Do you know what it means for God to "harden" a heart? Exodus 8-11

Exodus 7:3 (NASBStr)

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

Unbelievers may have a little trouble with this verse.  They might have a lot of trouble with this verse.   They might ask, "How can God expect Pharaoh to repent and give in IF God is going to harden his heart.   Paul answers this objection in Romans 9 when he uses this very passage to make and explain his case for God's sovereign election.    What can we learn from this passage about God and how He works with the unsaved world?  

1.  When the text says that God will harden Pharaoh's heart we need to remember that Pharaoh's heart was already hardened.    Man is born into sin and has a heart that is completely hard against God (Romans 3:23; 8:5-8).   If we believe these passages we have to believe that absent God showing us His grace we all have a hard heart toward God.    That means this is our normal state.   The only ANYONE does not have a hard heart is because God intervenes in their life and gives them grace.    That means for Pharaoh to have a hard heart, God needs to do nothing.   If God does not intervene Pharaoh will simply be Pharaoh.   That is what God does to "harden Pharaoh's heart."   God simply doesn't intervene and give Pharaoh grace.   

2.  The reason God is not going to intervene and give Pharaoh grace is because He wishes to show His grace throughout the land.   He is about to do multiple signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.   That means He has to have a platform for those signs and wonders.  In this case, the platform is the disbelief and the hard heart of Pharaoh and his people.   God uses them as the back drop to show His grace and wonder.   Signs and wonders are simply the manifestation of God's grace.   

God wants to show man His grace.   But, to show that grace, He sometimes allows unbelievers to simply be who they are ... unbelievers.  God is not obligated to make us believe.   With that said, Pharaoh, throughout this book, demonstrates, proves and fulfills his own depravity.  He continues to be a man of unbelief and won't bow his knee to the sovereign rule of God.   God removes His grace because Pharaoh doesn't want it.  His depravity won't allow it.