The Hardening Process
October 7th,
2001
August 11, we spoke on the
Life Cycle of the Elect, showing the process of becoming into the image of the
Son according to Romans 8, and the process of that becoming. This all had to
deal with the change of the body, that brother Branham spoke of in Paragraph
78. This morning I would like to speak
of the other Elect, those who are elect to condemnation, and show the life
cycle of them, and how it is that the become hardened in their hearts.
Let's stand together now, as we read from his Holy Word for our text.
PSALMS 106:1 ¶
Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for
his mercy [endureth] for ever. 2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?
[who] can shew forth all his praise? 3 Blessed [are] they that keep judgment,
[and] he that doeth righteousness at all times. 4 Remember me, O LORD, with the
favour [that thou bearest unto] thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; 5
That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of
thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. 6 ¶ We
have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
7 Our fathers understood not thy
wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but
provoked [him] at the sea, [even] at the Red sea. 8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might
make his mighty power to be known. 9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was
dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. 10 And
he saved them from the hand of him that hated [them], and redeemed them from
the hand of the enemy. 11 And the waters covered their enemies: there was not
one of them left. 12 Then believed
they his words; they sang his praise. 13
¶ They soon forgat his works;
they waited not for his counsel: 14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
and tempted God in the desert. 15 And he gave them their request; but sent
leanness into their soul. 16 They envied Moses also in the camp, [and] Aaron
the saint of the LORD. 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered
the company of Abiram. 18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame
burned up the wicked. 19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten
image. 20 Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that
eateth grass. 21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in
Egypt; 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, [and] terrible things by the Red
sea. 23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen
stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy
[them]. 24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 25
But murmured in their tents, [and] hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. 26
Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the
wilderness: 27 To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter
them in the lands. 28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the
sacrifices of the dead. 29 Thus they provoked [him] to anger with their
inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. 30 Then stood up Phinehas, and
executed judgment: and [so] the plague was stayed. 31 And that was counted unto
him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore. 32 They angered [him]
also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
33 Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his
lips. 34 ¶ They did not destroy the
nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: 35 But were mingled among the
heathen, and learned their works. 36
And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. 37 Yea, they
sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 38 And shed innocent
blood, [even] the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they
sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. 39
Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own
inventions. 40 Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people,
insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. 41 And he gave them into the
hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them. 42 Their enemies
also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.
43 Many times did he deliver them;
but they provoked [him] with their counsel, and were brought low for their
iniquity. 44 Nevertheless he regarded
their affliction, when he heard their cry: 45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according
to the multitude of his mercies. 46
He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
47 Save us, O LORD our God, and
gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, [and] to
triumph in thy praise. 48 Blessed
[be] the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the
people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.
Let's
bow our heads now in prayer.
Merciful
Father, we come to you this morning a needy people, knowing that You are the
same yesterday, today and forever. Knowing that you are God and You change not,
and knowing that there have now been three Exoduses. We have seen O Lord that
in each of these Exoduses, you came in the form of the Pillar of Fire to lead
the people out of bondage, and you sent to them a prophet, and you gave that
prophet a message and still the people disbelieved and we have read from your
Word this morning that you gave the people leanness to their souls. You hardened
their hearts and they turned back from you and desired more what they had come
out from than the Land to where you were leading them. Grant to us this morning
a burning coal of fire from upon your altar to be placed upon our hearts and
our souls, to mold them and fashion them into the image of Your beloved Son,
for we ask this in Your name, and that name which You gave also to Your Son,
Our lord Jesus Christ, Amen. You may be
seated.
As
I mentioned in our introduction, that we have spoken to you on the life cycle
of the Elect on August 11, before we took our trips overseas to Peru and the
Philippines. Now, this morning I wish to speak of those who are not in that
Elect, for that Election concerns those who are Elect to Glory. But there is
another Elect the Bible speaks to us about. It is the election unto
condemnation, or as we know more specifically, those who are elect unto the
judgments. Those who have been reserved for the judgments, or shall we say,
those who the judgments have been reserved for them.
