That is why Moses and Aaron did all these great miracles in front of Pharaoh. And that is why the Lord made Pharaoh so stubborn that he would not let the people of Israel leave his country.
While Moses was traveling back to Egypt, God spoke to him. God said, “When you talk to Pharaoh remember to show him all the miracles that I have given you the power to do. But I will cause Pharaoh to be very stubborn. He will not let the people go.
But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. {He will not obey the things you tell him.} Then I will do many miracles in Egypt to prove who I am. But he will still refuse to listen.
Lord, why are you pushing us\par away from you?\par Why are you making it hard\par for us to follow you?\par Come back to us Lord!\par We are your servants.\par Come to us and help us!\par Our families belong to you.\par
“God made the people blind.\par God closed their minds.\par God did this so that they will not\par see with their eyes\par and understand with their minds.\par God did this so that they would not turn and be healed.”\par \i (Isaiah 6:10)\i0 \par
It is the same way with what God has done. God wanted to show his anger and to let people see his power. But God endured patiently those people he was angry with—people that were ready to be destroyed.
“But Sihon, the king of Heshbon, would not let us pass through his country. The Lord your God had made him very stubborn. The Lord did this so he could let you defeat King Sihon. And today, we know that really happened!
The Lord wanted those people to think they were strong. Then they would fight against Israel. This way he could destroy them without mercy. He could destroy them the way the Lord had commanded Moses to do.