Whom He Wills, He Hardens

[Mr. M]

Romans 9:14-18 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.  So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

There are those who try to use a passage such as this to claim that Our Father is random and capricious. Here is why that does not track. First, the Pharaohs claimed to be god in the flesh, and with the backing of the priesthood, ruled capriciously under that guise. Secondly, the Lord sent Moses to speak to one particular Pharaoh, and his response was:

Exodus 5:

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord God of Israel:

Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?

I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.

 

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

That grace is received by believing His report...

Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

...and activated by faith.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God

must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

 

Therefore, we conclude that the hearts of men are hardened by their own unbelief, not

the capricious act of an angry God.

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table;

and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart,

because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

[Starise]

Do you think God would ever soften a hardened heart?

[TheBlade]

"Therefore, we conclude that the hearts of men are hardened by their own unbelief, not

the capricious act of an angry God." 

Yes amen! Don't even want to imagine a "angry God" haha. Well said.. Mr M

[AnOrangeCat]

On 6/17/2023 at 12:45 PM, Mr. M said:

Therefore, we conclude that the hearts of men are hardened by their own unbelief, not

the capricious act of an angry God.

I like this take, and something that I've noticed is that we also see verses n Exodus where the pharaoh hardens his own heart. In light of that I've thought of the pharaoh's case as being similar to what's mentioned in Exodus 1:28 where people are described as being given over to a reprobate mind.

[Alive]

On 6/17/2023 at 12:45 PM, Mr. M said:

are those who try to use a passage such as this to claim that Our Father is random and capricious. Here is why that does not track

This seems a mis-characterization. I have never heard anyone claiming God is random or capricious.

All of Adam’s race are headed toward destruction. Pharoah was a sinner. God further hardened his heart for that specific purpose. God’s purpose. God’s Plan.

[Alive]

On 6/19/2023 at 11:05 AM, Starise said:

Do you think God would ever soften a hardened heart?

Everyone of us in Christ…he replaced a heart of stone with one of flesh.

[Mr. M]

3 minutes ago, Alive said:

This seems a mis-characterization. I have never heard anyone claiming God is random or capricious.

Not mine, but I have seen this statement in particular:

"Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens."

And the insinuation of randomness to who gets saved and who goes to hell.

Not just a miss characterization, it is ignorance of His Holy Name.

To some extent it is why I avoid the soteriology sub-forum.

[Alive]

4 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Not mine, but I have seen this statement in particular:

"Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens."

And the insinuation of randomness to who gets saved and who goes to hell.

Not just a miss characterization, it is ignorance of His Holy Name.

To some extent it is why I avoid the soteriology sub-forum.

God is not random. What you quote is scripture and it is an emphatic and declarative statement.

Are you saying that if one believes scripture, that that one is saying God is random?

[Mr. M]

1 minute ago, Alive said:

God is not random. What you quote is scripture and it is an emphatice and declarative statement.

Are you saying that if one believes scripture, that that one is saying God is random?

I did not say that at all. I said God has his reasons and is justified in hardening hearts. 

Men essentially harden their own hearts, but it is the Lord who sets the standard.

Unbelief is an appropriate cause.

 

On 6/17/2023 at 10:45 AM, Mr. M said:

Therefore, we conclude that the hearts of men are hardened by their own unbelief, not

the capricious act of an angry God.

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table;

and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart,

because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

 

[Alive]

Just now, Mr. M said:

I did not say that at all. I said God has his reasons and is justified in hardening hearts. 

Men essentially harden their own hearts, but it is the Lord who sets the standard.

Unbelief is an appropriate cause.

 

 

Ok…good. I anchor my understanding at the start. Scripture teaches us all fallen men have hard hearts toward God. We start there as a baseline.

Whatever else we read in scripture must be seen in that light.