JUDE 1:3 ¶ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you]
that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto
the saints. 4 For there are certain men
crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, unGodly
men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only
Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance,
though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the
land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels
which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath
reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great
day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner,
giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set
forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 ¶
Likewise also these [filthy] dreamers defile the flesh, despise
dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when
contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring
against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But these
speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally,
as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for
they have gone in the way of Cain, (And what is the Way
of Cain? It is to have a word which is out of season. Your sacrifice, which is
what has been revealed to you, and that which you give back to God, is out of
season) and ran greedily after the error of Balaam
for reward (Notice the error of Balaam was for reward, and there are
three things that will destroy a man, "money, Popularity and women",
and Balaam wanted to be popular, and he did what he did for money, for a meal
ticket), and perished in the gainsaying of Core (And
what was the gainsaying of Core? He did not believe nor did he understand
vindication, that God uses just one man, and that God was present to vindicate
that man had a message from Himself.). 12 These are
spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves
without fear: clouds [they are] without water (That's
Deuteronomy 32:1 the rain of God is His Doctrine, and these are without rain,
therefore without water, or doctrine.),
carried about of winds (because they have no strong doctrine that
they hold to, they are driven like the wind, and the winds of doctrine take
them all over the place, and because the Word has not been revealed they try to
use simple mental prowess to figure out the Scriptures and quotes and they do
it to their own destruction.); trees whose fruit
withereth (what fruit, what tteaching they did have dies out, dries
up and they perish), without fruit (In
fact they no longer are capable of holding onto any teaching and are left
without teaching, without fruit which is the teaching odf the season), twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the
sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars (As Brother
Branham said, they wander because they wonder, therefore they are not only
wandering stars, but wondering stars, wondering about this and wondering about
that), to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness
for ever (And that means that they have shut off the light for ever,
and are completely without a clue).
Now,
this is an awful condition to be in, and therefore this morning I would like to
show you how it is that they arrive at this condition. This hardening of the
heart does not come on suddenly, you've actually got to work your way to hell.
Brother Branham said, it is like going through a red light. The first time you
do it, something in side of you tells you that you had better not do it. But
once you have done it, then the next time it is a little easier and then the
next time even more easier and on and on until you come to the place that it
becomes second nature to you. And that is the way the hardening process takes
place.
HEBREWS 3:13 But exhort
one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. Paul tells us to
exhort one another daily, warn one another, be talking this Word, keeping it
fresh in your minds lest you become hardened through the deceitful of sin.
PROVERBS 21:29 ¶ A wicked man hardeneth his face: but [as
for] the upright, He (God)
directeth his way. If it
wasn't for God's choosing, so go we. It is God that hardeneth, and God that
shows mercy.
ROMANS 9:17 For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he
will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who
hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O
man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to
make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 [What] if God, willing to shew [his]
wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels
of wrath fitted to destruction: 23
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of
mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
FIVE JUNCTIONS OFTIME
56-0122 E-36 Paul was on his road
down to Damascus to arrest the people that were having a revival down there.
And the Angel of Christ came down in a bright Light. It even put Paul's eyes
out, it was so bright. And there was none of the rest of men with him saw it.
Nobody saw it. It was so personal to Paul that his eyes went out, and he had to
be led by his hands. Is that right? And the men with him, they didn't see no
light. They didn't see nothing about it. But that's how it can be so real to
some people, and some people know nothing about it. See? God reveals Himself
the way He wants to, to the people He wants to. It's His sovereign will. He
hardens who He hardens and justifies who He justifies. It lays in God's hands,
not in my hand or your hand. It lays in God's hands to what He will do. The
Bible said so, do you realize that?
