Why did God harden Pharaoh's heart & to what specific end did he take this action?

It seems that, what with the Noahic Flood and the Egypan die-off, YHWH is trying to admit that He is just not quite bright enough to get things done, without a HUGE pile of dead bodies.

Since He's the God of Abraham, this inability to solve problems without enormous numbers of dead has been taken by Believers in Him to go out and create piles of bodies, in His nae, whenever they can convince themselves that there is a problem too difficult for Him to solve WITHOUT piles of dead bodies.

Jews did it in the Old Testament, Christians did it in the Crusades, and Muslims are doing it right now.

God's intent was to bring Pharaoh to a point when he would let the Israelites go, and gladly so. Exodus 12:29-36. The judgments against Pharaoh and the Egyptians were so severe, that the Egyptians feared for the lives. The people of Egypt ended up giving the Israelites their gold and silver to help them in their journey.

It was so he could torture and kill innocent Egyptians, even those living 100 miles from the court and who had no knowledge of goings on between Moses and the king.

In 1746, after the English defeated the Scots rebellion led by Charles Stuart, they went looking for him on the islands off the west coast of Scotland. On one island, not only did the people not know there had been a rebellion, they didn't know who their king was or who Charles Stuart was. That was barely 260 years ago. Why would someone living 100 miles from the king 3000 years ago know anything about Moses, Hebrews or what their king was doing?

How did Moses know that God hardened the 'heart' of Pharaoh? Don't believe the stories of Moses. I don't.

God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Think about all the suffering that resulted in Egypt because God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Kids dying. Mothers mourning. Why did God do it? I can only conclude that he likes death and suffering.

He tells us plainly in scripture. He saw an opportunity to show Pharaoh, the world and you and I his awesome power. And he seized upon it.

Exo 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Rom 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

If you can read English then you can easily see that God raised Pharaoh up for just such an opportunity.

I know, why does god play these sick mind games with people? Ok I'm going to do these great supernatural events for people, then force them no to believe in me by my power. Why would a good being play such mind games. Make no logical sense. And in the bible I always found the reaction to miracles, or judgement, from people who didn't believe in god to be illogical.

Your god hardens then penalizes those innocents effected by that hardening. Sounds like someone has power issues to me.

God hardened Pharoah's heart because he knew pharoah would not relent

But he di not want pharoah to try some half effort at appeasemment, or retribution against his people. So he locked Pharoah OWN FREE WILL CHOSEN DECISION until things had run its course and pharoah had no choice but to relent

Pharoah could have driven his Army into Isreal and ki8lled them all, or let some go

both were bad options

God got to systematically torture and destroy Egypt and its people, all the while being worshipped for it.