Exodus 33: Stiffnecked

How many times does God call His people this in the Bible? The word is used nearly forty times—plenty of them refer to Israel’s harsh, carnal, and stubborn spirit, and none of them should ever have occurred. Twice in this reading (vv. 3,5), Moses is instructed to tell the people that this is God’s view of them. In view of the idolatry and immorality of chapter 32, it is no wonder that He saw them this way. But even more remarkable is that He still planned to give them the “land flowing with milk and honey”!