During one monologue Job claims his innocence while insisting that God is far off and indifferent to the suffering of the righteous, or even enjoying it. In response his friend, Zophar, says — basically — “You want God to speak? Well, clearly He has!” He then goes on to say, quite forthrightly, that Job is mocking God. This is a serious accusation, and one that the Apostle Paul would address a great many years later, writing in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (NIV)
The natural question, then is, what does it mean to ‘mock God’? Well, classically we would think it means any one — or combination of — the following; disrespect, dishonour, willful ignorance, ridicule, defiance, contempt, or hostility. These are typically the actions of the non-believer, and we do see Job wrestling with what has happened and trying to understand God’s actions and motivations, I don’t see these particular verbs happening in Job’s speech.
It is the desire of Job’s heart to talk with God, even going so far as to ask for a mediator. He is seeking understanding in a time of immense suffering. This is normal. And talking through our emotions is often a helpful catharsis. But…
Not all mockery happens by outsiders. American Preacher Charles G. Finley wrote, “To mock God is to pretend to love and serve him when we do not; to act in a false manner, to be insincere and hypocritical in our professions, pretending to obey him, love, serve, and worship him, when we do not. . . . Mocking God grieves the Holy Spirit, and sears the conscience; and thus the bands of sin become stronger and stronger. The heart becomes gradually hardened by such a process.”
I think this is a good opportunity to examine our hearts and ask God to come and do a work in the secret place, the most inner parts of us that we keep hidden away from the world.
Lord, have your way in every part of me. Break my flesh. Lead me into all righteousness. Help me rid my life of the sin that seeks to destroy me. Thank you, Jesus.