No, God did not harden Pharaoh's heart against his will; Pharaoh's own repeated refusal hardened his heart.
According to Les Feldick, God put Pharaoh in a position where he had to decide whether to release Israel. Pharaoh chose to refuse, and each refusal made the next refusal easier and hardened his heart further. God did not override Pharaoh's will; He responded judicially to Pharaoh's choices.
Exodus 7:13 — This verse introduces the hardening of Pharaoh's heart at the start of the plagues, raising the question of who is responsible.
Romans 9:18 — This is the New Testament passage that people typically cite to argue God hardens whom He wills; Les Feldick addresses it directly in his teaching.
Scripture records the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in several places. In Exodus 8:15, after the plague of frogs was removed, Pharaoh hardened his heart when he saw there was respite. Later, Exodus 9:12 says, "And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh." So the biblical record includes both Pharaoh hardening his own heart and the LORD hardening his heart. The Apostle Paul reflects on this in Romans 9, quoting God's words to Pharaoh: "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth" (Romans 9:17). He then concludes, "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth" (Romans 9:18).
Les Feldick explains that God did not directly harden Pharaoh's heart against his will. Instead, God brought Pharaoh to a place where he had to make a decision whether to obey the command to let Israel go. Whenever Pharaoh said no, his heart became a little harder, making it easier to say no the next time. Les says this is the only way to understand the statement that God hardened Pharaoh's heart: God put him on the spot, and Pharaoh's own defiance did the hardening. Les also compares this to Romans 1, where God gives people over to a reprobate mind after they reject Him. He emphasizes that God's hardening is a judicial response to human free will choices, not an arbitrary override. The same process works today: every time someone rejects the gospel, it becomes harder for them to respond in the future.
Les Feldick says the biblical statement that God hardened Pharaoh's heart means God placed Pharaoh in a position where he had to choose, and then God judicially responded to that choice. The actual hardening came from Pharaoh's repeated refusals, not from a direct act of God on his heart. Les puts it plainly: God did not "zoom in on his heart like a laser beam" to make him rebel. Rather, God's sovereign plan brought Pharaoh to a confrontation with Moses and Aaron, and Pharaoh's own free-will decisions built the resistance.
Les Feldick applies the principle far beyond ancient Egypt. When people are brought face to face with the gospel and say no, it becomes easier for them to say no the next time. With every rejection, their concept of rebellion grows and their sense of God's mercy shrinks. Les notes that this is why some people who have resisted God into their 80s and 90s are almost impossible to reach—they have become so hardened through repeated refusal. The process Pharaoh experienced is the same process that happens in every heart that rejects God.
Does God Harden Hearts? Romans 9:18-24 and the Potter's Clay
Okay, This is chapter 9, and again we better announce that all of our past programs are available on videotape. We take 12 programs and make one 6 hour tape, and then Jerry Poole and others have transcribed the tapes into the little printed pages, the little booklets on your screen, and my they're being used.
Pharaoh Hardens His Own Heart
Les teaches that all God did was put Pharaoh on the spot; Pharaoh's own wrong choices hardened his heart, even though Scripture says God did it.
Rejection Builds Hardness
Every time Pharaoh rejected the offer to let Israel go, it became harder for him to say yes and easier for him to say no.
A Choice, Not a Laser Beam
Les shows that God gave Pharaoh a choice, and Pharaoh chose not to let Israel go; God did not directly fry his heart.
The Human Nature Pattern
Les compares Pharaoh to ordinary people: when someone says no to God, it is easier to say no the next time.
Judicial Hardening
Each time Pharaoh said no, God judicially put him on an even tougher spot, and Pharaoh hardened all the more.
Directly Answering the Objection
Les addresses the fairness question directly, saying that God did not make Pharaoh a rebel against his will; the biblical record must be understood through Pharaoh's own choices.
The Hardening Process Over a Lifetime
Les uses the example of elderly rebels to show that repeated rejection of the gospel makes a person increasingly hardened, just as it did with Pharaoh.
Exodus 7:13: And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
This verse introduces the hardening of Pharaoh's heart at the beginning of the plagues.
Exodus 8:15: But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
This verse explicitly records that Pharaoh hardened his own heart after the plague of frogs.
Exodus 9:12: And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.
This verse says that the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, forming the other side of the biblical record.
Romans 9:17: For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Paul quotes the Exodus account to show God's sovereign purpose in raising up Pharaoh.
Romans 9:18: Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
This is the verse that raises the question of whether God hardens people against their will.
Romans 1:28: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Les uses this verse to show that God's judicial giving over is a response to human choices, similar to Pharaoh's hardening.
No, according to Les Feldick, God did not override Pharaoh's free will. God placed Pharaoh in a position where he had to decide, and Pharaoh chose to refuse. Each refusal hardened his heart further.
Les explains that every time Pharaoh rejected God's command to let Israel go, it made the next refusal easier. His defiance built on itself, so as the plagues continued, his heart became progressively harder.
Les connects the principle to Romans 1, where God gives people over to a reprobate mind after they reject Him. This is a judicial response to their free will choices, not an arbitrary act, just as with Pharaoh.
Watch the Teaching: Does God Harden Hearts? Romans 9:18-24 and the Potter's Clay