Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Some men marvelled, others mocked.
Marvelled: something that causes wonder, admiration, or astonishment; a wonderful thing.
Mocked: To attack or treat with ridicule, contempt, or derision. To ridicule by mimicry of action or speech; mimic derisively. To mimic, imitate, or counterfeit. To challenge; defy.
Consider the account of Michal, the daughter of Saul. At one time she marveled at David, when he displayed his love for the Lord in defeating the enemies of God. Later when his display of love included a dance of humble praise, however, she no longer marveled but mocked him.
One has to wonder what turns a marveler into a mocker? In Michal’s case, it appears to be when she left her first love. She was originally in love with David, and Saul gave her to him for his wife. Later, after she helped David flee from a jealous and murderous Saul, her father then gave her to another man named Phalti the son of Laish. It was much later that David sent back and demanded for Michal to be returned to him. When she was brought to him, 2 Samuel says that Phalti followed behind weeping for her… apparently they had fallen in love together. Her love was no longer toward David, but to her new husband Phalti. At one time she was called, “The wife of David”, but now again, “The daughter of Saul”.
It seems, then, that a person will change from a marveler to a mocker when they fall away from their first love.
Even in Acts 2, there were Jews who had a heart of love for God, and some who obviously were no longer serving him out of love, but some other motivation. Duty? Obligation? Self-righteousness? Those who were in love with God must have marveled. Those who weren’t seemed to have mocked. It appears it’s the display of the spirit of a man that tells us whether they’re truly in love with Him or not.
The men present on the day of Pentecost took one of two positions. Some marvelled, others mocked. These responses usually come up when we are challenged by the Word of God, the Spirit of God or any issue, including but not limited to, seperation issues. When you hear of someone’s commitment to separation, even if you do not share that commitment, how do you respond?
Do you marvel, (admire, astonishment, it’s a wonderful thing), their dedication and their attempt to give something up as a love sacrifice; or; do you mock, (ridicule, mimic, challege), their stance?
(This is a mixture of thoughts shared by Jeff Ready and myself.)