Exodus 7:20-25: a reflection

20Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21The fish that were in the river died. The river became foul. The Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river. The blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken. 23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart. 24All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn’t drink the river water. 25Seven days were fulfilled, after the LORD had struck the river.

When the first sign strikes Egypt and the waters turn to blood, Pharaoh turns and goes into his house and does not even take it to heart, a warning against hardening ourselves so that even clear signs do not move us. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn't even take this to heart, the account says. A striking sign had just been given: the waters of the river turned to blood, the fish dying, the water undrinkable, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. It was a clear warning, a sign that should have moved Pharaoh to take seriously the God who sent it. But Pharaoh simply turned and went home, unmoved; he did not even take it to heart. He hardened himself against the sign, so that even this did not stir him. This shows the danger of hardening ourselves so that even clear signs do not move us. Do not harden yourself so that even clear signs and warnings do not move you. Pharaoh did not even take the sign to heart; guard against such hardness. God's warnings are meant to be taken to heart, not shrugged off. A heart hardened against God can ignore even what should move it.

Notice Pharaoh's response, or lack of it, to the sign. God had given a clear and striking sign, the waters turned to blood before his eyes. This was not a subtle thing; it was a warning meant to move Pharaoh, to make him take seriously the God who could do such a thing, to give heed. And yet Pharaoh's response was to turn and go home, unmoved. The account notes it pointedly: he did not even take this to heart. He simply shrugged it off, refusing to let it register or move him, hardening himself against the sign. This holds a searching warning about the hardening of the heart. It is possible to become so hardened against God that even clear signs, warnings, and evidences do not move us. God may give us warnings, in our circumstances, in his word, in our conscience, that should move us to take him seriously, to give heed, to turn; but a hardened heart can shrug them off, refuse to take them to heart, turn away unmoved, as Pharaoh did. This is a dangerous state: to be so hardened that even what should stir us does not, that we let God's warnings register nothing. We do well to guard against such hardness, to take to heart the warnings and signs God gives rather than shrugging them off unmoved, keeping a heart that is soft and responsive to God rather than hardened against him. Do not harden yourself so that even clear warnings do not move you. Take to heart the warnings God gives; do not shrug them off unmoved. A hardened heart can ignore even what should stir it. Keep a heart soft and responsive to God, not hardened against him.

That is worth taking to heart, for it is dangerous to be so hardened that even clear signs do not move us, and we do well to guard against such hardness, as Pharaoh did not even take the sign to heart. We can shrug off God's warnings unmoved, hardening ourselves; but Pharaoh, shrugging off the sign, hardened himself so that even it did not move him. Do not harden. Do not shrug off the warnings God gives, hardening yourself so that even clear signs do not move you; take them to heart, keeping a soft and responsive heart toward God. Take to heart the warnings and signs God gives rather than shrugging them off unmoved and hardening yourself so that even clear signs do not move you, as when the first sign struck Egypt and the waters turned to blood Pharaoh turned and went into his house and did not even take it to heart, a warning against hardening ourselves so that even clear signs do not move us; for a striking sign had been given, the waters turned to blood in the sight of Pharaoh, a clear warning that should have moved him to take seriously the God who sent it, but Pharaoh simply turned and went home unmoved and did not even take it to heart, hardening himself against the sign so that even this did not stir him, which holds a searching warning about the hardening of the heart, that it is possible to become so hardened against God that even clear signs, warnings, and evidences do not move us, since God may give us warnings in our circumstances, his word, and our conscience that should move us to take him seriously and give heed and turn, but a hardened heart can shrug them off and refuse to take them to heart and turn away unmoved as Pharaoh did, a dangerous state to be so hardened that even what should stir us does not, so that we do well to guard against such hardness and take to heart the warnings and signs God gives rather than shrugging them off, keeping a heart soft and responsive to God rather than hardened against him.

Lord, when the first sign strikes Egypt and the waters turn to blood, Pharaoh turns and goes into his house and does not even take it to heart, a warning to me against hardening myself so that even clear signs do not move me. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn't even take this to heart, the account says. A striking sign had just been given: the waters turned to blood, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. It was a clear warning, a sign that should have moved him to take seriously the God who sent it. But Pharaoh simply turned and went home, unmoved; he did not even take it to heart. He hardened himself against the sign, so that even this did not stir him. Show me Pharaoh's response, or lack of it, to the sign. You had given a clear and striking sign. This was not a subtle thing; it was a warning meant to move Pharaoh, to make him take you seriously, to give heed. And yet his response was to turn and go home, unmoved. The account notes it pointedly: he did not even take this to heart. He simply shrugged it off, refusing to let it register or move him. This holds a searching warning about the hardening of the heart. It is possible to become so hardened against you that even clear signs, warnings, and evidences do not move me. You may give me warnings, in my circumstances, in your word, in my conscience, that should move me to take you seriously, to give heed, to turn; but a hardened heart can shrug them off, refuse to take them to heart, turn away unmoved, as Pharaoh did. This is a dangerous state: to be so hardened that even what should stir me does not. Take that to my heart. Keep me from shrugging off the warnings you give and hardening myself so that even clear signs do not move me; help me take to heart the warnings and signs you give, Lord, rather than turning away unmoved, and keep my heart soft and responsive to you, not hardened against you, as Pharaoh hardened himself.