The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,

Like the rivers of water;

He turns it wherever He wishes.

—Proverbs 21:1

Everywhere in the world, rivers are a source of life. In addition to providing fresh water for humans and animals alike, they contain food sources like fish, and for millennia, farmers have used rivers to irrigate their crops, further nourishing the living beings in the vicinity. Civilizations tend to spring up around rivers, as any population density map will show you.

Although human beings are able to harness the power of rivers, whether for industry, agriculture, or recreation, God has ultimate control over the river itself—where it flows, whether it dries up or overflows, how fast the waters travel, and so forth.

And so it is with the hearts of kings and other civil leaders, which God Himself also directs.

Pharaoh and the Hardening of His Heart

One of the most well-known and prominent biblical examples of this is Pharaoh, king of Egypt. During the time of the Exodus, God said to Moses prior to his first meeting with Pharaoh, “You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them” (Exodus 7:2–5). From the onset, the Lord made it clear that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that He would be glorified.

Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh to request that the Israelites be allowed to leave Egypt. God had told the brothers to perform a miracle, turning Aaron’s rod into a serpent. However, Pharaoh’s magicians replicated this miracle, even though Aaron’s serpent devoured the magicians’ serpents, demonstrating God’s greater power. In spite of this, “Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said” (Exodus 7:13).

When the Nile River was turned to blood, “the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this” (Exodus 7:22–23). After each of the ten plagues, that became the refrain: Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. His subjects were suffering mightily, and after the eighth plague, they implored him to let the Israelites go. It’s a sad reality when leaders can be stubborn and prideful, regardless of the detrimental impact their decisions have on the people.

The Progression of Pharaoh’s Hardening Heart

Note the progression regarding the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. After the first through the fifth plagues, Pharaoh hardened his own heart, but after the sixth plague, “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses” (Exodus 9:12). Paul wrote of the hardening of hearts in Romans 1:20–23, and although he was writing to first-century Christians, his words apply to Pharaoh as well: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

Ever since man was formed from the dust of the earth, the One True God had revealed Himself in creation to all people, including Pharaoh and the rest of the Egyptians. But instead of worshipping the Creator, they “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). The Egyptians were prolific worshippers of the created, making idols out of the sun, the Nile River, frogs, insects, snakes, and many other things. The Lord’s judgment of Egypt was not only against their leader and his subjects but also against their false gods, as each one of the plagues undermined these idols.

Cyrus: A Pagan King Used by God

In contrast to Pharaoh was Cyrus, king of Persia. Although he, too, was pagan, God referred to him as His shepherd and “His anointed” (Isaiah 45:1). Isaiah prophesied that one day—which turned out to be 150 years later—this ruler would be used as an instrument to accomplish God’s will: “He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.… I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward” (Isaiah 44:28–45:1, 13). We read about the fulfillment of this prophecy in Ezra 1:1–2: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.”

Even though Cyrus was an unbeliever, God moved him to allow His people to return to the Promised Land, so they could rebuild the city and the temple after the seventy years of the Babylonian exile were complete.

God Raises Up and Removes Kings

Daniel 2:21 says that the Lord “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Whether our leaders are resisting God, like Pharaoh, or following His prompting, like Cyrus, we can trust that in either situation, He is actively working, influencing their hearts and directing their steps, to align their paths with His divine purposes.

Prayer

Thank You, Heavenly Father, that You hold the heart of every person in Your hands, including our leaders, and guide them according to Your perfect, gracious will. Please help us cling to this truth even when circumstances seem uncertain, and to faithfully pray for our leaders, so Your purposes may be fulfilled in our country. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

For Further Reflection

• Does knowing that the hearts of our political leaders are in the Lord’s hands alter your perception of them? Why or why not?
• If our leaders were to acknowledge that God was in control, how do you think that would affect their decision-making?

Excerpt taken from One Nation Under God: 40 Devotions for Patriotic Women by Amanda C. Bauch.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version^®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Join My Mailing List!

Sign up & you’ll receive:

• My monthly newsletter, with a focus on faith, motherhood, mental health, writing, and books. And probably cats.
• Updates as I take you behind the scenes on writing, publishing, and launching a book.
• Exclusive access to special offers, such as mini devotionals you can download for free!