Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Pharaoh deliberately blinded his own heart to the sacred history of God’s goodness towards Egypt and by so doing, he set himself in mode of action to try and resist any and everything God would do. Thus, God used the king’s natural stubbornness as a sort of vehicle, whereby His power would be manifested in the earth. When the scriptures declare that pharaoh knew not Joseph, we are now looking at a king who has made a conscious decision to reject undeniable truth, long before any plague had fallen upon the Egyptians.
Thus, there are several questions to be answered as we study the issue of the hardening of one’s heart: If pharaoh had decided to obey that first command to let Israel go, would God then have deliberately prevented him from doing so? Was Pharaoh’s freedom of choice removed from him at this time, so that he was bound in an iron destiny, where he had no choice but to be stubborn?
What were the hardening agents that were used in making the ill-fated pharaoh bone -headed? But one of the most important questions is the one found in the following passage, which ought to be viewed in the context of God’s foreknowledge of future events.
Exodus 5:22 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, why is it that thou hast sent me?
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!