S144P2 – When worlds collide: the mocker is mocked
1 Kgs. 18:27-29
And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
Sports fans do it all the time. They argue about whose team is better, and eventually those teams will meet. While each person may profess to know that his or her team will win, it really is just hope. Regardless of their records or their head-to-head history, no one knows with certainty what the result will be. They will mock each other playfully or perhaps seriously, and each really believes his or her team will prevail. Then, the battle comes, and the one who rooted for the winning team claims to have known all along that they would win. The losing fan is deflated, and the winning fan rubs it in. As those who serve and root for the one true God, we get to do that winner’s dance even now, and we are guaranteed the win.
We are sure of many things as Christians. One of those things is that we will be mocked for our faith. Sometimes it is done in very inconspicuous or subtle ways. Other times the ridicule is obvious for everyone to see. I like to approach the mockers of the world from two perspectives. There is really no problem with the world mocking me. It does not phase me, and I welcome the suffering that allows us to share in Christ’s suffering. I do not need to win the argument or defend myself or prove that I am right. However, it is a completely different matter when my opponent mocks the Lord. That is a call for judgment and correction from God himself, and He will show them to be wrong, and I will join him in his boasting.
Elijah was not being a jerk here. He faced men who worshipped false demonic gods and who mocked the one true God. Their issue was not with Elijah but with the Lord. They were mocking God himself, and Elijah would not stand for that because he knew that God would not stand for that. The Lord responded by taking the wind out of their sails. Those false gods could produce nothing. In the end, the Lord would show up in an unbelievable way not just to show his glory but to expose and ridicule the enemy. Father, thank You that in coming to your own defense You also come to ours, and give us the heart of Elijah to desire to join You in proudly exposing the enemy for who he is.