The Perfect 10!
Hardened Hearts and God’s Steadfast Love
“None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers.”
—Numbers 14:22–23
Tested in the Wilderness
God had already shown His glory in Egypt. The ten plagues revealed His supremacy over Pharaoh and the false gods of the land. He redeemed Israel with a mighty hand and brought them through the Red Sea.
But once in the wilderness, the people hardened their hearts. Ten times they tested the Lord, proving themselves no different than Pharaoh. Each testing mirrors one of the plagues—ten to ten, hardness to hardness. And yet, above their stubbornness, the character of God shines: slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.
Let’s walk through each plague-testing pair as a mirror of the human heart and a revelation of God’s mercy.
Fear at the Sea and the Nile Turned to Blood
When Pharaoh’s army pressed Israel against the Red Sea, panic seized the people. They cried out: “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:11–12). In their fear, they accused God of delivering them only to destroy them.
This hardening of heart mirrors Pharaoh’s first refusal. When the Nile turned to blood (Exodus 7:20–22), Pharaoh’s magicians mimicked the sign, and his heart was hardened. The river that Egypt trusted for life became death, yet Pharaoh would not bow.
Both Pharaoh and Israel stumbled over the waters. Pharaoh refused to believe God had power over them. Israel refused to believe God would use that power to save.
Application: How often do we fear when God brings us to “Red Sea” moments, forgetting that He has already shown His power in our past? Faith looks at God’s track record and trusts His character. Fear sees only the waves and forgets the Deliverer.
Bitter Waters at Marah and Frogs from the Nile
At Marah, the people found water, but it was bitter. They grumbled against Moses: “What shall we drink?” (Exodus 15:23–24). God instructed Moses to throw a log into the water, and the bitterness was drawn out, making it sweet.
In Egypt, God had drawn frogs out of the Nile until they covered the land (Exodus 8:5–6). The river that Egyptians worshiped as life-giving became a source of stench and corruption. What came out of the water revealed judgment.
The parallel is clear: in both Egypt and the wilderness, God drew something unexpected out of the water. For Pharaoh, it was corruption; for Israel, it was bitterness. Both revealed hardness of heart. Pharaoh hardened his against judgment. Israel hardened theirs against provision.
Application: Marah is a mirror of our hearts. Do we grumble when life turns bitter, or do we trust the One who can make bitter things sweet? God often leads us to Marah not to harm us but to expose the bitterness within and teach us that He is the healer.
Hunger in the Desert and Hail from Heaven
In the desert of Sin, hunger rose among the people. They said: “Would that we had died in Egypt by the meat pots and ate bread to the full!” (Exodus 16:2–3). In longing for Egypt’s food, they despised their freedom and redemption.
This echoes Pharaoh’s hardness when God rained down hail from heaven (Exodus 9:22–26). The storm shattered Egypt’s crops and destroyed its food supply. Pharaoh’s fields were broken by judgment from above. In the wilderness, Israel’s hearts were broken by hunger, and God rained down manna from above.
Both Pharaoh and Israel faced food from heaven—hail in judgment, manna in mercy. Pharaoh hardened his heart against destruction. Israel hardened theirs against provision.
Application: Our hearts are tested whenever we long for “Egypt”—the old life of sin—as though it offered more satisfaction than freedom in Christ. Do we hunger for what enslaves, or trust the Bread of Heaven who gives life to the world?
Disobedience with Manna and the Plague of Gnats
Even when manna was given, God commanded rest on the Sabbath. Yet some went out to gather anyway, disregarding His word (Exodus 16:27–30).
This mirrors the plague of gnats in Egypt (Exodus 8:16–19). Dust became gnats, swarming the land. Pharaoh’s magicians said, “This is the finger of God,” but Pharaoh hardened his heart. Both Pharaoh and Israel were confronted with the clear word and work of God. Both refused to obey.
Application: A hardened heart is not just about doubting God’s power—it is about resisting His word. Do we obey selectively, or do we submit to every command of the Lord? Faith rests in His word, even when it cuts across our habits.
Quarreling at Massah and Meribah and the Plague of Flies
At Massah and Meribah, the people demanded water, saying: “Is the LORD among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). After the pillar of cloud, after the Red Sea, after manna—still they doubted His presence.
In Egypt, God sent swarms of flies but spared Goshen, proving His nearness to His people (Exodus 8:22–23). The plague was meant to show Pharaoh: “Yahweh is here.” Pharaoh rejected the proof, and Israel later asked the same question in the wilderness.
