Does God Have A Sense Of Humor?

Does God have a sense of humor at all? If so, what biblical evidence is there? What in creation might show this?

God’s Creatures

Almost anyone can look at God’s creatures and see that He has a sense of humor. I see nothing sacrilegious about thinking of Jesus laughing. If you’ve ever seen otters, kittens or puppy dog’s play, you must conclude that their Creator had a sense of humor. Some animals and mammals express such an interest in play, that when they do, it is hilarious to watch them. Who knows, perhaps some of God’s creatures have a sense of humor too.

Mankind

Just like puppy dogs and small kittens, young children express a love for humor and there’s no doubt they have a sense of humor. This carries into adulthood and perhaps it is learned from their parents but I think its part of what it means to be human. It is the desire to laugh, even if at one self. There is convincing scientific evidence that “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov 17:22). A joyful heart really is good medicine, not only for that person but for others who are around them however the “crushed spirit” has the opposite effect, drying up the bones, which is in the Jewish vernacular, means failing health.

Biblical Evidence

Since we are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27) and mankind certainly has a sense of humor, you would think that God would also have a sense of humor. We know that God laughs at the nations who oppose Him (Psalm 59:7-9) and those nations who rebel at His kingship over the earth (Psalm 2:4) but that is not humor in the way we think of it. Those verses had a bit of satire in them.

Contrasting Humor

God uses a lot of analogies in the Bible and in particular in the Book of Proverbs and the contrast of some of these statements is humorous for a reason. They seek to draw the attention of the reader to compare and contrast what is sometimes ridiculous to make plain something that’s serious. A few examples including when “The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square” (Prov 22:13) or when Jesus said to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” (Matt 23:24). This type of analogy seems to make a point for Jesus just as when He said that they must have the beam or plank removed from their own eye before trying to remove a speck from their brother’s eye (Matt 7:5).

Conclusion

God does have a sense of humor. It is evident in nature, in God’s creatures, in mankind, in the Bible and in God Himself. Why would God not create an attribute as a sense of humor in us, knowing full well that laughter’s good medicine but the opposite of this attitude is just the opposite as “a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov 17:22).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.