A few days ago I was sitting next to my son as we were waiting for a preschool graduation to start. He strained his neck earlier in the week, so he had to purposefully turn his shoulders to hold a conversation. He winced slightly as he rotated his torso while trying to keep his head still. As any loving dad would do, I chuckled and made a wisecrack about his Batman impersonation. He laughed and agreed.
The Bible has a lot to say about stiff-necked people. Obviously, it’s not a reference to muscular soreness, but the phrase is used dozens of times in Scripture so it’s worth investigating.
In the Old Testament the Hebrew word rendered as “stiff-necked” is also translated as “hard,” “stubborn,” “harsh,” “severe” and “obstinate.” In Deuteronomy 9:6 it’s used when God calls the Jews “a stubborn people” and Judges 2:19 describes how they stubbornly returned to their sinful practices.
1 Samuel 25 records the story of Nabal, the man who impulsively picked a fight with David after generously protecting Nabal’s servants and flocks. Using the word, the Bible describes foolish Nabal as “harsh and badly behaved.” Likewise, it’s used when Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, refused to listen to the guidance of the older, wiser counselors and instead took the foolhardy advice of his friends. The result was that “the king answered [the people] harshly” (2 Chr. 10:13), leading to a loss of the kingdom and the throne. Rehoboam confirmed Proverbs 29:1, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.”
Stubbornness is the hallmark of an unbeliever and, sadly, is evident in many Christians too. As seen in the cases of Nabal and Rehoboam, it is the defining trait of those who refuse to believe in the one, true God. It is the very thing that caused God to judge His own people. “I have persistently sent all My servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck” (Jer. 7:25-26). Also in Jeremiah 17:23, “Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.” Stubbornness bears itself out in a refusal to seek the Lord, to listen to His instruction and an insistence on doing things one’s own way. In 2 Kings 17:14 it is explicitly equated to unbelief.
It’s helpful to consider examples of how the Bible compares and contrasts stubbornness. Nehemiah 9:16 reads, “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments.” The disobedience that arose out of stubbornness corresponded with acting “presumptuously.” That is to say, they arrogantly thought there would be no consequence to their obstinance.
In contrast, Deuteronomy 10:16 reads, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” That is further clarified in Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
What a distinction! A refusal to listen to God (and godly counsel) is an attribute of someone that fails to acknowledge repercussions and signifies unbelief. Conversely, those that practice a charitable spirit by humbly and patiently seeking the Lord and listening to others show their love for Him. They communicate trust and model belief.
Here is a specific way to put this into action. Evaluate the disposition of your heart when you enter church for worship. Is there anything that you are stubbornly holding on to? Reflect on 2 Chronicles 30:8, “Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.” The opposite of stubbornness is submission. Aim to enter worship with a yielding spirit. Take time to loosen your neck before sitting under His Word.
But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. (Jas. 4:6–7)