SERPENT'S SEED
58-0928E 13-2 How did He ever become a
Healer? How did He ever become a Healer? Because He permitted sickness to come,
that He might show Himself a Healer. He was a Healer. How would He ever be
known? How would He ever be known? How could His attribute ever work? How could
He ever be a Healer, if there'd never been no sickness? He had to permit
sickness. No wonder Paul said in Romans 8, "Foolish man, who can tell
the--the Potter what to do about it?" Who... When the clay raises up and
say, "Why make you--me this--thus?" Did not He raise Pharaoh up for
the same purpose, that He might show His glory down in Egypt? He hardens who He
will and justify who He will. It's not him that willeth, or him that runneth,
but God that showeth mercy. So you have nothing to do with it. You haven't one
thing to do. If it's grace, if it's a free gift, there's not a thing you can do
about it. God has give it to you, and that's the will of God. That's the thing
that God has predestinated to you.
DIVINE HEALING
54-1219M 133 Listen. It's not him
that wants to get saved, that's saved. It's him that's saved by God's choice.
Esau wanted to get saved too. He wept bitterly, and couldn't find no place to
repent. He wanted to get saved. It ain't 'cause you want to get saved. God
said, "I've hardened who I will harden. I have mercy on whom I want to
have mercy." That's right. He said, "Before Esau or Jacob, either was
born, not knowing right and wrong," God said, "I love Jacob and hate
Esau.'" And Esau tried to get right with God and couldn't. Pharaoh tried
to get right with God and couldn't do it. So it's not you, not what you want.
It's what God has ordained for you to do. That's right. Paul said in the 9th
chapter of Romans there, "Hasn't the potter got power over the clay to
make an honored vessel or a dishonored vessel, to show His glory to those who
He has honored?" You didn't know that, did you? That's what the Scripture
says. Pharaoh tried his best to repent. He was kindhearted. He said,
"Sure, I'll let you go. Go on." God said, "No, you ain't. I'm
going to harden his heart so you can't do it." 'Cause God's Word has to be
fulfilled. And if we're living in this day when formalities and things has
broken the church down, broke away; why, it's God's Word being fulfilled. As
sure as God said, "These signs would follow them that believe," as
sure as God said these churches would be like they are now, God also said this
opposition would meet it. So the same God that ordained signs and wonders,
ordained that these should be persecuting against It. So there you are. If
you're on the other side, I feel sorry. And I want you not to be that way, but
maybe you can't help it. See? God might've fixed it that way.
DIVINE.HEALING_
JEFF.IN V-26 N-9 SUNDAY_
54-1219M 148 We've seen people
shout and live all kinds of life. We've seen people speak in tongues and do the
same. We've seen people go out and pray for the sick to be healed, and do, live
any kind of a life. Jesus said, "Many will come to Me and say, 'Lord, have
not I prophesied in Your Name, preached? Have not I cast out devils in Your
Name?'" "Yes." "Have not I done these mighty works?"
"Yes." He'd say, 'Well, then, depart from Me, you workers of
iniquity. I didn't even know you.'" "It ain't him that willeth or him
that runneth; it's the God that haveth mercy," the Bible said. He said,
"Didn't I say to Moses, 'I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and
I'll harden who I will harden'?" Paul said, "No man..." Well,
you say then, "How can He find fault? If He predestinated you to eternal
destruction, how can He find fault?" Said, "Oh man, can the thing
that's made say to Him that maketh him thus? Can't do it." 150
So you see people that you can't talk to, and just won't listen, and
won't listen to the Scriptures, and believing half of It's right and half of
It's wrong, and yet they do this. You say, "Could that be ministers?"
The Bible said so. Said, "Men of old was foreordained to this condemnation
to take the grace of God and turn it to lasciviousness" What is
"lasciviousness?" "Knowing truth and won't walk in it." It
said, "When the Truth has been presented to somebody, he willfully turns
away from It, he ignores It, there's no more sacrifice for sin left for that
person." Why? There's nothing in him to believe. Do you get what I
mean? 153 Looky here. How could you feed a lamb, slop? He wouldn't eat
it. That's right. He wouldn't eat it because he's a lamb. But a pig will eat it
(See what I mean?) because he's a pig by nature. And all that's ordained to
Everlasting Life will hear the Truth, and believe the Truth, and come to the
Truth. But those who'll go to church and be just as pious as the rest of them,
yet won't receive the Truth, because there's nothing in them to blend with It.
