What Does 'Kick against the Goads' Mean in the Bible?

“Kick against the goads” comes from the radical transformation of Saul, who later became known as Paul the Apostle. The verse reads: 

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. 
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 

The book of Acts introduces us to Saul, a young Jew who had been educated as a Pharisee. We first read about how he argued with another young man, a Christian named Stephen. After Stephen’s sermon to the religious leaders, they consented to having him stoned to death. Stephen became a martyr for the faith. Saul was there approving of the stoning. 

From that point, Saul started persecuting Christians, arresting them for prison or death. In Acts 9, he traveled to Damascus to arrest more of Jesus' disciples. On the way, God blinded him with a light from heaven, knocking the man off his horse to the ground, and Saul heard Jesus asking, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Here, Saul asks who speaks to him. Jesus replies with his name and makes the statement about kicking against the goads. 

Jesus uses the phrase “kick against the goads” to symbolize Saul resisting God's will. Despite Saul’s continued efforts to follow the Law zealously, he was deceived. He becomes an example of when Jesus stated that many will persecute Christians and think they’re doing God a favor (John 16:2). Saul also represents the larger Jewish community, which increasingly rejected Jesus as Messiah and Christ followers. 

After being blinded and having this conversation with Jesus, Christ sends Saul to Damascus to meet with another disciple. Saul repents to Jesus and finds healing for his blindness. Saul joins the church in Jerusalem for a short time, beginning to preach the Gospel of Jesus, and Barnabas brings him to Antioch to encourage the church there. The Spirit calls Saul and Barnabas as the first missionaries, and eventually, Saul becomes known as Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, a revolutionary calling for someone who used to persecute Christians and was a respected Jewish religious leader. 

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The original Greek phrase is skolopas laktizein. Skolopas means “goad” or “sharp stick,” and laktizein means “to kick.” A goad was a pointed tool farmers used to prod animals like oxen to keep them moving in the right direction. Sometimes the animal resisted and kicked against the goad, in anger, but this resistance would only bring more pain to the animal. The sharp stick acted as a barrier. A rebellious animal would only get more pain until they changed direction. 

This phrase would have made sense to anyone in the ancient world, where farmers regularly used goads with large animals. Animals were the energy and tools for agriculture, and the goad made them obey the farmer’s will. Kicking against the goad wouldn’t work; in addition, it would be counterproductive, causing more pain. People in Saul’s day would have understood the metaphor, especially anyone familiar with farming. It symbolized resisting guidance by a greater authority, which only results in more harm to the rebel. 

While Saul thought he did God’s will by persecuting Christians, he actually resisted the Lord’s design. The idea of “beating your head against the wall” has some similarities. Kicking against the goads speaks of a proper path, direction, aim, and purpose for a harvest. An ox would have been bought and paid for by the farmer for a specific reason—to help with planting or harvesting crops. The farmer would need to guide the dumb animal in the right direction and path to fulfill the purpose. The farmer or owner would provide necessary boundaries to keep the animal on the right path. Consequences would follow, pain from sharp sticks. For the ox to rebel and try to go its own way would only lead to self-destruction. The pre-existing path was inevitable. There was no use trying to rebel. 

For Saul, Jesus communicates that he has a purpose and a plan for him, predetermined beforehand. God purposed to employ Saul to preach the Gospel and work for the harvest of souls. Saul actively did the opposite. Yet, in his love, the Lord stopped him from further self-destruction and sin, interrupting Saul’s life in a somewhat painful and disturbing way to put him on the right path. God’s path would bring Saul great joy, meaning, and life, even though there would be hardships, as well (Acts 9:15-16). 

Further, God is communicating to all of us how the Kingdom of God comes and can’t be stopped. The Lord’s plan is inevitable. Christ already won the victory over all sin, the world, and death. Every individual has the choice to follow the path of victory or destroy themselves in sin and rebellion. Saul’s story acts as a real-life example of Jesus’ Gospel: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. 

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The Bible continually expresses the futility of resisting God’s plans. As omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, the Lord will do what he says he will. In his love, he offers repentance and correction to his unchangeable truth. 

Proverbs gives wisdom about resisting correction and guidance. “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1) A stubborn person might repeatedly resist being corrected, to his or her own destruction, just like kicking against a goad. 

In the Old Testament, God and Moses are often frustrated with Israel, the chosen people, for their repeated rebellion. Such resistance led to their pain. They could choose to follow the ways of God and have life, or to sin and find death (Deuteronomy 30:19). Unfortunately, God’s people continued to be “stiff-necked,” prideful, and rebellious to their own detriment (Exodus 32:9, Deuteronomy 9:6, 2 Kings 17:4, and others). Fortunately, the loving God kept his covenant and provided (and will provide) redemption to his people 

Israel’s history of rebellion led God to exile them from the Promised Land. The Lord had a purpose and plan for his people, and they kept resisting him and the mission, instead worshipping other gods. Jeremiah 18:12 deals with this mindset, sharing a warning from God. “But they will say, ‘It’s no use. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.” 

Paul himself wrote Romans 8:7, revealing the rebellious heart of humanity. “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot.” Paul knew by experience how deceived and rebellious a person could be, prideful in their own ways. This would result in self-destruction and condemnation. 

Jesus shared a parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). In the story, the son wished his father dead, calling for his inheritance early, and went away to spend the wealth as he saw fit. Yet after a time, he was left with nothing, less than he had before. The parable reveals the Father’s heart, also shown in Saul’s story. Despite our rebelliousness, he seeks our return and redemption. When we repent, he restores and welcomes us as sons and daughters. 

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The phrase, "Kick against the goads," was said to Saul but also reveals essential truths to us.

First, God possesses an unstoppable plan and will for the world. There will be a harvest of souls and the Kingdom of God will reign on earth. Jesus’ mission was to bring salvation to humanity, and God’s redemptive plan can’t be stopped by anyone. It remains futile to oppose God’s truth and will, no matter how intelligent and powerful we think we are. The Gospel of the Kingdom is unstoppable because it’s founded not on our power but on God’s will. Jesus, through his death and resurrection, secured the victory over sin and its consequence, death. No one will stop the Gospel’s spread. Even when people or nations oppose God, his purpose will unfold. Guaranteed.

Second, resisting God’s plan hurts us more than anyone else. Even though he thought he was following God, Saul actually fought against him. Saul’s efforts were both futile and self-destructive. The same is true for us. Whether through rebellion, pride, or false religion, when we resist God’s will and leading, it causes us harm. Pride and selfishness lead us away from the source of life and purpose, which we long for. False religion promotes human ideas and righteousness, and this only deceives and frustrates.

Third, and thankfully, God doesn’t leave us hopeless. Despite our rebellion, God doesn’t abandon us. In his love, he seeks us out (when we weren’t seeking him) and communicates his desire for us to return to him. We know Jesus’ words to Saul on the road to Damascus because God intended to set Saul on the true path of life, not to condemn him. Jesus desired Saul to fulfill his calling, not to be destroyed. God isn’t finished with us or others we know, either. God seeks us out, even in our rebellion and sin. He calls us back from these self-destructive ways, offering us salvation and meaning in Jesus. The Father invites us into a life of meaning where we work in his harvest for the eternal Kingdom.

The Lord’s purpose will prevail, and he offers us the opportunity to align ourselves with his will and invite others into the same opportunity.

Peace.

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