Proverbs 29:1: He that being often rebuked hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.
The words hardens his neck are the same words used in Exodus where God refers to the people of Israel as stiff necked people. Ever have a stiff neck. Boy I had one the other day. I could hardly drive. If I had to turn and check out my blind spot I had to move my whole body. I could only look in one direction and I had little interest in checking out what was behind me or to my side, unless it was really necessary. One of my passengers on my bus said; “Oh, look at that cute dog.” Now I like to look at cute dogs, but not enough to make the effort when I have a stiff neck. If I am changing lanes, I am willing to make that effort. I think God gave me that stiff neck to tell me something, hence here I am in Proverbs 29:1 trying to figure out what God is trying to tell me.
I find that when the nation of Israel allowed themselves to become stiff necked, God was unable to fulfill His promise to them. In a literal sense a stiff necked person is one who can not look to the left or right. He can only see in one direction. The word stiff necked in this passage is preceded by the phrase He that being often rebuked in the Hebrew it is two words literally rendered as a man from correction. I have friend who is always correcting me. I don’t believe I am being rebuked but just corrected. I fear, however, sometimes my response leads her to believe I felt I was being rebuked and not corrected. Rebuke carries an emotional context which is vindictiveness. So let’s drop this word rebuked for yakach as I believe this word expresses benevolence and love and not vindictiveness. The word man is ish and not adam. Adam is used to represent a man of the earth, or the natural man. The word ish is used to describe a man who is both spiritual and natural. This man or ish is receiving correction or yakach which is given out of a loving and caring heart. It is spelled Yod, Kap and Cheth. These letters give a built in commentary as a message from heaven that is intended to fill your heart with His presence. However, in the delivery of this message I sometimes miss the loving and nurturing behind it and automatically think vindictiveness much to my discredit. I suddenly become stiff necked in other words I can not see the direction that God is leading because I am too focused on my pride and present earthly situation.
Let’s take a closer look at this word for harden which is qashah. It is a legal term for a difficult interpretation of the law. Right now there is a real debate over the second amendment right to own a fire arm. We are split down the middle as to whether the second amendment is referring only to the ownership of a firearm to defend against foreign invasion, in other words if you belonged to the militia or to defend yourself against anyone that threatens you or your family. Many on both sides have become so stiff necked that they only listen to the arguments that support their own position rather than the true intent of the constitution which is really up for grabs. I am not taking sides on the issue only using it as an example to describe this word qashah in a legal context.
However, if we take a closer look at this word harden or qashah we find it has a built in commentary. The word is spelled Qop, Shin and Hei. The sages teach the shadow for the Qop is a refusal to make peace with the changes that come into our lives. The shadow of the Shin can represent the clinging to a situation beyond a healthy end point and Hei’s shadow warns us against being stuck in a situation that leaves us broken.
Of course I am spinning the dial to the various meanings behind the letters to make a personal application. This is by no means meant to be an academic understanding of qashah just a devotional understanding, a meditation on what God is speaking to me personally. So in my case this combination of letters and their meanings for stiff necked is that I am being stiff necked with my refusal to make peace with the changes God is bringing into my life. The older you get the less you like change. But God is always in the business of changing us for the better, even if we don’t like it. Yes, and the Shin shows that I am still clinging to a situation that will have an unhealthy end, and then the Hei is whispering to me: “Buddy, if you don’t accept this change and unstiffen that neck of yours you will be stuck in a situation that will leave you broken.” So I need to flex my neck a little, see what is beside and behind and recognize that God is all around. This verse says that this brokenness is destruction. In fact the word destruction is shavar which is often used for distress and brokenness. So to my friend who is constantly correcting me out of love I have just one thing to say to you: “Don’t give up, keep coming back at me because your correction will keep me from falling into distress and brokenness.
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