20141021 Tuesday, October 21 2014
Job 11: Crucified To The Sound Of Mockers

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"They shall mock Him, and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him, and shall kill Him: and the third day He shall rise again"

The English word "mock" means to imitate in a disrespectful manner, or to treat with contempt. Satan is the ultimate mocker of anything or anyone that is good, but humans can become just as evil in behavior, if not intent, usually as a matter of foolish arrogance i.e. to "look down" upon someone by mocking them. People can also do it when looking up to someone - as they did to the Messiah as He hung on the Cross (see the Fact Finder question below).

A number of Hebrew and Greek words of the Scriptures are translated as "mock."

the Hebrew word, pronounced haw-thawl, which means to cheat by deriding - not allowing someone their turn to speak, by making a noise or disturbance so that others can't hear the one being mocked, "to drown someone out"

the Hebrew word, pronounced tsaw-kawkh, which means a scornful laugh, or an insulting sound i.e. a "raspberry"

the Hebrew word, pronounced law-awg, which means to imitate by babbling i.e. to attempt to make a fool of some other person by acting like a fool in response to them

the Hebrew word, pronounced awl-lawl, which means to abuse by sarcasm

the Hebrew word, pronounced kaw-laws, which means to attempt to reject someone's words by finding personal imperfection with the person, not the words that they spoke

the Greek word, pronounced emp-aheed-zo, which means to jeer (jeer is the opposite of cheer)

Job's three friends were righteous men (see A Friend In Deed), but they failed, at first, to understand that trouble can come upon the righteous too because Satan targets them for being righteous (see How Did The Devil Challenge Job To Commit A Satan?, What Was In The Heart Of Job's Tabernacle? and What Did Satan Do To Job's Soul?).

Job's friends were becoming self-righteous by declaring Job circumstantially guilty without proof (see Innocent Until Proven Guilty). They not only mocked him for his truthful denial of wrongdoing, but they also accused Job of mocking them with his denial. The result was a greater Satanic attack ("Satan" means accuser) upon Job from the friends that had supposedly come to comfort him.

"11:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

11:2 Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified? 11:3 Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed? 11:4 For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. 11:5 But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee; 11:6 And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 11:8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 11:9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

11:10 If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him? 11:11 For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it? 11:12 For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

11:13 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; 11:14 If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. 11:15 For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: 11:16 Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away: 11:17 And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. 11:18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. 11:19 Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee. 11:20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost." (Job 11:1-20 KJV)

Fact Finder: Did the Messiah die at the sound of people mocking Him?
See The Mocker's Folly