When the Heart Grows Hard: Pharaoh, Judas, and Us

 

“When the Heart Grows Hard: Pharaoh, Judas, and Us”

Text: Exodus 7–11; Matthew 26:14–16; Acts 7:51

Introduction

There’s a frightening reality found in the story of Exodus that we dare not ignore: a man can see the hand of God at work—again and again—and still say No. He can be surrounded by light and still choose darkness. He can be offered life and still prefer death. Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt, was given chance after chance to make the obvious, reasonable, and righteous decision: Let God’s people go. But he didn’t. He hardened his heart. And in doing so, he offers us a sobering picture of how self-deception and sin can destroy a soul.

The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart

The Bible repeats it like a drumbeat: Pharaoh hardened his heart.
In Exodus 7:13, “Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen.” Sometimes it says he hardened his heart (Exodus 8:15), other times that God hardened it (Exodus 9:12). These are not contradictions—they are complementary. God confirmed the direction Pharaoh had already chosen. Pharaoh chose to resist, and God allowed him to be strengthened in that resistance.

Think of it like clay and wax under the sun. The same sun melts wax but hardens clay. The difference lies not in the sun, but in the substance.

Pharaoh saw miracles—frogs, hail, blood, darkness, and death. He even admitted his sin (Exodus 9:27), but he never truly repented. Why? Because he had already committed to a path of pride and power. He didn’t want to lose face. His throne meant more than truth. He became, as Scripture says, “stiff-necked” (Acts 7:51)—a heart so proud that it couldn’t bow even before the living God.

How Does This Happen? How Can a Person Be So Self-Deceived?

Pharaoh’s downfall wasn’t sudden. It was gradual. And that’s the danger. Sin doesn’t often leap—it creeps. Pharaoh's heart didn’t harden overnight. Each refusal, each moment of resistance, each lie he told himself added another layer of spiritual callousness. By the end, he couldn’t even hear reason anymore. He was enslaved to his own will.

This is exactly what Hebrews 3:13 warns against:
"But exhort one another daily... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Sin deceives. It convinces us we’re okay, even when we’re walking toward disaster. It rationalizes rebellion. It justifies jealousy, pride, bitterness, lust, or greed. And if we allow it, it slowly hardens our sensitivity to God. We stop listening. We ignore warnings. We resist conviction. We tell ourselves, “Later.” But the more we delay, the more numb we become.

The Tragedy of Judas: Another Hardened Heart

Pharaoh isn’t the only one in Scripture who walked the road of spiritual self-destruction.

Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus, heard His teaching, saw His miracles. Yet when the moment came, he sold his Savior for silver (Matthew 26:14–16). He had every reason to choose the right path. But somewhere along the way, he let bitterness and greed grow. He probably told himself, “It’s just a deal. Jesus will get out of it like He always does.” But sin had already blinded him.

And when the scales finally fell from his eyes, it was too late. His regret was deep, but his repentance was missing (Matthew 27:3–5). Like Pharaoh, Judas saw the truth after it crushed him.

Warnings for Us Today

The stories of Pharaoh and Judas aren’t just ancient history. They are mirrors for us.

How many of us have felt the tug of God’s Spirit—urging us to change, to forgive, to surrender, to let go of that sin—but we resist?

Every time we ignore God’s voice, our hearts risk growing colder. We might still attend church, sing the songs, serve in ministry—but inside, something is dying. We become like Pharaoh: religious on the outside, but rebellious within.

God does not harden hearts arbitrarily. But if we continually shut Him out, He may let us walk the path we've chosen. Romans 1:28 speaks of those who “did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God,” so He “gave them over to a depraved mind.” It’s one of the scariest realities in Scripture.

The Good News: God Can Still Soften a Hardened Heart

But here’s the hope: no heart is beyond the reach of grace—if it will yield.
Ezekiel 36:26: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

God is still in the business of heart surgery. But we must want it. We must humble ourselves before we’re humbled by judgment.

How About Us?

Pharaoh had every chance. Judas walked with Jesus Himself. And yet both made disastrous choices, even when the truth was clear.

The warning is for us: Don’t play with sin. Don’t ignore the Spirit. Don’t think you have forever.

If the Lord is speaking to you, respond today. As Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Because the only thing more tragic than a hardened heart… is a heart that stayed that way.

Amen.

More: Sabbath School EXODUS Lesson 4 - The Plagues