Today, God imposed this phrase on my heart,; “And they laughed…” I knew immediately what he was referring to. Laughter, they say is the best medicine. After all, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Laughter has the potential to cure diseases and heal the soul. Laughter is one of the ways that we express our joy, but laughter can take on another connotation. Laughter can come about as a result of mockery and disdain. We are warned many times about this in the bible.
Abraham and Sarah
The first example comes from the book of Genesis 18:13. After God told Abram that he would be a father, Sarah laughed. God asked Abram, “Why did Sarah laugh?” When God gives people dreams and visions, he does not talk small. He talks big. He is the God of the impossible. Any Joe Smoe can do the possible, but only God specializes in doing impossible things.
Elisha, Forty two Children and Two Bears
The second example comes from 2 Kings 2: 23-25. Elisha was walking along a road to go to Bethel (a holy place). Many of you are headed to Bethel. You are tired of the mundane and the distasteful. You are in a period of cleansing and sanctification, you are headed to that holy place. On the way to the holy place, Elisha encountered two children who teased him. They called him baldy. As they tormented him, Elisha called a curse upon them. Soon afterward, two bears came and ate the children. You, like Elisha may have encountered the demon of mockery. Elisha’s response to forty two children calling him Baldy may seem extreme, but it is a cautionary tale to the world. The Bible states, “Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”
God does not desire to cause harm to anyone, he wants to bless all of the families of the earth, but we through the words of our mouth have the choice to bless or curse. God gave us the choice to choose blessings or cursing. Examine Deuteronomy 11:26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse, the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I am commanding you today, and the curse if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God…” The unfortunate result of this encounter was the death of forty two children, but what would have happened if all parties spoke blessing instead of curse? God’s blessing would have come down instead of the curse. Choose life today.
Noah and the Ark
The last and final example is that of Noah from Genesis 5. At the age of 500 years old, the Lord told Noah to build an ark because God was going to cause it to rain and destroy the evil people of the earth. The people laughed and mocked Noah. Finally, at the age of 600 years old, the rain came down, just as the Lord said. Noah was prepared to save himself and his family on the ark. He had a covenant with the Lord. Many times, God calls ordinary men and women to do extraordinary things for him, and the people will laugh. On the flipside, when God does fulfill his promises in the life of the believer, the blessing will come. This is the way that we bring God’s kingdom on the earth, just as it states in Genesis 12;3, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Now, let us recap…
1. The joy of the Lord is our strength.
2. Laughing at or mocking God’s children is not good
3. We are to choose life and blessings, not death and curse.
4. Anyone who is called to do great things for God may have to endure mockery.
5. If as a child of God, you stick to the plan of God, you will win. Don’t give up!