A Stiff-necked
People
Read: Exodus
33:1-6
For the Lord God
said to Moses, “Say to the children of
Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people.’” (Exodus 33:5a NKJ)
How
would you like to be called “stiff-necked?”
What an awful thing to say about someone! Where did this term originate? What is it referring to when used in the
bible?
The
term originated in ancient Israel. The
farmers would plow their fields by using oxen.
If the ox didn’t want to follow the guidance of the farmer, it would
stiffen the muscles in its neck. This
would make it impossible to guide the ox where it needed to go.
The
dictionary defines a “stiff-necked” person as one who is stubborn, haughty,
obstinate, insolent, and arrogant. When
a person or a group of people are characterized as “stiff-necked” in the
Scriptures it means they refuse to follow the guidance of the Lord.
Was
God justified in referring to his people as “stiff-necked?” Yes indeed!
Multiple times the leaders and people who left Egypt grumbled and
complained about Moses’ leadership. At
the Red Sea they said, “Is it because
there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the
wilderness?” (Ex. 14:11) Again, in the Wilderness of Sin between
Elim and Sinai, “the whole congregation
of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness” (Ex.
16:2). The straw that broke the camel’s back, as the saying goes, happened at
Mt. Sinai while Moses was up in the mountain getting the Ten Commandments. The people grew restless and came to Aaron
demanding that he make them a god to worship in place of Jehovah. How foolish!
What arrogance!
Unbelievable! This was truly an
example of stiff-necked people. God was
so outraged that he wanted to eradicate the people, but Moses entreated for
them and reminded the Lord of His greatness, grace, and mercy. The Lord relented of his wrath, but warned
the people that they would not go unpunished.
Moses also grew anger as he approached the revelry and slammed the
tablets on the ground indicating that the people had already broken the Law
Have
you ever had to deal with stiff-necked people?
Sad to say, I’ve experienced that in the ministry on several
occasions. People who were so determined
that their way was the right way that they would not bend or compromise. It’s like the person who says, “It’s my way
or the highway.” How many times has that
happened in the ministry of well-meaning servants of the Lord?
Unfortunately,
stiff-necked people are not only found among the Jewish people. There are plenty of folks in our churches
today who are stubborn, obstinate, and unwilling to follow the leadership that
God has placed over them. I know of
church situations where the influential members hold back their tithes because
activities aren’t going the way “they” think they should.
What
are the marks of a stiff-necked person?
1.
Refusal
to listen to reason.
2.
Insistence
on having one’s own way.
3.
Defensive
when criticized.
4.
Making
excuses for short-comings.
5.
Lashing
out at others.
6.
Prayer
without repentance.
One of Stephen’s accusations in his
defense of the gospel is found in Acts 7:51, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are
always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.”
Let us replace our attitude of
stubbornness with an attitude of conciliation, compassion, and love.
Thought
for the Day: God is gracious and merciful, but opposes the proud and obstinate.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to have a conciliatory attitude of grace and mercy towards
others.
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