Stiffneckedness

And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: - Exodus 32.6-9

The people could not wait on Moses to get back. They could not wait on God to act. So they acted in the own and got up in the morning, brought their offerings to their false cow-god, and had a party as they ate, drank, and played totally ignoring the Lord who had delivered them.

They made this calf, they worshipped it, and they called it the god who delivered them. When we look back these are the same people who seem to never follow God or His way unless things are going well.

The description used here is a pretty good word. Nearly every major translation uses the same term – stiff necked – to describe these people. We all know what stiff necked is. It is the perfect word for stubbornness. It comes from two Hebrew words meaning, get ready, stiff and neck.

Even reading those words we get the picture of someone standing there with the jaw and neck muscles drawn taut and clenched and in rebellious opposition.

I hope most of us are not of a stiff necked nature, but I think most of us have those moments where we just simply refuse to submit to God and His will. Our rebellion and stubbornness take the place of sweet trust and submission.

Lord, help me to overcome, with your strength, my tendency to stiffen my neck against your will.