In their reflection, they turn their thoughts to He whom they rejected, and by not being able to achieve their malicious intentions, they find themselves occasionally saved. Thus, upon introspection, they recognize their true condition and lament the fact that they have conspired against the ultimate Truth.
Conversely, there are those who, under the just discipline of God’s judgment, manage to execute even more severe wickedness than they initially intended against Him. Although evil is incited through their actions, and they seem to gather strength, they become so engulfed in their sinful behavior that they fail to comprehend their true state. Their increasingly ruinous condition, compounded by an abundance of worldly reward, empowers them to exceed their own limits in sin. It is in this vein that we see the notion of stretching out one’s hand against God and reinforcing oneself against the Most High, which signifies a relentless pursuit of evil while disregarding God’s decrees. The anger of God is magnified as He tolerates those extreme actions that ought never to have been imagined. This wicked individual is emboldened against the Most High, permitted to indulge in his sinful ways, all the while appearing to enjoy a façade of happiness.
Furthermore, to ‘run against God with a lifted neck’ means to engage shamelessly in actions that oppose the Creator, implying a lack of constraints or obstacles in committing evil. This is further emphasized by the idea of being 'armed with a stout neck', where ‘a strong neck’ symbolizes a prideful arrogance, bolstered by vast resources, as if one's flesh represents an excess of substance. The evil person, stripped of true power, is ‘armed against God with a hardened neck,’ because his abundance of temporal goods leads him to defy the principles of truth. What is poverty if not lack, and what does an excess of riches signify but the indulgence of this transient life? Consequently, the individual elevates himself, arming his pride against God, using fleeting abundance as a shield for arrogance. Those who are mighty and unrighteous, consumed by illusory wealth, overlook the genuine riches of God; the less they recognize this reality, the more they swell with false accomplishments. The pursuit and obsession with earthly matters can completely blind a person's vision. Thus, it remains justly noted:
THEOSIS