Deuteronomy 9:13
The LORD also said to me, "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
The LORD also said to me
This phrase introduces a direct communication from God to Moses, emphasizing the personal and authoritative nature of the message. In Hebrew, "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, which underscores His covenant relationship with Israel. The phrase "said to me" indicates a direct revelation, highlighting Moses' unique role as a prophet and leader who receives divine instructions. This sets the stage for the gravity of the message that follows.

I have seen this people
The phrase "I have seen" suggests God's omniscience and His intimate awareness of the actions and attitudes of the Israelites. The Hebrew root "ra'ah" implies not just seeing but perceiving and understanding fully. "This people" refers to the Israelites, God's chosen nation, yet it carries a tone of disappointment due to their behavior. This acknowledgment by God serves as a prelude to His judgment and reflects His righteous character.

and they are indeed a stiff-necked people
The term "stiff-necked" is a metaphor derived from agricultural practices, where an animal that resists the yoke is considered stubborn. In Hebrew, "qasheh-oref" conveys a sense of obstinacy and rebellion. Historically, this description of Israel is consistent with their repeated disobedience and lack of faith throughout their wilderness journey. This phrase serves as a warning and a call to repentance, reminding readers of the importance of humility and obedience to God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who speaks to Moses about the Israelites' rebellious nature.

2. Moses
The leader and prophet of Israel, who intercedes on behalf of the people and receives God's commandments.

3. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are described as "stiff-necked" due to their repeated disobedience and rebellion.

4. Mount Sinai (Horeb)
The place where Moses received the Ten Commandments and where the Israelites committed the sin of the golden calf.

5. The Golden Calf Incident
A significant event of idolatry and rebellion against God, which prompted God's declaration of the Israelites as "stiff-necked."
Teaching Points
Understanding Stiff-necked Rebellion
The term "stiff-necked" (Hebrew: qesheh-oref) implies stubbornness and an unwillingness to submit to God's authority. Reflect on areas in your life where you may be resisting God's guidance.

The Importance of Intercession
Moses' role as an intercessor for Israel highlights the power and necessity of prayerful intercession for others, especially those who are straying from God's path.

God's Patience and Justice
Despite Israel's repeated rebellion, God remains patient and just. Consider how God's patience is evident in your life and how you can extend that patience to others.

Learning from Past Mistakes
The history of Israel serves as a warning and a lesson. Reflect on how you can learn from past mistakes and seek God's forgiveness and guidance.

The Call to Obedience
Obedience to God is a central theme. Evaluate your own obedience to God's commands and seek to align your actions with His will.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the term "stiff-necked" reveal about the character of the Israelites, and how can we identify similar traits in ourselves today?

2. How does Moses' intercession for the Israelites challenge us to pray for those who are resistant to God's will?

3. In what ways does the golden calf incident serve as a warning for modern believers regarding idolatry and disobedience?

4. How can we apply the lessons of God's patience and justice in our interactions with others, especially those who are difficult to deal with?

5. What steps can we take to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the Israelites in our spiritual journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 32
This chapter details the golden calf incident, providing context for God's declaration of the Israelites as "stiff-necked."

Acts 7:51
Stephen, in his speech, refers to the Israelites as "stiff-necked," drawing a parallel between their ancestors' rebellion and the current generation's resistance to the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 78
This psalm recounts Israel's history of rebellion and God's faithfulness, emphasizing the recurring theme of a "stiff-necked" people.

Jeremiah 7:26
The prophet Jeremiah echoes the description of Israel as "stiff-necked," highlighting their refusal to listen to God's prophets.
Human Memory a Repository of GuiltD. Davies Deuteronomy 9:7-17
Humiliating MemoriesR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 9:7-29
The Sin At HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 9:8-22
People
Aaron, Anak, Anakites, Isaac, Jacob, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb, Jordan River, Kadesh-barnea, Kibroth-hattaavah, Massah, Taberah
Topics
Behold, Further, Furthermore, Indeed, Neck, Saying, Spake, Speaketh, Spoke, Stiff, Stiffnecked, Stiff-necked, Stubborn
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 9:8-21

     4269   Sinai, Mount

Deuteronomy 9:12-13

     8764   forgetting God

Library
The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

Moses' Prayer to be Blotted Out of God's Book.
"And Moses returned unto the Lord and said. Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou--wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray they, out of thy book which than hast written." In the preceding discourse we endeavored to show that the idea of being willing to be damned for the glory of God is not found in the text--that the sentiment is erroneous and absurd--then adduced the constructions which have been put on the text by sundry expositors,
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
Ver. 20. "And Noah began and became an husbandman, and planted vineyards."--This does not imply that Noah was the first who began to till the ground, and, more especially, to cultivate the vine; for Cain, too, was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 2. The sense rather is, that Noah, after the flood, again took up this calling. Moreover, the remark has not an independent import; it serves only to prepare the way for the communication of the subsequent account of Noah's drunkenness. By this remark,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf.
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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