make Pharaoh sin, He used Pharaoh’s sin for His greater purpose.


3. What Is Restraining Grace?

This concept is central to understanding what God did in Pharaoh’s life.


Restraining grace is God’s mercy that limits how sinful people become. Even those who don’t know Him benefit from this grace—because God is actively holding back evil.


Examples:

  • Genesis 20:6 – “I kept you from sinning.”

  • Job 1–2 – Satan is restricted in what he can do.

  • Romans 13 – Government acts as a restraint on evil.

  • 2 Thessalonians 2 – A mysterious “restrainer” is holding back lawlessness.


Saving grace changes hearts.Restraining grace limits sin.


Picture a dam holding back a flood. The water wants to break through, but something is keeping it in check.


When God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He removed the dam. He no longer restrained the evil Pharaoh wanted to pursue. That was judgment, not injustice.

If God restrains your heart from sin, that’s mercy.If He gives you over to it, that’s justice.

4. God Uses Evil Without Being Evil

This is one of the great mysteries of God’s sovereignty. He can use human sin to accomplish His purposes—without being the author of sin.

  • Joseph’s brothers sold him—but God used it to save lives (Genesis 50:20).

  • Jesus’ crucifixion was God’s plan—yet carried out by wicked men (Acts 2:23).

  • Pharaoh’s rebellion was the backdrop for God’s power and salvation (Exodus 9:16).


God never sins, but He is never out of control. Even the plans of wicked rulers are under His authority (Proverbs 21:1).


That’s not frightening, it’s comforting. It means evil doesn’t win. God always finishes what He starts.


5. Why This Matters for Us

This isn’t just a theological puzzle, it’s a personal warning and encouragement.

  • If God restrains you from sin, that’s mercy. Don’t take it lightly.

  • If you feel conviction, respond, don’t ignore it (Hebrews 3:7–8).

  • God is never unjust, even when He gives people over to their chosen path.

  • God is incredibly patient, but that patience is not infinite.


Pharaoh’s story isn’t just history, it’s a mirror and a warning.

Don’t presume upon God’s mercy. Listen when He speaks. Soften your heart. Repent and trust Him.

Key Scriptures

  • Exodus 4–14 – Pharaoh’s hardening

  • Romans 9:14–18 – God’s purpose in Pharaoh

  • Genesis 20:6 – God restraining sin

  • Romans 1:24–28 – God giving people over

  • Genesis 50:20 – God using evil for good

  • Acts 2:23 – God’s plan through human sin

  • Proverbs 21:1 – God directing kings’ hearts

  • Hebrews 3:7–8 – Don’t harden your heart

Let me know when you're ready for the tags, categories, or to move on to Week 5.

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