Stiff-Necked People

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, May 31st, 2026:
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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Exodus
​34.4b-6, 8-9

​Moses rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, “The Lord.”

The Lord passed before Moses, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. He said, “If now I have found favour in your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Maybe it’s my age or maybe it’s the way I spend so much of my precious life hunched over in front of one glowing device or another, but the words “stiff-necked people” really stood out to me. Being stiff-necked isn’t a word of praise Moses is levelling at the people he’s led out of captivity in Egypt. 

What had the Israelites done to deserve Moses’ criticism? Twenty-two chapters before this, in the Book of Exodus, the Israelites had left Egypt. Eighteen chapters before, the Lord provided the manna and quail to quell their hunger in the desert; and seventeen chapters before, the Lord provided water from a rock to quench their thirst. Then, two chapters before this one, the Israelites, with Aaron at the lead, melted down their gold to make the golden calf. They lost patience while Moses was on the mountain (receiving the Ten Commandments and other instructions), and they turned back to idol worship. 

After relentless miracles and provision, after so many signs and miracles, the Israelites couldn’t be trusted on their own for even a minute. This is why Moses called them stiff-necked. He was comparing them to oxen who pull against their reins. They didn’t want to accept God’s guidance and leading, even after everything He had done for them. They had full bellies but, rather than be grateful in those idle days waiting for Moses, they turned to idol praise. 

And if that isn’t relatable, I don’t know what is! Since my birth, I have been a recipient of many blessings. I survived a perilous birth. I came through a near death experience with barely a scratch. I have a loving husband and seven beautiful, healthy children. I have salvation in Christ. I’ve never wanted for my daily bread in any form. I’m even pretty lucky when it comes to finding a parking spot for my gigantic van. God is so good to me, in ways both big and small!

But I’m still out here, building my little altars to all my idols: attention, creation rather than the Creator, and my own comfort. I worship at those altars when my belly is full and my life isn’t as hard. Sure, I turn to God when I need the Red Sea parted but, when His full glory isn’t on me, I’m back to my old ways. Yet, when God is looking to keep my eyes on Him and only Him, I pull at the reins with my stubborn and stiff neck.

In the end, all I’m doing is hurting myself. What good is a stiff neck? All it’s doing is keeping me from the good that God has set aside for me. When I submit myself to God’s leading, when I truly trust Him, He works wonders in me and around me. My heart is at peace. O my soul, stop getting in the way of your own good!

Heavenly Father, send your grace over me, that I can become docile to your leading. Help me to live in perfect trust and to be more perfectly shaped into the image of Christ. Amen.

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Stéphanie Potter

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