Stephen confronted the Nation of Israel for their sin: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51) Resistance and Rejection was the attitude and behaviour of Children of Israel.
1) Provision: God was gracious that he gave miraculous Manna throughout forty years in the wilderness. However, they rejected this provision and demanded meat. (Number 11:6) Children of Israel rejected angel’s food. (Psalms 78:25)
2) Protection: God through Moses gave the Ten Commandments, ceremonial laws, food laws and spiritual laws. The laws were to protect them spiritually, morally, socially, and economically.
3) Rule of the Lord: God wanted the Nation of Israel to live under His kingship. However, they rejected him as king and desired a human king like other neighbouring nations. Samuel was upset about this. The Lord impressed upon Samuel that the Nation had rejected Jehovah as their king and commanded him to provide them a king. (I Samuel 8:7) “I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.” (Hosea 13:11)
4) Messages: The Lord spoke to Prophet Ezekiel, that he is going to speak to a ‘nation of rebels’ and will not listen to his message. (Ezekiel 2: 3-5) The Lord Jesus condemned the Nation of Israel for killing prophets and later building memorials for them. (Matthew 23:29)
5) Messiah: John the Baptist identified Lord Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God’ to the Nation of Israel. (John 1:29) The Lord Jesus through His teachings, signs, wonders, suffering, death and resurrection demonstrated He is the Messiah. Yet they rejected Lord Jesus Christ. “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered.” (Acts 7:52)
Israel became habitually rejectors of all that came from God. They rejected His provision, protection, Promises, Law, Covenant, Lord as King, prophets, messiah and the gospel.
It began with ungratefulness, progressed to lack of faith and manifested as lack of contentment.
Am I grateful, faithful and content with God’s blessings?