Worship And The Hardened Heart

And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Exodus 7: 13.

As we conclude this week’s most helpful and compelling offerings, we remember our theme for the very first day, was Worship. Now, our attention is drawn to a critical and most vital fact. Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, in relation to the matter of worship. He did not heed God’s servants, in relation to the business of worship. He had no fear of Israel’s God, in the observance of worship.

Here is a direct quote from one of our previous offerings, about the hardened heart and worship.

“If the heart is the centre, the core of the matter, then a heart that is dull, deceived and in the ignorance of darkness, will never be able to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Additionally, such a heart won’t and can’t understand others, who revere and respect Father God as Lord and want to worship Him as He worships with them.” 

Worship is exactly what we are witnessing, in this time of communicating with an ever-growing hardened heart. Worship is used in three ways.

Worship as the Sign

From the time God had fellowship with Moses on Horeb, the mountain of God, and told him that he was to be the liberator of God’s Hebrew people, Moses was frighteningly hesitant. The sign God gave to Moses, of his success in liberating God’s people, was worship. And God said, I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. Exodus 3: 12.

Worship is still God's promised sign to all His servants who are victorious in their obedience to His given Word.

Worship as the Subject

When God sent His servants Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, worship was the core, the centre of asking, given to the stubborn heart, the heart that can’t appreciate worship to God. Noticeably, and most interestingly so, God never changes His word about worship. What I mean is this. Each time He sends His servants to Pharaoh, whose heart is growing harder with each call for the Hebrews to worship, God remains firm in them worshipping Him as He dictates.

On every single occasion, when Moses and Aaron returned to Pharaoh in the Name of God, to tell him to let God’s people go, worship was the singular subject for leaving. Whether the word, worship was used, or other words, such as festival or sacrifice, worship was the subject or reason given for leaving.  I have listed them out for you, as they occurred in this liberation journey.

This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, Let my son go, so he may worship me. But you refused to let him go, so I will kill your firstborn son. Exodus 4: 22b – 23. Here is worship with the first-born, in the Lord.

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert. Exodus 5: 1b.  Here is worship in the desert, with the Lord.

Then say to him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. Exodus 7: 16. Here is worship in the wilderness, with the Lord.

Go to Pharaoh and say to him, This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. Exodus 8: 1b. Here is worship with the Lord.

Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. Exodus 8: 20b. Here is continued worship with the Lord. 

Go to Pharaoh and say to him, This is what the LORD the God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. Exodus 9: 1b. Here is perpetual worship with the Lord.  

Then the LORD said to Moses, Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. Exodus 9: 13. Here is more continued, uncompromising worship with the Lord.

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. Exodus 10: 3. Here is un-dissolvable worship with the Lord.

Worship as the Source.

It’s all worship talk that’s being fired at a heart which is perpetually growing hard, with each mention of worship. But see what happens with the final plague. The hardened heart totally loses all grip and hold and becomes as a heart of flesh. Exodus 12: 31 - 32. During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.

 O! The hostility and calamity of the unwaveringly dull and stubbornly hard heart!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12: 1.