How Stiff-Necked Are You?

Exodus 32:7-10 -   And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”  And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!  Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”

Moses had been gone for 40 days…the people were worried something had happened to him….so they let their minds corrupt the progress God had made on their hearts for the last few months. Aaron agreed readily to the plan…even helped to make the substitute god they wanted. The result was a full out party of parties that had nothing to do with God and everything to do with carnal pleasure and comfort.  God called them a “stiff necked people” …synonyms from several commentaries included…perverse…obstinate… and self-willed.

Those that believe in God still face the strong urges of our flesh every time we try to choose the right thing to do … the will that God plans for us. God even left us with a direct link to his power  …the holy spirit.  But we resist it…just as Paul wrote in Acts 7:51.  It says…  “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

I admit quickly that I am just as guilty as every other sinner. The fight against the flesh is a tough battle. Our only real weapon is to completely surrender our lives to God’s will…and allow him to make all the decisions. That was Moses strength. As long as he walked with God…he had the courage to even reason with God…using the wisdom God had given him to even change his mind at times.

The secret is recorded in Romans 8.  I think verse 5 sums it up best.  It says…. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” There are no shortcuts…no self-made ways to get to God. We have to fill ourselves up with the things of the spirit… prayer…Bible study… and worship.  We have to crucify the flesh every time it tries to rear itself up again in our lives. We have to take the hand of God like Moses did and let him tell us exactly what to do.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I have to hold your hand every moment of my life if I am to succeed in the battles of the flesh that satan brings against me. Forgive me for the times that I have let go…decreasing my ability to stay strong and walk in your will.  Help me to learn to fill myself up with prayer…and Bible study…and worship…and fellowship with other Christians…and service to you…so you can keep my flesh from winning any battles.  Amen.