Playing god

God the loving Father wanted to free his people from slavery. To God freedom is the ability to worship and glorify him as the one true God (Exodus 5:1). He told Moses to ask Pharaoh to let his children go. Moses went time and time again to Pharaoh asking him to release the Israelites from slavery.  I was thinking of how Pharaoh did not want to listen to God because noone tells the Pharaoh what to do. He lords over everyone and he tell them what to do. So he refused the children of God from going to worship him, choosing to oppress them even more (Exodus 5-12). It made me think of how by delivering on all his promises, God showed Pharaoh that he is all powerful and that his word is true. Yet even though the evidence was there, Pharaoh trusted in his own wisdom was blinded to the truth. This hardening of his heart culminated in the biggest weeping ever in Egypt as all the first born sons were killed. As I was reading the story I was it was frightening to me that a king who is appointed to have his people's best interest at heart, will let his people suffer through 10 horrific plagues before he could submit to the will of God. It showed me how blinding pride can be. 

Then I thought of what is happening in war ridden countries today. How both sides harden their hearts to finding peaceful resolution of the problem. They both refuse to compromise and their pride gets in the way. Their attitude is "It's my way or the highway". Although their own people are suffering and dying. Although women and children are displaced, raped, killed or turned into soldiers. They are blinded to this evidence. Their hearts are hardened, making it difficult for them to let go of their pride and find a peaceful resolution to the problem.

It made me very sad the people are given such power and because their hearts are evil they unleash evil into their world. Yet if their hearts were good, they could use their influence to unleash love into their world. Only God can remove a hardened heart and replace it with a heart of flesh. 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh Ezekiel 36:26