Pharoah's Heart

Exodus 4:21
The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Exodus 7:3
But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt,
Exodus 7:13
Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 7:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
Exodus 7:22
But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 7:23
Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart.
Exodus 8:15
But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:19
The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.
Exodus 8:32
But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.
Exodus 9:7
Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
Exodus 9:35
So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.
Exodus 10:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them
Exodus 10:20
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
Exodus 10:27
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go.
Exodus 11:10
Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.
Exodus 14:4
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD ." So the Israelites did this.
Exodus 14:8
The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

No fewer than 18 references to the hard condition of Pharoah's heart. I have heard it pointed out that first Pharoah hardened his own heart, then God finished the job. What would have happened if he had not? But I don't suppose the Pharoah who had already ordered Hebrew babies killed and decreed hopeless work conditions could ever have done it. He started down the road years before when he became fearful of the strength of the Hebrews, once just a big family following their favorite son to the flower of civilization, now a nation within a nation, called to the next phase of their destiny by the God who had a very big plan for them.
Yes, of course I would like to see this all as a historical matter. Bad Pharoah, bad, bad Pharoah! But what about Ruth? Haven't I been considering this very problem?
So why the hard heart? Fear, like Pharoah's? No doubt.