Exodus Chapter 11

9 The Lord had said to Moses, Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you— so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.

God tells Moses exactly what Pharaoh will do and say, how he will refuse to listen and will not let the people go. Even after being told his firstborn son will die, Pharaoh still refuses to listen and to believe.

Pharaoh was so stubborn, so set in his ways and so convinced he was right, he was powerful and not even God could do that, even after having witnessed the plagues of blood, frogs, lice/gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts and darkness.

Isn’t that just a reflection of people today? They have become so hard hearted that many refuse to even consider the possibility that there is a God. Here in the UK, people are mocked because they have a faith, they believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully god, yet fully man. Others are seen as fanatics, because they hold very strong views and because they seem to be so intransient, so fixed and rigid in their viewpoints, people believe all Christians are this way, that we are all prejudiced, bigoted, fixed in our views.

Yet we are called to love all men, not just the ones who wear suits, or the ones who go to a particular church, or belong to a certain social class. We are called to love each and every single person, from the person who cuts us up when we are driving to the neighbour we can't stand who is foul mouthed and abusive. Every person is valued and treasured in the eyes of God, no matter who they are or what they have done. Even hardened criminals, drug users, prostitutes, thieves, murderers are loved, although God may hate their sins, just as He hates our sins.

In just the same way, Pharaoh was loved by God, but despite every opportunity, Pharaoh refused to allow God into his life. There was no room for God when Pharaoh was so busy running Egypt, trying to sort out the problem of the Israelites, keep the peace, retain the slave labour and overcome the hardships of these plagues. Pharaoh was as a god to the Egyptians, and presumably viewed himself accordingly. Yet he was just a man, a man who refused to see God despite the miraculous that was happening all around him. Just as many do today, when they refuse to acknowledge that there is a Creator, preferring instead to explain everything with a Big Bang theory or whatever. But what caused the Big Bang in the first place?

God is the Mastermind behind the world, the Universe, and everything that is in it, and one day, every knee shall bow before Jesus and acknowledge him as Lord.