Biblical Problems

-15- BIBLICAL PROBLEMS FR PAUL KARIAMADOM Does God Harden the Human Heart?

The word of God, "So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses"(Rom 9:18)is highly puzzling and scandalising , wrote some readers. It is essential to know the circumstances and background of these words of St Paul to the Romans, in order to resolve the doubt.

God chose Israel as his own people. But they rejected Jesus. It was God's will that salvation ; should be given to the gentiles. God can, by his almighty power, bring anyone he likes to salvation, he can punish anyone he wishes to punish - this is the principle St Paul asserts in Romans, chapter 9. The statement in Rom 9:18 ("So then he has mercy... chooses) should be seen in relation to this idea.

The background of the Old Testament
In order to proclaim God's name throughout the world and to reveal his power he raised up Pharaoh. (cf Ex9:16; Rom 9:17). All the same Pharaoh became hard - hearted. This event in the book of Exodus is the background of Rom 9:18. We read several times in Exodus that Pharaoh became hard -hearted by refusing to give freedom to the Israelite nation.

"Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go"(Ex 7:14). The same idea can be clearly seen again in Exodus7:22;8:15; 19,32;9:7. The truth is that by his own fault Pharaoh hardened his heart (cf Ex 5:2). It is also true that God gave several occasions to him to be converted. Pharaoh failed to make use of those occasions. We read that is why God made Pharaoh's heart hardened (cf Ex 4:21;7:3;9:12;10:1,20,27;11:10). Pharaoh could have co-operated with God as Cyrus the Persian king co-operated with divine inspiration and gave freedom to the Israelite nation. But Pharaoh did not do so. We read in the Old Testament that God made the hearts of many other kings hardened(for example, Deut 2:30;Josh 11:20). At the same time we must not forget that it is God himself who will "remove from...(our) body the heart of stone and give...(us) a heart of flesh"(Ez 36:26).

Jesus spoke in parables in order that "they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven"(Mk 4:12) - this statement is similar to that in Rom 9:18. Jesus is here quoting an Old Testament prophecy (Is 6:9-10). Though the people listened to the parables and teachings of Jesus, they hardened their hearts. Thus in them was fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy: "Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand..."This is the meaning of the statement in the original Greek. The parallel statement in Mathew's gospel, "With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says, you will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive", is more explicit and clarifies the issue still further.

The thinking of the ancients
We need to see the view point of the ancients in the statement "God hardened his heart."

The ancients did not clearly distinguish between the divine power and human freedom behind any action. They did not either do any philosophical analysis of the relationship between the two. Their guiding principle was to depend on God and go forward.

"But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is moulded say to the one who moulds it, 'why have you made me like this?"'(Rom 9:20).Such trends of thought of St Paul are worth remembering in this context. The ancients saw God as the Final Cause of all events. Man cannot of himself complete his sojourn in this world. The ancients firmly believed that God is the controlling power and Lord of all history . The truth is that even the sinful acts committed by man misusing his freedom were ascribed to God by Israel! But we know that God does not make man commit sin. Neither does it mean that God beforehand decides and hardens man's heart. Creation rejects God's love and call. God understands this and shows his displeasure towards man. In order to make this clear the Bible says, "God hardened man's heart." This does not conform to modern man's reasoning and thinking - that's all. God is all - merciful. To realise that God shows mercy to man is not difficult for us. That God who loves will also punish is a truth that stands revealed in the statement, "God hardens man's heart". Salvation and punishment go together. It is difficult at times to grasp this truth.

Man's freedom and hard-heartedness
The history of man's first sin proves that though God's omnipotence is working in the universe and in individuals, man has the freedom to choose evil. Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian, who lived in the beginning of the first century, had grasped this truth very well. It is the freedom to love God or to reject his commandments that makes man, man. A mechanical love and service of God have no validity. True holiness is to fight the battles of life, win the victory and be sanctified.

God does not make man fall into sin. The word of God testifies that there is no evil in him. (cf Ps 5:14;Heb 1:13). St James says this very explicitly: "No one, when tempted should say, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one"(1:13).

All men are beggars before God. Those who prayerfully stretch out their hands before God, the King of kings, will receive blessings and graces from him. It is no use being surprised at those who because of their own fault fail to do so and consequently do not receive his mercy. Even today, of the people attending a convention, some achieve conversion of heart while others return with hardness of heart. At the last judgment there will be sheep and goats. In short, God's absolute power and man's freedom are two sides of the same coin. One is at liberty to choose life or death (cfDeut 30:19).

Concluding thoughts
It is true that God chooses some and punishes others. It was not the elder son Esau that he chose but the younger one, Jacob. In the sight of God no one has the right to demand justice or claim salvation. St Paul says very clearly that everything is God's gift and mercy. He has the freedom to distribute his gifts to those whom he likes. Man, however, has to do the works of justice, believe in Jesus Christ, the apostle continues to explain. St James too highlights the necessity to do works of faith.

It is a fact that even today there are numerous people who refuse to listen to the word of God, and like Pharaoh and the Israelite nation, harden their heart. "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion"(Heb 3:15). Let us listen to the prophetic voice telling us to remove from our body the heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh (cf Ez 36:26). If this heart transplantation must take place in us we must have a heart on which the law is written by the Holy Spirit (cf Jer 31:33).