They can't believe the supernatural, for there's no supernatural in here to
blend with the supernatural. There you are. See what I mean? There's nothing
supernat...
ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
54-1219E 35 Now, in Acts 2:38 Peter
said, "Repent, every one of you, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost." And I've wondered through the years, when I'd see that and read
it. I thought, "Lord, here comes men and women." I've seen them come
to the altar, kneel down and cry, and pray go and be baptized in the Name of
the Lord Jesus, and in a week later, be out with the world again." I
thought, "O God, surely Your Word's not wrong. I just can't understand it.
But You, Lord, if I'll continue with You, You said Your Word would abide in
me." So I continued with Him, until now I see what it is. He's made it
known. See? And I never knew it until the Lord just opened it up one day, and
there it was laying right before me. Then I seen them people wasn't what they
was at the beginning (See?), that, "No man can come to Me, except My
Father draws him." It's not he that wants to be; it's God that elects it
to be. It isn't whether you want It or not; you have nothing to do with it.
It's God. He, "He hardens whom He will harden. He has mercy on whom He
will have mercy." That's right. And no matter who you are, what position
you have, whether you're the president or whether you're a bum on the street,
doesn't make a bit of difference. "God has mercy on whom He will have
mercy." And before the world began, He ordained that so many people, down
through the ages, who they was, would be saved. And every one that He ordained
will come to Him. That's right. Every one will come, and none of them will be
lost. He's ordained, said there'd be a Church there; It would be without
blemish; It would be without wrinkle.
Then
how does this hardening take place? As I mentioned about the red light. It is a
repeating of the offenses against God that causes a hardening to take place. It
is a habitually doing what you know to be wrong. He
that is born of God does not habitually sin, for God's seed remaineth in him.
If
you will notice how God hardened the heart of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, it was
by bringing on a hardship, and then they would cry out for deliverance and when
they were delivered, when God would lift that judgment, they very quickly
forgot and then they got a little bit harder. Then God would repeat the process
over again, and they would get soft, and then when the heat was taken off they
would cool bac down and become even a little more hard. And God would repeat
this process over and over again, until the people were tempered just the way
they were orcained to be, and then the final judgment would take place.
Just
like the refiners fire. He forges the molten metal in the fire, to soften it
until it become malleable and moldable, Then he beats it into the shape he
ordains and then cools it, then He heats it up again and cools it and heats it
and cools it until it become very strong and hardened. Let's see if the
scripture supports our claim.
I SAMUEL 6:6 Wherefore then do ye harden
your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had
wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they
departed?
PSALMS 95:7 ¶ For he [is] our God; and we [are] the people of his pasture, and
the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the
provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your
fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I
grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a people that do err in their
heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I sware in my
wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
HEBREWS 3:7 ¶ Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his
voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of
temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and
saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and
said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways. 11
So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
HEBREWS 3:15 While it is
said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation. 16 For some, when they
had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years?
[was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
HEBREWS 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain
day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
MARK 6:52 For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their
heart was hardened.
MARK 8:15 And he charged them, saying,
Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and [of] the leaven of Herod.
16 And they reasoned among
themselves, saying, [It is] because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus knew [it], he saith unto
them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither
understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do
ye not remember? 19 When I brake the
five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?
They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And
when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye
up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he
said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
JOHN 12:36
36 While ye have light, believe in the light,
that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed,
and did hide himself from them.
JOHN 12:37 ¶ But though he had done
so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet
might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to
whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said
again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes,
and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor
understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when he
saw his glory, and spake of him.
poroo {po-ro'-o} pwrovw apparently
from poros (a kind of stone); AV --
harden -- blind (2) [5] to cover
with a thick skin, to harden by covering with a callus; metaph. to make the
heart dull; to grow hard, callous, become dull, lose the power of understanding
ROMANS 11:7 What then? Israel hath not
obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the
rest were blinded (hardened)
II CORINTHIANS 3:14 But their
minds were blinded (hardened): for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the
reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is
read, the vail is upon their heart. 16
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken
away.
