Kasha Oreph - A Stiff-necked People

Exodus 32:9 “And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people”

An arrogant or a stubborn person is referred to as “stiff-necked”.  In Hebrew, ‘kasha oreph’ is translated as stiff-necked. Kasha means severe, stubborn or difficult & oreph means neck and also ‘to turn back’.  Kasha oreph can also mean ‘having our heads turned backwards’ instead of looking ahead to His promises. The Israelites demonstrated this when they complained against Moses, looking back at the dumb idols and meat pots of Egypt, in spite of witnessing signs and wonders by the Living God. He broke the bands of their yoke and made them walk upright (Lev 26:13). But their stubbornness to look forward negated His mighty signs and wonders for delivering them, and that’s the reason God’s wrath was burning a lot against them.

Are we looking back and trying to hold on to our past like how Lot’s wife did in the midst of God’s plan to save her? Are we missing the friendships we had, the parties we went to or even the Sunday late brunches we had? Or are we anxiously complaining ‘what will I eat or what will I wear or what will happen tomorrow?’ Stiff-neckedness or stubbornness to look ahead in faith only means that we are back under the yokes of iron. On the contrary, we are expected to stand upright in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (Gal 5:1). For if the Son made us free, we shall be free indeed (Jn 8:36).

-Reena Thomas