Exodus and the hardening of Pharaoh's Heart Essay

Exodus and the hardening of Pharaoh's Heart - Essay Example As such they are without blemish and without any partisan attitude. Bible does not distinguish between Israelites and non-Israelites. Spiritual revelations are not bound by or confined to geographical boundaries. All arguments and counter-arguments originate below the mind level, and once an individual transcends the mind, one practically understands what divinity is! It is beyond words as such it cannot be expressed through speech. â€Å"All human beings are created in the image of God† (Magid) and at the same time God has blessed them with his free-will. They have the ability to act as per their volition and possess the capability to atone for their sins. Free will is the fundamental aspect of divine play. â€Å"Therefore, God’s removing the possibility of repentance (hardening Pharaoh’s heart) fairly raises the question of ethical reciprocity and just desserts.†(Magid) If this is agreed, the next question is God hardening anyone’s heart that â₠¬Å"challenges God’s relationship to humanity in Scripture† (Magid). This is the root cause of the â€Å"philosophical problem.† If Bible is taken for granted as a scripture of literature limited to the cultural and historical aspects, then the problem of hardening Pharaoh’s heart turns out to be the secular problem, and not of the Bible. Another way to sidestep the â€Å"problem† of Pharaoh’s hardened heart is to view Pharaoh as one who will not repent because he cannot repent. In Exodus 3:20 God ordains that He will bring plagues (wonders) upon Egypt as a rejoinder to Pharaoh’s disinclination to free Israel. In Exodus 4:2, God will â€Å"stiffen Pharaoh’s heart† to enable Him to engulf Egypt with plagues. In the first verse plagues are mentioned as an essential ploy for accomplishing the desired objective, i.e., liberation of Israel. In the second verse, the plagues are a crucial portion of the Exodus. God desires Pharaoh to uninterruptedly