Hardheaded

Mark McWhorter wrote this piece for a younger audience and I have left it as is. It might be a good FHE lesson.

"Most people do not like to be told they are hardheaded. In fact, most people would be insulted if you told them they were hardheaded. In most instances, if you told someone he is hardheaded, you would be telling him that he is not reasonable. You are saying that he does not listen to all the evidence, and then make a proper decision on the evidence. You are saying that he will not change his mind, no matter what is said to him.

God said that the nation of Israel was hardheaded. In Ezekiel 3:7 , God says, “…for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.” The word “impudent” is the translation of the Hebrew word for hardheaded. God condemned Israel for this characteristic. The Israelites refused to listen to God and His prophets.

Then God told Ezekiel in verse eight, “Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.” God was going to make Ezekiel hardheaded. God was not saying that He was going to make Ezekiel a bad person. God was saying He would strengthen Ezekiel so that he could withstand the arguments of the Israelites. God helped him withstand the mocking of the people of Israel . Always standing up for what is right is having the right kind of hardheadedness.

God was not only going to make Ezekiel as hardheaded as Israel ; He was going to make him harder. In verse nine, God said He would make Ezekiel as hard as an “adamant.” This is the word for “diamond.” Diamonds are used to cut other rocks. God was giving the picture of Ezekiel being a diamond that is able to cut the flint of the Israelites. Flint is a type of rock. So, Ezekiel was not only able to withstand the Israelites, he was able to cut through their hardness. Israel would not win in this battle of wills.

Make sure you are the right type of hardheaded person. Study your scriptures. Learn all you can from it. Then teach it to others and do not let them take your faith. Do not let them discourage you from teaching and doing what is right."