Exodus 7:4, 13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 12, 34, 35; 10:20, 27; 11:10; 14:8 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you…And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not…And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken…He hardened his heart, and hearkened not…And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not…And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also…And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened…And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not…He sinned yet more, and hardened his heart…And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened…But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart…But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart…And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
Hardening one’s heart against God, His Word, and His spokesman is a desperately dangerous and eternally damning thing to do. The Pharaoh learned this the hard way. The Lord was patient and long-suffering, and He gave him plenty of chances to soften his heart enough to receive God’s Word. But he did not. Hardening is common to all sinners (everyone). Everyone’s heart is hard, until it is softened by the Love of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We don’t know how many times an unbeliever can harden his heart until God finally gives them up, but one should not press his luck. All are born with a hard heart, but Jeremiah prophesies that the Day will come when the Lord will replace the stony heart with a heart of flesh, which means soft and receptive, an ”honest and good heart” like plowed soil.
There is a Pharaoh in all of us, as all sinners have a stony heart. The hammer of the Law can break the stone, and the powerful, sweet Gospel can penetrate and indwell the heart. But the longer and more often one ignores and resists the Word the harder it becomes. But also, the longer and the more often one listens to God the softer he becomes.
The consequences of hardening are not good. Ask Pharaoh. This makes us think twice about missing church and neglecting the Word.