Stiff-Necked People

Stiff-necked - means stubborn or haughty in our common language.  This is what God said of His people in Exodus 33:5, “For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.”  God was very angry with His people at this time because of their sin.  

This was not the first time God called these people stiff-necked people, He also said this in Exodus 32:9 to Moses, “And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people.”  God said this because of the sin of idolatry; both times God said this He wanted to do away with all His people, and because God is just, there are always consequences for sin and some of them paid with their lives but even in His wrath God remembered to display His mercy and many were spared.

Even Stephen, way over in the New Testament in the book of Acts, used these words when he was giving the Jews of his day a history lesson just before he was stoned to death.  He said this in Acts 7:51, “Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”  These people seemed to always reject the Word of God and in doing so they rejected the truth just like their father’s did.  There are many people all over the world that this could be said about who reject the truth, some are very religious people and many have no faith whatsoever, who are called non-believers.  Many have heard the truth so they have no excuse and unless they repent they will be held accountable.

This reminds me of what Paul the apostle said in Romans 1:18-25, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.  Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Amen.”

It seems that truth has been rejected from the beginning of time starting with Lucifer, who was an angel, along with a third of the angels that followed Lucifer, then Eve, then Adam, all the way down to our present day.  All of them could have been called stiff-necked people except for the angels, they were stiff-necked angels.  

Question: where are you in this scenario, are you seeking truth, living it out in your life or are you rejecting the truth for a lie?  Someday everyone will stand before the Lord, who is the truth, and give an account for himself or herself.  The books will be open and the truth will be revealed and if you rejected the truth you will end up in a place of torment, which is called the second death.  Revelations 21:8 says this about the second death, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Now you have read the truth so you have the choice to receive it or reject it.  I hope you receive it and escape the terrible place of torment.  God loves you, so receive Him and His truth today by repenting and asking God to forgive you for your sins and to be Lord of your life.  God is always seeking the humble and repented heart - that He will not despise.  May God bless you and have a great day!!