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How Stiff Is Your Neck
I get so tired and frustrated reading these chapters of Exodus. How can a community given so much by God be so stupid, so regularly? Exodus 33 commences immediately after the golden calf fiasco. At the same moment that God was giving Moses the Ten Commandments, Israel was at the base of the mountain building a golden idol to worship. Why? They feared Moses had left them. And their short-sighted fears blinded them to God’s bigger plan.
However, God’s commitment to deliver them to the promised land isn’t rescinded. God does not break His promises, but He does give Moses a message for Israel. I do wonder how that went down. Was Moses enraged or just worn out? 'Okay, so what’s wrong with you people? It was God, NOT your golden calf, who led you out of slavery. You lot are so stiff-necked! Oh, and God says that He’s out. He’s sending an angel with you into Canaan' (see vv. 1–3). It’s no cosmic sulk. In God withdrawing and sending an angel instead, He’s asking them where their heart is. Is their relationship with Him transactional or relational? Will they take the prize and leave God behind, or will they prioritise their relationship with Him over their human desires?
They choose God. And what follows is the recipe for revival. Withdraw, repent and wait. With the tabernacle yet to be built, Moses had a tent well outside the camp (v. 7) where he retreated, acknowledged Israel’s failure and called on God to reveal His way forward (vv. 12–13).
Do not allow a ‘stiff neck’ to obscure God’s plan for your life. It’s only when we bow down that we can look up.