DEUTERONOMY 15:7 If there
be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor
shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
EXODUS 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that
there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the
LORD had said.
EXODUS 8:31 And the LORD did according to
the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms [of flies] from Pharaoh, from his
servants, and from his people; there remained not one. 32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this
time also, neither would he let the people go.
EXODUS 9:6 And the LORD did that thing on
the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children
of Israel died not one. 7 And Pharaoh
sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And
the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
EXODUS 9:11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the
boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. 12 And the LORD hardened the heart of
Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.
EXODUS 9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the
rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened
his heart, he and his servants. 35
And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children
of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses. 10:1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have
hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my
signs before him:
EXODUS 10:19 And the
LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast
them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of
Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let
the children of Israel go.
EXODUS 10:26 Our cattle
also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must
we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the
LORD, until we come thither. 27 But
the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
EXODUS 11:9 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the
land of Egypt. 10 And Moses and Aaron
did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so
that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
EXODUS 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he
pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with
an high hand. 9 But the Egyptians
pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen,
and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before
Baalzephon. 10 ¶ And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of
Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and
they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
DEUTERONOMY 2:30 But Sihon
king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his
spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand,
as [appeareth] this day. 31 And the
LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee:
begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land. 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all
his people, to fight at Jahaz. 33 And
the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and
all his people.
II KINGS 17:13 Yet the
LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, [and by]
all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments
[and] my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and
which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks,
like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes,
and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he
testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went
after the heathen that [were] round about them, [concerning] whom the LORD had
charged them, that they should not do like them. 16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and
made them molten images, [even] two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped
all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
II CHRONICLES 36:13 And he also
rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he
stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of
Israel.
NEHEMIAH 9:16 But they
and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to
thy commandments, 17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful
of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in
their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art]
a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and forsookest them not.
JEREMIAH 7:25 Since the
day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have
even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and
sending [them]: 26 Yet they hearkened
not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse
than their fathers.
EREMIAH 19:15 Thus saith
the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and
upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they
have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.
MARK 6:52 For they considered not [the
miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
MARK 8:17 And when Jesus knew [it], he
saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet,
neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears,
hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19
When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full
of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among four thousand,
how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye
do not understand?
JOHN 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes,
and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor
understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
What is the main difference between them that become hardened, and
those who never become hardened?
PROVERBS 28:14 ¶ Happy [is] the man that feareth alway: but
he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
PROVERBS 29:1 ¶ He, that being often reproved hardeneth
[his] neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Entombment 57-0420 42 As Job of old, when we hear that
"ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," it reminds me of Longfellow, who
said: Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is just an empty dream! And the
soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. He said. Yea,
life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; For dust thou
art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. They call it a
theophany, that when we leave here we go in somewhere else. Whatever it may be,
I take the apostle's Word, when he said, "If this earthly tabernacle or
dwelling place be dissolved, we have one already waiting to move from this into
that."
WASHING JESUS FEET 57-0310A
E-28 How can you expect God to
do anything for you, when you turn down the very Prince of Life? God, be
merciful. What this nation needs... It's got a lot of hogs in the wallow. It
needs an old fashion washing out. Evangelists has crossed the country and
people harden their hearts till the Gospel don't even have any affect on them
anymore. I believe the day of grace of this nation is finished. I believe it.
Preach, persuade, bring the Gospel; it'll never attract them. A little handful
of saints will gather out, but the world sets on the sideline and makes fun of
it. That's the way you treat Him. No wonder He doesn't visit. Jesus only comes
where He's welcome.
EXODUS 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses,
When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before
Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he
shall not let the people go.
EXODUS 7:1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a God to
Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee:
and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of
Israel out of his land. 3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my
signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto
you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, [and] my
people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5
And the Egyptians shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I stretch forth mine
hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6 And
Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.