Stiff-Necked People
By Chris Leichliter 

Scripture
Exodus 32:1-14.
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt' “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

Exodus 34:1-10
The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.” So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.” Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. 

John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

Devotional
In Exodus 32 and Exodus 24, the Israelites were referred to as "stiff-necked people." 
 
"Stiff necked" was a term that was familiar to the agrarian community in Israel; it invokes the image of an ox or other beast of burden who refuses to turn its head to take a different path than the one commanded by the farmer. Instead, the animal looks straight ahead, insisting on going straight forward. The term was also applied to people who were stubborn, unyielding and resistant to guidance or authority. These folks, certainly did give Moses a hard time  even while he was following God's commandments.

I began to wonder if I know any such people in my own life. As it turns out, I do.  And it also turns out, I am one of those people. I'm not too sure if I can do anything to change anyone else's dispositions, but I can certainly work to change my own. I am reminded that although our God could be a wrathful god when the Israelites offered up the golden calf (Exodus 32:9),  He is also a merciful god, a god slow to anger (Exodus 34:9), and that is where I take comfort. He reminds us that "he who believes in me shall never die (John 11:25)", and that is how we should live, allowing our faith to guide us and not be stiff-necked.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help us to be open to Your word. Let us not be stubborn or unyielding, but rather open to Your guidance and sure of Your love and care every day and in every way. Amen