Based on Acts 28:17-31 (New King James Version)
“And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: ‘Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.’ Then they said to him, ‘We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.’ So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, ‘Go to this people and say: ‘Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’’’ ‘Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!’ And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”
What is it that determines the course of a person’s life and defines their eternity? God made us in His likeness and image. And like that, we have similarities with Him. One of the greatest similarities that a human being has with the Lord is the ability to reason and choose, those of which come within the soul and the heart of a person, or the center of a being. In that intangible location (physically speaking) is where everything of importance can be found in a person. We can’t see it with our human eyes, but everything that it generates is quite visible in a person’s actions. So then, it is not necessarily God the One that decides what should happen with a person, but rather, it is the person that finally decides their outcome. God simply allows for natural consequences to follow. However, there are instances that when a person is too rebellious, and their heart is too obstinate, that God finally makes the decision to push them into complete deviation, because the person has taken God beyond His limits.
To see this issue more clearly, what does the Word say about the heart of a person? It is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. God knows everything, even the deepest part within a person. There is nothing that can be hidden from Him. It’s impossible. He knows our true feelings, our thoughts, everything that is most intimate within our being.
Now then, one of the clearest examples where we can see everything we have mentioned so far is in Pharaoh. Pharaoh, to his disgrace, is an example of what happens when a person is obstinate with God, and that God knows everything they are thinking, and that the Lord is the One that finally rejects someone that is of a hard and rebellious heart. We see in Exodus when God desires to free His people from the hands of Egypt, and that He had to deal with Pharaoh’s rebellion. Pharaoh was given many opportunities to do things right, but his rebellious hard had no limits. God revealed to Moses Pharaoh’s heart, and He knew that it was hard, and foretold that Pharaoh would harden his heart even more, not necessarily because God designed this from the beginning, but because Pharaoh would decide to do it. This is what we read: “And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go.’” Exodus 7:13-14. “Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” Exodus 7:22. “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” Exodus 8:15. “Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.” Exodus 8:19. “But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.” Exodus 8:32. “Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.” Exodus 9:7. Pharaoh hardened his heart on six different occasions, even when the magicians had realized that they were fighting against God. But after all of those opportunities, God then acted in Pharaoh’s heart, and it was God that hardened him, as it is written: “But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.” Exodus 9:12. Pharaoh could have repented, but he did not while it was still time, and he pushed God beyond His limits. And because God is a supremely worthy Being, even though He is love and full of mercy, He cannot forget that He is God as well, and that He cannot lower Himself.
This is what the Word advises: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6-9. “While it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:15-19. The people that God took out of Egypt also angered the Lord and they went through what Pharaoh did as well.
God undisputedly has His limits. He is a God of mercy, goodness, grace, and love, but we cannot abuse Him, under any circumstances. What is God’s limit? We don’t know, but why take Him there? If you have problems with rebellion and hardness of heart, use your reasoning to look for the Lord, and let Him work in your life, because otherwise, either you will come to experience much pain, or you will be rejected forever. All of this is your decision. So then, what will you do with your heart’s disposition? Lord bless! John