WHEN GOD HARDENS A MAN'S HEART: JUDICIAL JUDGEMENT ( PART 4)

 The curse of poverty and stagnation is broken because of the anointing of God's favour upon you.

Good -Life Devotional: WHEN GOD HARDENS A MAN'S HEART: JUDICIAL JUDGEMENT ( PART 4)

By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi

PARABLES AS A FORM OF HARDENING

 

Jesus taught in parables not just to reveal truth but also to conceal it from those who refused to believe:

Matthew 13:13-15 – “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

This echoes Isaiah 6:9-10, where God declared Israel’s heart would be hardened due to their rebellion. The parables were a form of judgment: truth was hidden from those who had already rejected it.

3. THE DISCIPLES' STRUGGLE WITH HARD HEARTS

Even Jesus' own disciples struggled with hardness of heart, though theirs was temporary:

Mark 6:52 – For they had not understood about the loaves [miracle of feeding the 5,000] because their heart was hardened.

Mark 8:17-18 – “Do you still not understand? Do you have a hardened heart? Having eyes, do you not see?”

Unlike Pharaoh, the disciples’ hearts were softened through their relationship with Christ. This shows that hardness of heart can be reversed through faith and revelation.

4. THE DANGER OF PERSISTENT UNBELIEF

Jesus warned that persistent unbelief leads to irreversible hardness, just like Pharaoh.p

John 8:43-44 – “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil.”

John 12:39-40 – “For this reason they could not believe, because Isaiah said: ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart.’”

The Pharisees had so persistently rejected Jesus that their hearts were beyond softening. This aligns with Paul’s warning

Romans 1:28 – “And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind.”

Unbelief can reach a point where repentance is no longer possible—a terrifying warning to those who continually reject God.

5. THE WAY TO AVOID A HARDENED HEART: HUMILITY AND FAITH

While Pharaoh and the Pharisees were hardened due to rebellion, Jesus offered the remedy:

Matthew 11:25 – “You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have reveled them to infants.”

Hebrews 3:15 – “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

The key is to respond to God's truth with humility. Those who acknowledge their need for God will receive mercy, while those who persist in rejection may eventually be hardened beyond return.

Conclusion: Pharaoh, the Pharisees, and Us

Pharaoh resisted God and was hardened as judgment.

The Pharisees saw Jesus’ miracles but still rejected Him, leading to their hardening.

Jesus warned that persistent unbelief leads to blindness and separation from God.

The disciples had temporary hardness but were restored through faith.

The ultimate message? Respond to God while your heart is still soft. The longer we resist, the closer we come to being like Pharaoh—hardened beyond return.

 In our daily prayers we should seek a healthy appetite for God's word and zeal for his house .

PRAYERS: Heavenly Father forgive me of my sins against you I believe Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation I receive him as lord and saviour and receive the Holy Spirit and power to overcome poverty.

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