Free Will Or A Reliable God, You Choose

I was reading in Exodus again about the ten plagues. This is a perplexing passage because throughout the ordeal, Pharaoh continually has a hardened heart. Even when his people tell him that the hand of God is performing all the signs and that he should let the Israelites go, Pharaoh refuses to do so. This passage raises some questions that are important to consider. Primarily, the question of free will is most often raised from these verses. The passage alternately states that "Pharaoh... hardened his heart," "Pharaoh's heart was hardened," and "the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart." Did God harden Pharaoh's heart? Was God just in judging Pharaoh if He was the one causing the hard heart? How does this relate to the biblical teaching of free will?
Yes, God hardened Pharaoh's heart even in the passages that say Pharaoh was the agent causing the hardening, it was God orchestrating the events. In Exodus 4:21 God says to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." God did not want Pharaoh to have a soft heart toward the message Moses was declaring. Why not, what about Pharaoh's free will?
Here is where I think we have the whole issue backwards. The story does not primarily deal with the free will controversy. Rather, we are viewing an aspect of God's character that goes much deeper. Remember back to the passage when God called Abram? He promised that "those who curse you I will curse." (Genesis 12:3) God promised to curse the people or nations who cursed Israel. Egypt certainly was not being a blessing to Israel during the 400 years of slavery! Also, God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15. In verses 13 and 14, God said, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions." In a covenant with Abram, God promised to judge the land of Egypt!
Now Pharaoh sees the judgments of God on the nation that has oppressed God's people. All of the Egyptians plead with him to let Israel go because the land is laid waste from all the terrifying plagues. Still, Pharaoh's heart is hard against God (as a part of his nature, a sinful child of the devil) and against the cries of his own people (because God does not want his compassion to overrule the fulfillment of the covenant). The issue then is not free will, but the fulfillment of God's promise. Is God faithful to keep His covenant with Abraham? Yes, even if He must manipulate the "will" of a sinful man to accomplish His purpose.
Even after the tenth plague, God hardened Pharaoh's heart once more. The army of Egypt pursued the Israelites down to the Red Sea where the entire army was destroyed. God was glorified through Egypt's demise, and He showed Himself to be absolutely faithful to His covenants.
The Jews could take this episode as proof that the covenant they made with God at Sinai would be completely fulfilled by God because He is faithful to His covenants. We can take this as more evidence that God will faithfully keep His promises to us. Our God is 100% reliable!