Harden And Soften Pharah's The Lord Of Exodus

The Lord, in Exodus, makes his primary purpose in the beginning of the book to assert his power throughout the lands and to his people at any expense, not necessarily to help the Israelis escape from the Egyptians. The writer covers up the Lords actions by making it seem as if his primary motivation is to assist in their release from Pharaoh’s grasp. The writer’s choice to “harden” and “stiffen” Pharaoh’s heart, time after time, brings light to the fact of the Lords attempts to show what he is capable of to the people of earth. This can be seen throughout the story multiple times as he intends to repeatedly stop Pharaoh from giving in to the Israelites, destroying the mass of the Egyptian army, and creating mass structures and strict laws

This quote encompasses a major point in the book, as the writer wants to make god an almighty power, so he chooses to use the land of Egypt as the main tool for acquiring his power. The Lord practically makes a mockery of Pharaoh, and unfairly punishes the entire land of Egypt for Pharaoh’s stiff-hearted ness, the stiff heartedness God himself puts within Pharaoh. Plague after plague, Pharaoh can obviously tell that there is an almighty power above his level of godliness, especially after the plagues leave the threshold of the magicians of Egypt. Once the magic of the Egyptian magicians is beaten, Pharaoh can obviously tell that this God is one of more power, and it becomes obvious to the reader what the intentions God has. Despite the reasoning of Pharaoh, God purposely hardens the heart of Pharaoh to elongate the time he is able to spread his power and the time for the word to spread amongst the people of Earth. As the Lord stiffens Pharaoh's heart, towards the end of the terror he brings upon Egypt, it is out into perspective Gods main focus on himself, rather than the Israelites he so valiantly leads to the Promise land. That is why it is clear that the Lords intentions are to assert his power throughout the land of Egypt, rather than to help the Israelites on their journey to the promised land, as he continually chooses to stiffen the heart of the Egyptian