Being Stiff-Necked

"Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people."

Deuteronomy 9:6

God cautioned the children of Israel from thinking it was due to their righteousness God established them in the land of Canaan, for it was because the inhabitants of the land were wicked.  God described the Hebrews as "stiff-necked" which could truly be said of all people.

When God called His people as stiff-necked, it was not because they had slept with rocks as pillows the night before.  It was not that they were like a horse that resisted the tug of the reins made by the rider, for God told His people in Psalms 32:8-9 not to be like a horse or mule at all:  "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. ⁹ Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you."  God did not want His people to be like a horse without understanding that required physical restraints with eyes looking away from the rider:  God wanted His people looking to Him, seeking Him for guidance and listening for His voice, to be guided by His eye.

I watched video recently that provided an epiphany moment for me concerning the implications of being stiff-necked.  In the clip, a flock of sheep were feeding in the safety of a grassy paddock.  A couple of visitors to the farm tried to call the sheep, doing their best to imitate the farmer.  Their calls had absolutely no impact upon the sheep at all:  the entire flock continued to nibble at the grass with outstretched, stiff necks.  When the farmer called the sheep, it was not long before their heads quickly lifted from the turf and turned to face him.  The farmer held nothing in his hand, for his voice and presence had a captivating influence upon them.  They slowly began to amble over to the farmer--much to the delight and amazement of the onlookers.

God called His people the sheep of His pasture, and Jesus identified Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep, and His sheep hear His voice and follow Him.  God called His people stiff-necked because when He called, they ignored Him like the sheep that continued to feed at the voice of the stranger without even looking up.  These were God's people He loved and saved, yet they were intent on feeding their flesh and so focused on satisfying their own present desires they did not respond to His voice.  Being stiff-necked applies to Christians as well, for we too can be so caught up by the good grazing God has provided and thus do not seek Him and neglect to respond to His voice.  We might be more impressionable by the howl of wolves or the voice of strangers than by God who leads us with His word taught us by the Holy Spirit.

God told the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 10:15-16:  "The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. ¹⁶ Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer."  It is evident being stiff-necked has spiritual implications, for the Hebrews were told to circumcise their hearts.  God told His people by the prophet Jeremiah to break up the fallow ground of their hearts, not to sow among thorns, and to circumcise themselves to the LORD (Jeremiah 4:3-4).  Better than fulfilling their duty of cutting off a bit of flesh from their bodies, they were to sanctify themselves to the LORD and present themselves to Him.  Praise the LORD Christians have the blessing of the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus, that we can be born again by faith in Jesus, have our heart of stone removed, and receive a new heart by His grace.

Let us not be stiff-necked like stubborn sheep but respond to the voice of God by looking to Jesus.  It was tremendously satisfying in the video to watch the sheep follow the farmer when he entered their paddock.  It was like they had completely forgotten how tasty the patch of grass was and just wanted to be where the farmer was, to go wherever he went.  May the LORD do this marvellous work in us.  Eating is a necessity for healthy sheep, but when the Good Shepherd calls to us we can be sure He knows our needs and will meet them.  Rather than looking to satisfy the flesh, we ought to be attentive to His voice and find our greatest satisfaction in drawing close to Him.