We all have to deal with difficult people from time to time. It’s not fun, it’s not enjoyable, but it happens.
Imagine dealing with two million of them at the same time. That’s what God, who singlehandedly pulled the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, had to deal with for over forty years.
Their obstinance starts early. In Exodus 33:3, fresh off the heels of the golden calf incident, God tells Moses to pull up stakes and head back out into the wilderness. But this time, because of their sin, He would pull Himself back and send an angel in their midst to guide them. If not, it’s likely He would’ve destroyed them altogether.
This looks like a blanket condemnation of these people, and, in a lot of ways, it is. Moses himself would tell the people at the end of the wilderness wanderings that they were a stubborn and “stiff-necked people” (Deuteronomy 9:6). That’s how they were in Exodus 32-33, and apparently, nothing has changed during their time in the wilderness.
But it’s also a show of God’s mercy. To willingly remove yourself from a situation that will test your temper and cause you to create destruction is the sign of wisdom. I wish I had that kind of willpower whenever I see someone cut me off in traffic. Instead, I shake my fist and yell at other people’s ignorance, looking for an opportunity to get back out in front (note: I am working on that, though).
Perhaps that distance sounds familiar to us in our own life. I’ve often preached from pulpits that if we feel distant from God, it’s not because He’s moved from us, but because we’ve moved from Him.
But I’m not sure that’s always the case. Isaiah 59:1-2 teaches us that our sins have “separated us from God.” if that’s so, then maybe the reason we don’t always feel like God is near us is because He can’t dwell among us because we’re obstinate in the same way the Israelites would be.
The key is being willing to bend. The Israelites were “obstinate” because they refused to change who they were—to adapt to a new way of worship, service, and lifestyle.
Does that define me? When I’m in sin, it’s because I’ve willingly chosen my way instead of God’s way. That’s disobedience in a nutshell; it’s also obstinance in the same vein as the Israelites in Exodus 33.
It’s easy to look at the Israelites and see parallels with other people in our life, but I would challenge you to look at the parallels in your own. How often have you been the obstinate person towards God? How has God changed in your life as a result?
