This morning, as I was moving around my house doing miscellaneous tasks, I bent over to pick something up and then raised my head to check on my baby, who was laying in the bassinet nearby. Somehow, that motion caused a muscle (or several) to seize up in my neck, causing sudden and immense pain.
Literally, a pain in the neck!
Once the initial shock was over, I continued through the day, but the pain and stiffness lingered. All. Day. Long.
As I maneuvered carefully through the day (trying to avoid sudden moves, mostly), I got to thinking about stiff necks and scripture. Though I’ve fallen behind on my read-through-the-Bible plan, I’ve been slowly working toward catching up. I’m in Chronicles now, having finished up first and second Kings. The Old Testament is a difficult read for sure, and the term “stiff-necked” is often applied to the Israelites because of their rebellious nature against God.
I thought about my own stiff neck and the pain it caused me, and I wondered… did the Israelites not feel the pain that their stiff necks caused them? God felt the pain, so much so that He often burned with anger against them, His chosen people. My own pain was not because I intentionally chose to do something, but often pain is the result of choosing to go against what God desires for our lives.
Actions have consequences.
Israel was stiff-necked and rebelled against God, and as a result, many of them were not allowed to enter the Promised Land (see the book of Exodus).
The kings of Israel were evil and stiff-necked, and God allowed the kingdom to fall into the hands of Assyria and Babylon.
Pain was felt. Repentance happened. Eventually they rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple (see the book of Nehemiah). But much pain was endured before they reached that point. And the original glory of the Temple Solomon built was never quite the same.
I will apply some heat, get some rest, and my neck will loosen up and feel all right again. I pray that I will never be so stiff-necked toward my Savior that I feel worse pain than what I dealt with today!
We have the stories in the Bible to serve as a reminder of what happens when we fall off the path and disobey God. Thankfully, God is rich in mercy and when we return to Him, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Stiff necks don’t have to last forever–physically or spiritually!
Blessings,
~Lynne
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