Laughter is a gift from God that helps us cope with sadness and life. The Bible gives examples of when to laugh and when not to laugh. Laughter can be lifesaving. I read of a man with a rare and fatal disease who discovered the only cure was laughter. He watched funny movies, listened to and read humorous stories and eventually recovered from this disease that had been considered incurable. Laughter can also be unkind when we laugh at the failures and shortcomings of others or laugh because we think we are better than anyone else.
Does God LAUGH? We assume His sense of humor at times, as in the neck of a giraffe and the weapon of a skunk, or even in odd circumstances with an unexpected twist that makes us laugh, but what does the Bible say?
Only a few passages are direct and the sense of them is not the same as what humans find funny:
Psalm 2:2–6. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
God laughing at human effort to overthrow Him seems a human term to describe an emotional expression that is foreign to us. We laugh with delight at pleasure, embarrassment, confusion, surprise at the unexpected and when tickled. Laughter can be unifying or devisive, contagious, spontaneous, even meaningless. We can laugh in scorn to mock others and make fun of their shortcomings. We also laugh to relieve tension.
I cannot imagine God laughing for these reasons. In the above verses, God is laughing at the sheer foolishness of anyone’s efforts to overthrow Him. He does not laugh at our suffering like we laugh when someone falls off a chair. He does not laugh when people sin or suffer because of their sin. From this and other verses, He laughs at the pride of people who think so highly of themselves that they will fight against Him and seek to prevent His will.
Psalm 37:12–13. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
Of those who “treacherously plot evil” King David said in Psalm 59:8–10: “But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all the nations in derision. O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.”
God loves people and hates sin. He blesses humility and forbids pride and vanity. God is not laughing the same way most of us do when we ‘win’ over those who oppose us. Obviously, His humor is not like ours. Can laughter be holy?
Psalm 52:1–7. Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, “See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!”
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. I don’t know what God finds funny, but even a short look at this topic helps me see what godly laughter is not. It is not about lording it over people or even making fun of them. It is not a put-down or a display of “I beat you” or “I am better than you” or even “You are really stupid” but it does describe God’s attitude toward foolish and false ambition and pretenses. Even though I feel as if I am looking at a blurry description, all this is making me aware that I need to pay attention to what I laugh at. Chickens chasing dogs is funny but many human behaviors are not and my response should never ridicule or mock those who need deliverance from sinful choices and unhappy lifestyles. God, grant me a deeper understanding of how I can be a better reflection of You.