These Stubborn People
If you were to ask me who the most stubborn people in the bible were, I’d scream without hesitation, “The Israelites!” LOL. In these two months of 2025, I have followed their journey from Genesis to Exodus. I also have another bible study plan that has taken me through Joshua and now, I’m in Judges. From the little knowledge I’ve gathered, if you search for “Stubborn Goat” on Google, the picture of the Israelites with their long robes and walking sticks will pop up. (If that doesn’t happen for you, your Google is broken).
Those guys made me wonder, laugh and honestly just confused me. I’m at the part of Exodus where Moses is on the mountain receiving instructions from God and having the time of his life. But from my previous Bible knowledge, I know that in the next few chapters, I’ll see the Israelites having the time of their lives — with the golden calf that Aaron had helped them to build. That Aaron sef!
Now, for Judges, I just read chapter 2. Joshua just died. The elders who led with him are all gone. It’s like the Gen Z’s of that period were just waiting for them to leave. Cause immediately the elders left, these people turned into something else! I was like, Ah! Guys! Let’s all calm down. If I was God, I’d have canceled them. Like, I’d just use my golden pen to strike out their names from my golden book. Because after delivering you and yours from Egypt, parting the Red Sea, giving you food, water and the strength to trek through the wilderness and you even agreeing to follow my laws.. now, you’re doing something else? No, no, no. My dear children, you’re canceled.
But but but, let’s breathe. Okay.
Judging the Israelites is all fun and games until we look at our own lives and see how much God has drawn us back to him even after straying 100 times. We’re just a different type of Israelites. The only difference might be that we have more teachers now. Personally, God has always been a major part of my life, just like He was for the Israelites. Knowing God didn’t stop me from living in wrongdoing. I remember one time in school, I was “tired of life” (lol), and I told God, “I’ll serve You, but don’t expect so much from me”. A few minutes later, I stepped out of my hostel to take a walk, and a random person walked up to me to talk about exactly what I had just prayed about. I was laughing while he spoke because my mind was like, “Nice one, God.”
I think that’s the beauty of it, that’s where we see his mercies. His consistency, even when we’re still figuring out ourselves — wandering from one idol to another, just like the Israelites. And when I say idol, I don’t mean some rag doll somewhere or even a golden calf. Far from it. An idol is anything that takes the place of God in your life. Simple.
God’s kindness. His presence. His never letting go. His consistent and ever-present love. The way the Israelites strayed and fell into traps they set for themselves. The way we stray and deliberately go against what God has told us to do. And despite our disobedience, He sent His son to die for us.
He showed us the greatest love ever—when we did not deserve it. And even now, He is still guiding us to become who He wants us to be.
He leaves the 99 for the 1. Yeah, you do not have to be that 1 that always needs to be brought back. But even if you’re that one, come back. Stay longer. Stay forever this time. See how God kept saving the Israelites.
He actually won’t let you go.
God saves. Stay with Him. And let Him make your life count—just like He gave us the greatest gift ever (Christ—I’m sure God gave a sigh of relief when Christ died), from the lineage of the same Israelites, who didn’t even seem worthy of it.