As Necho, king of Egypt, was on his way to fight against Carchemish, king Josiah of Judah came out against him for battle. Necho assured Josiah that the battle did not involve Judah and that the Lord had commanded him to make haste against the house of Carchemish. In order to turn Josiah’s intervention, Necho reminded Josiah that his intervention would be meddling with the will of God. Josiah refused to listen to the warning and meddled in these matters costing him his life (2 Chronicles 35:22-24). Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, expressed a similar statement when he told his peers that they should let the apostles alone lest they fight against God (Acts 5:34-39).
The Bible seems to point to Pharaoh most often as an example of someone with a heart hardened through sin and the deceitfulness of power and fame. Pharaoh's hardened heart led him from one rebellious act to the next. He constantly fought against the Lord and the Lord’s man. Even after all of the miracles in Egypt and the abundance of judgments, he chose to pursue the children of Israel as they departed from Egypt. Pharaoh's hardened heart led him to pursue them to the Red Sea. Out of all the troublesome effects of a hard heart, the most troubling aspect is that it refuses to hearken to the words of the Lord. On at least five occasions, the Lord makes this connection (Exodus 7:13, 22; Exodus 8:15, 19; Exodus 9:12). A hard heart closes the ears to the truth and sets the individual up for greater judgment.
