How did God first deal with Pharaoh regarding Israel?
God first dealt with Pharaoh by sending Moses and Aaron to confront him with the demand, 'Let our people go.' This placed Pharaoh on the spot and gave him a choice: release Israel or refuse. When he refused, God sent the first plague, which made Pharaoh think but did not change his decision.
Les explains that as soon as God began dealing with Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron, they confronted him and said, '...let our people go.' God was putting Pharaoh on the spot, giving him a choice to either let Israel go or not. Pharaoh chose not to let them go. God sent the first plague, and it made Pharaoh think, but that's as far as he got with it. The next time Moses and Aaron came and said, '...let my people go,' he said, '...no, I'll not let them go.' Because the first plague had passed, he hoped there would not be any more. But he also now was in a more hardened position than before. So it was not that God just zoomed in on his heart like a laser beam and fried it.