What does the Bible say about being stubborn / stubbornness?

What Samuel says to Saul long afterward is illustrated here: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry." (1 Sam. 15:23.) So we find it in this case; and of how many more subtle forms is this as true!

Sometimes a faithful servant of the Lord needs to speak plainly, as Samuel did in verse 23: ‘rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [or self-will] is as iniquity and idolatry’. Let us be thankful for the servants who may, as led of the Lord, use a similar tone with us today, whether individually or collectively, for our correction and blessing.

So callous had he become that he seemed surprised to hear that rejecting the word of the Lord was sin, that "rebellion was as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry;" and when this was pressed, he, although the king, pleaded his fear of the people! and thought to cover his robbery of the spoil by saying that they took of it to sacrifice unto the Lord.

Therefore he tells them to circumcise the foreskin of their heart, that is, cut off the selfish, fleshly desires of their heart; and "be stiff-necked no longer" (v.16). Being stiff-necked refers to the stubbornness of wanting our own way. But would Israel be corrected by being told this? Sadly, no! Only the New Testament shows the way of proper correction.

Over and over again they refused every appeal of the Lord and stiffened their necks in stubborn rebellion against His authority (v.14). Thus, having given up any respect for God Himself, they were quite free to reject His statutes and His covenant that He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thus, they wanted freedom to do their own will, following the folly of other nations, not realising that that kind of freedom was only painful bondage to sin (v.15).

In tracing the sequence here, it is clear that a want of understanding stems from the stubbornness that refuses to confess sin before God. This attitude in anyone who holds any place of authority will make him "a great oppressor." For evil will not stand still, but if indulged, will go onward to greater lengths.

But in cold rebellion (not merely failure) they would not pay any attention to God's Word, but refused God Himself, not only His Word (v. 11). In fact, to refuse His Word is to refuse Him. What could they expect as a result? God gave them over to their own stubborn heart (v. 12). They would have to learn by hard experience the utter folly of walking in their own ways.

The same Psalm 32 which speaks of God's leading, also shows us that the Lord will certainly deal with stubbornness, refusal of self-judgment, and following of self-will. What shall we choose?

The Septuagint translation renders this "a stubborn servant," which would of course seem more clear. But it is a painful thing for a master to get no response to his words of correction. Let the servant of God take heed, and thankfully receive the correction a wise Master sees necessary to give; and answer Him with true submission of heart.

When the apostle in the Hebrews is referring to the wilful obstinacy of the Israelites in the wilderness he uses a different word: "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness" (Heb. 3:8, 15; 4:7). And without presuming to dogmatise as to its finer shades of meaning it is suggested that the word a skleruno* and its derivatives is employed to denote that definite resistance on man's part which deliberately blocks up the heart to exclude the light of God — as the Lord said, "Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life" (John 5:40).