AS, there were gasses floating in space and a spark made the universe, life, monkeys and you.
God made folks like you just to see who would stand up for Him. Just as He made Pharaoh stiff necked to show the world His power He made many like you. Just as He made Pharaoh think the pestilence that devoured his land and the plague that afflicted his people and the wine that changed his water and the death He visited on Pharaohs crew, He has chosen for you, who deny Him. You have no choice in the matter. As a subject of Satan you strive for Satans reward of eteranal damnation. Wear your reward proudly. You have earned it.
Good job demolishing the Christian hypothesis of Free Will.
Well,I don't have time this morning to address the whole issue Jaguartx brought up when he suggests God made Pharaoh choose not to let the Children of Israel go just so he could punish him for it. He also suggested Jesus healed the man at the pool and then threatened to make him worse if he sinned again.
That is simply not the nature of God!! It is a misunderstanding because of not understanding the original languages and religious tradition took over from there.
I'm headed out to our deer opener this morning and will try to address the question farther if possible. Until then I will say that if anyone is interested they can look at the original language and see an entirely different meaning. God didn't harden pharaoh in the manner suggested. It was more like the case where a mother would anger a child to farther wrath by telling him that he had to do something he didn't want to do,causing the child to throw a fit. The original languages bring it out.
Often I think we don't believe in the same God. You seem to believe in a Sunday school God who is NOT infinite but sort of infinite from neutral to nice. Noah"s Flood was NOT Noah's Flood. It was God's Flood. He killed all the beautiful virgins and puppy dogs and butterflies and grouchy old men equally. Here are Some Quotes from The God of the Bible Who claims to harden hearts.
Exodus 4:21 The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but
I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 14:4-8 Thus
I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The
LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly.
Exodus 14:17-18 As for Me, behold,
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”
Deuteronomy 2:30 But Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land; for the LORD your
God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as today.
Mark 4:10:12As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, asked Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”
