Not only does he fail to secure Israel's release but ultimately, because of the meeting, Pharaoh increases the Israelites labor. Before the Egyptians supplied them with the raw material to make bricks. Now they have to find their own raw material and still make the same number of bricks as before.
Moses is doing the Lord's work so why does he fail? Is this so that Moses realizes he can't do anything without God? Is it because there is more self-discovery and revelation in labor and failure than in ease and success? Is it because God's road often (or should that be always?) takes unexpected turns and directions and doesn't always go the way we want it to go? This could have all been over and the Israelites set free with Moses and Pharaoh's first meeting. If God had wanted it that way.
Instead, things are elaborately drawn out to accomplish the Lord's purpose. How could this series of plagues be interpreted as anything but miraculous and God's doing? If there had just been one plague, it would have been so easily explained away. But, so varied are the manifestations over all manner of elements and powers, it is difficult to deny God's hand. He shows his power over nature, over the elements, over disease and death. Plague after plague after plague lap against the shore of Pharaoh's defiance. One by one they burn themselves into the collective memory of the people.
So why do Pharaoh's magicians feel obligated to follow Moses' lead and turn the water into blood and produce more frogs? Weren't Moses' plagues enough? Did they really need to whip up a whole no herd of frogs? They didn't want to be outdone. And so the people suffered even more. But their ability to match God and Moses is soon over (much to the people's relief). By the third plague, they're history. And when the plague of boils descends, humorously, they can't even appear before Moses because of...well, they've got a bad case of the boils.
Why do some of the plagues touch everyone and some only descend on the Egyptians? The blood and frogs seem to involve everyone. But others, like darkness, only trouble the Egyptians. And why does God harden Pharaoh's heart over and over again? Why when Moses asks Pharaoh when he wants the plague of frogs lifted does Pharaoh say "tomorrow" instead of "right now!"? Was it more important for Pharaoh to call the shots than to ease the suffering of his people?
This is the progression of Pharaoh's heart:
Moses turns his rod into a snake: "Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said."
Blood: "...and Pharaoh's heart became hard..."
Frogs: "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."
Gnats: "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."
Flies: "But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go."
Dead Animals: "Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go."
Boils: "But the Lord had hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses."
Hail: "He and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses."
Locusts: "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go."
Darkness: "But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go."
Death of the firstborn: "The Lord had said to Moses, 'Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you -- so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.' 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."
And after he lets them go? Well, then Pharaoh changes his mind and has his army pursue them. So even without God hardening his heart, till the very end, Pharaoh does not want to allow them to go.
God only hardens Pharaoh's heart four times out of the 11 decisions Pharaoh makes not to let the people go. Most of the time, Pharaoh hardens his own heart. Even after the first time the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart, He leaves it to Pharaoh the next time to make his own choice. And, again, Pharaoh hardens his own heart.
There comes a point when we have so completely given ourselves over to Satan that we lose our ability to choose for ourselves.
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