Daily Thoughts from Deuteronomy 9:4-6: Stiff-Necked (Q’she Oreph)

11. Stiff-Necked (Q’she Oreph)

“Don’t think to yourself, after your God has pushed them out ahead of you, ‘It is to reward my righteousness that Yahweh has brought me in to take possession of this land.’ No, it is because these nations have been so wicked that Yahweh is driving them out ahead of you.  It is not because of your righteousness, or because your heart is so upright, that you go in to take possession of their land; but to punish the wickedness of these nations that Yahweh your God is driving them out ahead of you, and also to confirm the word which Yahweh swore to your ancestors, Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.  Therefore, understand that it is not for your righteousness that Yahweh your God is giving you this good land to possess.  For you are a stiff-necked people!”

(D’varim 9:4-6)

Nabil was nowhere to be seen.  The fire had died and the sun had only been up for a short time.  It took some effort to rise and take care of his basic needs.

“Father, I am yours and You are mine.  Though I hunger for food I hunger for Your words even more.  Write Your words on my heart today.  Thank you for some time without Nabil this morning.  I confess that he is making my time here more difficult.  Share Your strength with me.”

He unrolled the scroll.  Each letter, each small mark felt precious to him.  He read the message of Moshe with a hungry heart.  And he felt a kinship with Moshe, who also fasted while on the mountain and then after when he had come down to find Yisrael worshiping the calf.  Nothing meant more to Moshe than rescuing his people from their own folly and Yahweh’s wrath.

Stiff-necked.  Yes, that was his people.  But they saw themselves as righteous and better than the nations around them.  They had forgotten this warning from Moshe.  They had fallen prey to their own conceit.  How was it they could not see themselves more clearly?

“Good morning and peace be to you, Yeshua.”  Nabil sat down beside him.  “I hope you slept well and that your dreams were an encouragement to you.”

“Peace, Nabil,” he said.  “I don’t recall my dreams but my sleep was uninterrupted and restorative, thank you.  And you, did you sleep?”

“I don’t sleep much, maybe the space of a few hours each night.  I have been out exploring our neighborhood again and foraging for food.  There is not much to be had.”

“I regret that I have nothing to offer you.  My hospitality is lacking.  All I can offer you is the same food I have been feasting on,” and he raised the scroll.  Nabil made an odd gurgling noise and his neck twitched.

“I must admit that I am not disposed today to hear your Scriptures.  They are not my people’s Scriptures and they seem to be all about your people and not about mine.  Your God has no regard for my people.”

“I assure you that my Father has quite a bit of regard for you and your people.  It is certainly true that our Scriptures have much to say about the people of Yisrael, but they have much to say about all peoples as well.  May I tell you?”

Once again his words were preceded by a twitch in his neck. “Why should your people be the focus of your father?  Should a father play favorites?  I have the results of that in my own family?  I have felt the pain of all my father’s attention being given to my older brother.  It was as if I did not exist.  Your God disgusts me.”

Suddenly he was twitching all over his body and staring off to the side with such a grimace on his face that he appeared to not even know where he was.

“Spirit, you are not welcome here.  Depart and do not return to this man, for so I command you.”

Nabil collapsed on the floor and after convulsing a few times became completely motionless as if he were dead.  At last his eyes came open and he began to stir and eventually sit up.

“I feel as if I have had a pallet of rocks lifted off of me, like I can breathe freely for the first time.  Sir, how can I thank you?”

“You can thank the God of Yisrael who has freed you from the grip of your enemy.  Can you tell me how this came about to begin with?”

“In the bitterness of my heart and anger at my father I sought a way to diminish my shame.”  He sobbed and unfolded a story of vain pursuits of wealth and the pleasures of men, finally adopting a religion that he believed would guarantee him success.  He recalled the day on which he invited the spirit to enter him and help him achieve his goals.

“You must abandon any hope of establishing your own path and walk in the way of Yahweh, the Living God who alone is God, the One who made you and me and is the giver of true life and light.  Or I warn you that the spirit who left you at my command will find a way back in.”

They spent several hours talking about the teaching of Yahweh, answering questions and countering lies the devil had used to keep him hardened to the truth.  By end of day a new spirit had come over him and an unexplainable peace.

“I need you to know, Yeshua, that I came here at the bidding of the spirit whom you commanded to leave.  I am not even sure why he had me do so but I suspect he was seeking to discourage you and weaken you.  There is something important about you that I do not understand but certainly acknowledge.  I should not have delayed my trip home and will be leaving in the morning, but I am so glad that I came to you, for whatever my original intention was.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Your chains have been released and you walk in the freedom of forgiveness and God’s love.  Forgive your father for the way he has hurt you and be the light you need to be so that others may glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

They slept that night a restful sleep and he did remember dreaming of his own family and of his father Joseph, patiently helping him learn how to work his carpenter’s tools as they worked together.  His heart was full and no thoughts of hunger intruded.