A series of passages in Exodus always fascinated me. Specifically Pharaoh and the hardening of his heart not to allow the people of Israel to leave their captivity from Egypt regardless of how horrendous the plagues that came upon him.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and hee hearkened not vnto them, as the Lord had spoken vnto Moses.

Here are all from a simple search. 11 such references appear here

Exodus 8:32 | Read whole chapter

And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would hee let the people goe.

Exodus 9:7 | Read whole chapter

And Pharaoh sent, and beholde, there was not one of the cattell of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people goe.

Exodus 9:35 | Read whole chapter

And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel goe, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

Exodus 11:10 | Read whole chapter

And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel goe out of his land.

Exodus 9:12 | Read whole chapter

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and hee hearkened not vnto them, as the Lord had spoken vnto Moses.

Exodus 9:34 | Read whole chapter

And when Pharaoh saw that the raine, and the haile and the thunders were ceased, hee sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his seruants.

Exodus 14:8 | Read whole chapter

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

Exodus 10:27 | Read whole chapter

¶ But the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, and he would not let them goe.

Exodus 7:14 | Read whole chapter

¶ And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Pharaohs heart is hardened: he refuseth to let the people goe.

Exodus 7:13 | Read whole chapter

And hee hardened Pharaohs heart, that hee hearkened not vnto them, as the Lord had said.

Exodus 10:20 | Read whole chapter

But the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, so that hee would not let the children of Israel goe.

From a total experiential viewpoint I have encountered this too many times to count. The very thing I warned individuals of consistently came to fruition and they suffered consequences to their hardened heart. In fact over the last few years I experienced more gas lighting than in the entirety of my life. Recently I had a conversation with an individual about an event that occurred and the very specific detail that I verified with my own eyes and camera many times. In addition I spoke to official local sources of information who also provided detail all of which he dismissed as conspiracy. He could not accept in the face of concrete facts what his delusional perception informed him of. I specifically went to observe in order to rule out anyone gas lighting yet to no avail. I was completely confounded and sorely discouraged.

Pharaoh also saw and experienced verifiable information, experiences and insurmountable evidence that the God of Israel was determined to free his people and yet he hardened himself 11 times. What did he think would happen? We know that until he lost his own son he would not relent. The question is why? Why did the Lord harden his heart over and over even after his total and personal devastation where he almost relented many times but then become resolute to the contrary again?

I turned to a commentary from Reginald Block and found this: “meaning he influenced their spirit, emotions and mind”

Can God do this? Obviously yes but my question is why did God do this? Why does God harden peoples hearts against His will word? (I know I used a natural example so do not take this post as a commentary but read it for yourself.)

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should beleeue a lye:

2 Thessalonians: 11

I also will chuse their delusions, and will bring their feares vpon them; because when I called, none did answere, when I spake they did not heare: but they did euill before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

Issaiah 66:4

I read this recently: (and did a search for the word hardened)

O thou king, the most high God gaue Nebuchad-nezzar thy father a kingdome, and maiestie, and glory, and honour. ¹⁹And for the maiestie that hee gaue him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would, he slew, & whom he would, he kept aliue, and whom he would hee set vp, and whom he would hee put downe. ²⁰But when his heart was lifted vp, and his minde hardened in pride: hee was deposed from his kingly throne, and they tooke his glory from him. ²¹And hee was driuen from the sonnes of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wilde asses: they fed him with grasse like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heauen, till hee knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdome of men, and that hee appointeth ouer it whomsoeuer he will. ²²And thou his sonne, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this:

Daniel 5:20

Could the reason Pharaohs heart was hardened because of pride? I would suggest yes. Egypt is a kind of Babylon and Nebuchad-nezzar who was King there also experienced a similar pride as Pharaoh which originates from Lucifer himself. Pride of heart will certainly stop almost all from coming in to the Kingdom of God and would also explain the too-numerous-to-count delusions we see today. No matter how much concrete verified, peer reviewed, documented and historical literature you present some will simply never listen because they refuse to consider the possibility that they are wrong and therefore their fears will come upon them. I meet many like this daily and attempt to gently suggest alternatives that I see as truth but they refuse point blank and see me as an insane person regardless of how many times I reference previous history where clearly I was in fact correct. It matters not. I am discouraged and confounded still.

Could it also be pride in my heart? I would suggest yes. After all what does it matter if I am right because all men can be liars but God never will be. That includes me. I want people to be saved but also safe and not repeat avoidable mistakes but still they ignore me and sometimes laugh in my face if what I say is contrary to main stream thought which without many expectations seems to be. I have experienced this for many years now and in reality if I reflect the majority of my life.

Furthermore, wee haue had fathers of our flesh, which corrected vs, and we gaue them reuerence: shall we not much rather bee in subiection vnto the Father of Spirits, and liue? ¹⁰ For they verily for a fewe dayes chastened vs after their owne pleasure, but hee for our profit, that we might bee partakers of his holinesse. ¹¹ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be ioyous, but grieuous: neuerthelesse, afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruite of righteousnesse, vnto them which are exercised thereby. 

Hebrews 12:10-11

5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. ⁶Therefore thou shalt keepe the Commandements of the Lord thy God, to walke in his wayes, and to feare him. 

Deuteronomy 8:5

Do I like being humiliated, laughed at, belittled and gas lighted? Simple answer is no. What else can I say?