Stiff necks

Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. – 2 Kings 17.13-14

God wanted Israel and Judah to turn back to Him. He begged them to repent and turn from their sin. For many decades God sent prophets to warn them of the consequences of their sin. In His long-suffering nature and because of His mercy He patiently waited for them to turn back to Him.

But they would not hear.
And their stiffened their necks like those before them and would not believe God.

Their stubborn and rebellious spirits kept them from serving God and sealed the fate of their nations. God’s judgement was coming.

When I think of being stiff-necked an image comes to mind. I see someone with their clenched jaws jutting out and their neck muscles taut as they stand opposed to an authority. They will not submit. Their stubbornness reigns over logic or reasoning. Nothing is going to persuade them to change.

Stiff-neckedness was not new then and it did not end then. It still carries on today. All of us are liable to take a stiff necked attitude toward God and plans and direction toward us. This attitude just stands in opposition to God and says ‘I am going to do it my way. I am not going to submit.’

We need to regularly examine our hearts and our lives and make sure that there are not areas where we stand in stiff necked opposition to a work God is trying to do in our lives. If there are sins were are holding on to and refusing to deal with we need to unclench our jaws and let God work.

Stiff-neckedness never turns out well.