Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart when Aaron went to tell him to let His people go?  Doesn't that go against free will??

Sincerely,
Chisel In Hand

Dear Chisel In Hand,

It is true that Ex 7:3 says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but Ex 8:15 says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.  Both are true.  God hardened Pharaoh’s heart by sending Moses to take Pharaoh’s slaves away, and Pharaoh chose to allow the plagues to anger and harden his heart instead of soften it.  God sent the events that affected Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh chose how he would react to them.

It is the same as the statement, “I made him angry” versus “He got angry with me.”  It is true that our words and actions can cause a reaction from others, but at the same time, when someone gets angry, that is still their choice.  Pharaoh was the kind of person that when confronted with the signs and wonders from God, he hardened his heart and became angry.  God sent the signs and wonders; Pharaoh chose to react like he did.

     I was married for twenty years, and we separated due to another female in church; I prayed that our marriage would not end and we would reconcile.  But that didn't happen; we were divorced, and he remarried after two weeks.  Can you tell me why my prayers were not answered?  And why they committed adultery, lied, and even stole from the church but still think that what they did was not wrong? Thank you.

Sincerely,
Devastated

Dear Devastated,

God desires for all of us to purify our hearts and minds and turn from sin, but He also gives us the freedom to choose for ourselves.  God has multiple principles that He must keep in balance at all times.  God hears prayers, but He also allows people to decide for themselves whether or not to be righteous or wicked.  If God simply forced people to become better people, that would remove our freedom of choice.  After all, He tells us that we reap what we sow in this life (Gal 6:7).

We cannot imagine the amount of pain you have been through.  It isn’t that God doesn’t hear prayers; it is that your husband chose to do something sinful.  God doesn’t like it (Mal 2:16), but as we said, God still respects our freewill.  As for how these two people can believe that what they did was okay… sadly, when we choose to do wicked things, it can sear our conscience (1 Tim 4:2), and people rationalize all sorts of sinful behavior because they “feel” it is right.  Every man believes he is right in his own eyes, but in the end, the Lord makes a just judgment (Pr 21:2).

Jesus says in Matt 23:9 not to call anyone “father”.  A buddy tells me that since Catholics call their priests “father”, they’re disregarding this verse (not that I care about this because, for me, they can call their clergy any name they want).  But I hate to be the one to ask this because this may seem idiotic, but does this also mean that we cannot call our dads “father”?

Sincerely,
Honoring My Father

Dear Honoring My Father,

Calling a priest ‘father’ is wrong because it is referring to ‘father’ in a spiritual sense.  That is what Christ is condemning in Matt 23:8-10.  Christ is rebuking people who elevate themselves above others within the church.  Catholic priests place themselves in a position of spiritual superiority and authority above others. That is wrong and exactly what Christ told His disciples never to do.

On the other hand, the term ‘father’ is perfectly fine when used to refer to a physical parent. The Bible itself uses the word ‘father’ almost 1,000 times, and the vast majority of those times refer to fleshly parents. Gen 2:24, Gen 9:22, Lev 20:9, Pr 17:25, Mk 10:29, Lk 11:11 are just a few examples. Our fathers are a blessing from God given to us for a time to guide and discipline us (Heb 12:9-10). They are worthy of honor and the title ‘father’ (Eph 6:2).

     My boyfriend and I have been living together for about four years.  We have a one-year-old son and are both very active in his daily life.  To us, we have a perfect family, although we are not technically married.  We love each other very much and do plan to spend the rest of our lives together and have made that commitment to one another.  We would, however, like to wait until we are more financially stable to have a wedding ceremony as that can be quite expensive.  We recently rededicated our lives to Christ and are wondering if we are living in sin.  I believe that we are, but I am not sure what we should do about it.  Does God expect us to no longer live together, to rip our family apart and destroy our son’s happiness?  My boyfriend will not get married now as he does not believe we are living in sin as long as we are 100% committed to one another and have made a vow to one another and God that we plan to spend our lives only with one another.  I really want to live my life for God and I do in all ways but this.  I cannot imagine allowing this to destroy my family.  Please offer some advice.

Sincerely,
Mixed Emotions Mom

Dear Mixed Emotions Mom,

There is nothing more important to God than you, your boyfriend, and your child.  God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for us (Jhn 3:16).  As a parent, can you imagine how deep His love for us must be to make such a sacrifice?

God wants what is best for us.  The best thing is for you and your boyfriend to get married.  Living together is wrong, and no matter how committed you are, it isn’t the same as being married.  In Jhn 4:18, Jesus told a woman that she was not married even though she was living with a man.  No matter how your boyfriend feels about you, he isn’t your husband.  Show him Jhn 4:18, and then ask him (since you said you are both committed to serving Christ) what he wants to do about it.

As far as the costs involved with getting married, you don’t have to have a big wedding – a quick trip to the courthouse is perfectly fine.  Save up and have a big party later.  A big, extravagant ceremony is just a luxury, but being married is an issue of morality.

God doesn’t want to rip families apart; He wants us to be saved and to build our lives upon a proper foundation – Jesus Christ and His Word (1 Cor 3:11).  It may seem like your life is working well now, but we can guarantee you that not listening to the Bible always makes things worse.  There are some things that your child doesn’t fully understand but that you, as the parent, realize are dangerous or important.  God is the same way.  You don’t see why it is so important to be married, but God says it is.  Will you trust Him, or will you trust yourself (Rom 10:17)?  The answer to that question will decide your future and set the tone for your life and for your son’s life (Pr 22:6).

     What would you tell a high school-age school student about Ouija boards and why it is wrong to use one?  The student is not a christian.  I am one of his teachers.

Sincerely,
Teaching The Truth

Dear Teaching The Truth,

The Bible says that we should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us (1 Pet 3:15).  If this student asks you what you think of Ouija boards, all you have to do is say that you don’t use them because your faith is in the Bible, not superstition.  The Bible has evidence that proves it is trustworthy; the Ouija board doesn’t.  Our goal is always to direct people to the Bible.  It isn’t about proving the Ouija board is wrong (although it is!); it is about showing people that the Bible is right.  If someone learns to embrace God’s Word, they will naturally begin to repel that which is wrong.  After all, there is only room for one master (Matt 6:24).