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Nine plagues, nine refusals. The children of Israel must have felt that nothing would convince Pharaoh to let them go free. But God knew Pharaoh’s heart. He had even warned Moses at the burning bush that Pharaoh would be stubborn:

I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

Exodus 3:19-20

The plagues started as disruptive but temporary trials: water turned to blood and infestations of frogs, lice, and flies. The fact that they were temporary hardened Pharaoh’s resolve to simply endure them. But they increased in intensity: death of livestock, painful boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. One way to read the repeated assertion in Exodus 7-11 that “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” is that the Lord knew how stubborn Pharaoh was and was not surprised by his reaction. Joseph Smith changed each of those passages to “Pharaoh hardened his heart” (see for example Exodus 7:13, footnote a). The escalating plagues not only provided the children of Israel with numerous signs but also provided the Egyptians with numerous opportunities to repent and let them go. Like the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, who prayed for famine instead of war, “to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God” (Helaman 11:4), the escalating plagues can be seen as God’s effort to minimize the suffering required to change Pharaoh’s heart. God had determined to free His people. It was up to Pharaoh how difficult life had to become before he was willing to accept that reality.

This is the context for Passover. It represents not only miraculous deliverance, but prolonged discouragement leading to liberation. It represents not only escape from a devastating plague but also the end of the plagues. It reminds us that God is there, even as we pass through difficult challenges, and that even if we don’t yet see Him acting on our behalf, we will.

This week, as we study the plagues and the Passover, let’s look for God’s hand in our lives. Let’s consider how the challenges we face may be incrementally helping us overcome our own hardness of heart. Let’s look for signs that God is acting on our behalf, providing hope for our ultimate deliverance from captivity.