That they may know that I am the Lord

Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so. – Exodus 14v4

I still don’t fully understand the concept of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. Perhaps it is something as simple as knowing that He knew the state of Pharaoh’s true heart and was simply arranging things so that his true heart came out in God’s timing.

Anyway, there was a purpose in God doing what He was going to do here. From our human perspective it may appear that He is doing something that is self centred, but that is only as we try to see things from our human perspective.

God’s purpose was simple enough – that the Egyptians would know that He was the Lord. Why would He do that? Is He so self important that everyone has to know that He is the Lord to the exclusion of all else?

When God does things like this, to show that He is the Lord it is actually an act born out of His love for man. God is God. He is sovereign. Being sovereign He knows that the best choice for anyone is to know that He is the Lord. In order to bring men to that point God may have to do things that we don’t always understand.

Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is one of the great illustrations of His power. A few Egyptians already had recognised the power of the Lord. God’s desire was not the destruction of Egypt, but that Egypt would know Him.

Our difficulty here is that we see things from an earthly, temporary view when God see things from eternity. There is nothing more important to man than truly know God.

God’s desire was that Egypt would forsake their worship of Pharaoh. He knew that their worship of Pharaoh would lead to their eternal suffering. He knew that only if they knew Him as Lord could they have eternal joy.

Our desire should be like God’s that all around us might know that He is the Lord.