Proverbs: Day 29 - Loosen Up! - [Chapter 29]

"Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed

- without remedy."

- Proverbs 29:1

Stubborn (stiff necked) people.  I've heard that phrase more than once in the Bible.  Pretty sure I know what it means, but it's helpful to learn a bit more about the origin of the phrase.  

Literally, the word means "hard of neck".  In those days, the plow was usually drawn by two oxen. The plowman needed one hand to guide the plow, he carried in the other a light pole, shod with an iron spike.  With this he would prick the oxen upon the hind legs to increase their speed, and then would touch upon the neck to signal the oxen to turn, or to keep a straight course when deviating.  If an ox was hard to control or stubborn, it was termed to be "hard of neck," or stiff-necked.  This phrase is used in the Bible to express the stubborn, untractable spirit of a people not responsive to the guiding of their God.  

They are unwilling to turn.

Stubborn people are unwilling to turn from their point of view.  But in our politically correct world, we allow everyone to hold their own perspective.  Solomon's wisdom suggests that these persons would be granted some leeway, but only up to a point.  At some moment, if they were unable to see the light of God's word and God's way, they would be destroyed without hesitation.  I'm not sure that this verse is talking about these persons being killed, because of the last two words - without remedy.  Once you are dead, there is no remedy - no need to even suggest a remedy.  

But a person can be destroyed in other ways - reputation, spirit, character - just to name a few.  The Message translation helps us here -   

"For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn.

There’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break,

but by then it’ll be too late to help them." 

The learning from this little bit of wisdom is for us to not be so adamant about our own agenda, but to embrace what God has in mind for us.  Don't get so narrow focused that you can't see how to turn around.