My neck is stiff
today, as it often is.
A chronic
neurological condition can crank things up pretty quickly, spinally speaking,
particularly during a summer heat wave. Yesterday, the top half of my vertebral
column suddenly seized up, as if an unseen force had slammed my sensory doors
shut. Those proverbial passageways have still not reopened.
Nearly numb, my
hands and feet tingle, although the outside temperature reads nearly 100
degrees (F). And my neck is locked up still.
Still, I’m not sure
that’s what the Bible means, when it talks about stiff necks.
"I have seen these
people,"
the LORD said to Moses,
"and they are a stiff-necked
people.”
(Exodus 32:9, NIV)
Whoa! That sounds like a slam against stiff-necked people?
As usual, the secret
lies in the context.
Consider the scene. Moses has just climbed the mountain to
receive the laws of the Lord, when God reveals to the prophetic patriarch how the
people are worshiping the golden calf down below.
En route to the Promised Land, those folks may have melted
down all their golden chokers and other treasures to mold the idol. But they
were likely more stiff-necked than ever.
Look at these
additional translations of the same verse:
Then the LORD said,
"I have seen
how stubborn and rebellious
these people are.”
(NLT)
The LORD said to Moses,
"I have seen this people,
and behold, they are an obstinate
people.”
(NASB)
God said to Moses,
"I look at this people—
Oh! What a stubborn, hard-headed
people!”
(MSG)
Stiff-necked-ness,
so to speak, seems to be something offensive to God, at least in a spiritual
sense.
Scriptural synonyms
for “stiff-necked” include:
hard-headed
obstinate
rebellious
stubborn
Ouch!
Perhaps it has
something to do with our willingness to turn towards Him and to keep our eyes
focused in the right direction. Maybe it’s about pride and determination, as
opposed to humble faith and obedience to the One who deserves all honor.
Is it
possible to have a stiff neck and a soft heart at the same time?
Yes, my neck is
stiff today, but for medical reasons. I only pray my mind is open and my heart
is soft, even as the nerves around my upper vertebrae are clenched.
Pass the Ben-Gay ... and the Bible, would you, please?
Image/s:
From: The Book of Snobs
By William Makepeace Thackaray
1848
Public Domain/Copyright Expired
Related Items:
- A to Z Answers: U-Turns Are Uplifting! – U-turns may be illegal in some states, but they are the stuff of Heaven. At least, they may provide entertaining fodder for fellowship in the eternal kingdom someday.
- Everyday Exceptions and Eternity’s Expectations – Excuse me. Can you tell? Is there something in my eye? No, it’s not a speck of sawdust. It’s much bigger than that. It’s probably a plank, or at least a big boo-boo. At the very least, it’s one more opportunity for me to learn firsthand about God’s unique flavor of grace.