Application: When trials come, do we question God’s nearness? The cross and the Spirit are our permanent “Goshen.” The Lord is with us, even when we thirst.
The Golden Calf and the Death of Livestock
At Sinai, while Moses was on the mountain, Israel fashioned a golden calf and bowed to it (Exodus 32).
In Egypt, God had struck down livestock (Exodus 9:1–6), judging the gods of animal fertility and strength. Pharaoh clung to his idols. Israel made one of their own.
Both acts reveal idolatry—the heart’s refusal to worship the true God, even when His glory is clear.
Application: Our “golden calves” may not be statues, but they are just as dangerous—money, career, comfort, reputation. Idolatry is the hardened heart’s attempt to control what only God provides.
Complaining at Taberah and the Plague of Boils
At Taberah, Israel complained about their hardships, and fire from the LORD burned at the edge of the camp (Numbers 11:1–3).
In Egypt, God sent boils upon man and beast (Exodus 9:8–11). Both judgments touched the flesh. Pharaoh hardened his heart though his body was stricken. Israel hardened theirs though fire consumed their camp.
Application: Suffering should lead us to repentance and dependence. But hardness makes us resentful instead. Will we let affliction soften us toward God, or embitter us against Him?
Craving Meat and the Plague of Locusts
When Israel despised manna, they wept for meat. God sent quail in overwhelming number, but while the meat was still in their mouths, He struck them with a plague (Numbers 11:31–34).
In Egypt, locusts swarmed the land, devouring every green thing (Exodus 10:13–15). Both were swarms carried by the wind. Both were overwhelming. Both ended in death.
Pharaoh hardened his heart though the land was stripped bare. Israel hardened theirs though the camp was filled.
Application: Coveting is a form of hardness—despising God’s provision and demanding more. Christ, the true Bread, teaches us that man does not live by bread alone but by every word from God’s mouth.
Refusing to Enter the Land and the Plague of Darkness
At Kadesh, the spies brought back a fearful report. The people refused to enter, saying: “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). They chose slavery over promise.
In Egypt, darkness covered the land (Exodus 10:21–23). Pharaoh sat in literal darkness, refusing God’s light. Israel chose spiritual darkness, refusing God’s word.
Application: Faith means walking into the unknown because God has spoken. Unbelief chooses the false safety of slavery. Will we live in the light of His promise, or in the darkness of fear?
The Presumptuous Invasion and the Death of the Firstborn
After God judged that generation, the people tried to invade Canaan without Him. They rushed forward in pride and were defeated (Numbers 14:39–45).
In Egypt, the final plague struck—the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29–30). Pharaoh’s resistance ended in decisive judgment. He rushed after Israel into the sea and was destroyed. Israel rushed into Canaan without God and met the same fate.
Application: Presumption is as dangerous as fear. When we move ahead without God’s presence, we are no different than Pharaoh rushing into the sea. Faith waits for the Lord. Pride rushes to ruin.
Hardened Like Pharaoh
The pattern is deliberate. Pharaoh hardened his heart ten times in Egypt. Israel tested God ten times in the wilderness. Both saw His power. Both rejected His word. Both clung to idols. Both rushed into judgment.
The sobering truth is this: the redeemed people of God were no better than Pharaoh. Their hearts, too, were hard.
God’s Steadfast Love
And yet—God’s steadfast love shines above the hardness of both Egypt and Israel. When Moses interceded after the spies’ rebellion, he appealed to God’s covenant name:
“The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but He will by no means clear the guilty…” (Numbers 14:18).
And God answered: “I have pardoned, according to your word.” (Numbers 14:20).
Though judgment fell on that generation, His covenant remained. He was slow to anger. He abounded in steadfast love.
Fulfilled in Christ
Where Pharaoh resisted and Israel failed, Christ obeyed.
In the wilderness, Jesus trusted His Father perfectly.
On the cross, He bore the judgment our hardened hearts deserve.
Through His resurrection, He opens the way to new life with hearts of flesh instead of stone.
He is the proof that God’s patience is not weakness but mercy, not delay but salvation (2 Peter 3:9).
Conclusion
The ten plagues and the ten testings are mirrors. Pharaoh hardened his heart in judgment. Israel hardened theirs in mercy. And apart from grace, we do the same.
But above both stories shines the character of God:
Slow to anger. Abounding in steadfast love. Faithful to His covenant.
This is the God who does not abandon His people. This is the God who draws life from bitter waters. This is the God whose steadfast love is proven most fully in His Son.
The question for us is this: Will we harden our hearts, or will we yield to the steadfast love of the Lord?
