Deal With Stubbornness

Deal With Stubbornness

Exodus 33: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ ² And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. ³ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

 

⁴ And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. ⁵ For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’ ” ⁶ So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

 

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GOD told Moses to leave Mount Horeb also known as Mount Sanai. HE told Moses to tell the people about their stubbornness.

 

My Observations:

• GOD called the people “stiff-necked” and warned that HE would consume them.
• GOD seemed to be predicting what it would take to enter the promised land and heaven.
• GOD told the people to take off their ornaments.

 

Making a golden calf was the top thing that GOD told the people not to do. Everyone heard it, yet they did it anyway. GOD knew the people were going to be stubborn and not move towards HIM. But even during all of this, GOD said HE would send HIS Angel, the preincarnate JESUS, to be their guide and to drive out those who openly opposed HIM.

 

It is amazing that GOD was trying to save the people, but the people HE was trying to save were opposing HIM. They were acting like the people of Canaan who despised GOD after getting off the ark that saved them. The land flowing with milk and honey represents the Promised Land and heaven. Only those who surrender their stubbornness and who seek the Shepherd will enter the place GOD has provided.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the “stiff-necked” people?
• What stubbornness is GOD pointing out in you?
• Is there a part of your life that you need to surrender to GOD, even if you don’t know how?