Exodus 8:28-32 - Pharaoh hardened his heart

8:28-32

Pharaoh agrees to this, but insists that they do not go too far away. The reason for this that he is afraid of losing his slave labour. There are lots of incidents these days about someone being “cancelled” because of some, often very tenuous, link to the slave trade. People need to realise that slavery was endemic in virtually all societies. Moses accepts this, but warns Pharaoh once again reneging on his promise. So Moses left and prayed to the Lord. The Lord answered Moses’ prayer and the plague came to an end. “But Pharaoh hardened his heart”  (no surprise there) and did not let the people go. Note that here it says Pharaoh hardened his heart, rather than that God hardened his heart The two are not exclusive. As I have said before, the sovereignty of God and human responsibility are not mutually exclusive concepts.