Does God have a sense of humor?

The Scriptures do not often represent God as laughing. Three times in the Psalms they do so, and once in Proverbs, and in each case the same thing is in view. If men refuse His mercy, if they mistreat His people, if they lawlessly deny Him and His Anointed, deriding His authority and His Word, they will be judged in due season. And not only judged, but cast down in such a way as to make them supremely ridiculous, the objects of derision to all created intelligences.

From a world in revolt we pass to the calm of heaven to learn God's thoughts about man's vain efforts. The great men of the earth — its political leaders, its scientists, its philosophers — may combine to cast off all recognition of God, but, unmoved by all their efforts, the Christ of God "sits in the heavens," and holds man's revolt in derision. Men rage on earth; God laughs in heaven.

Well might the God of heaven and earth laugh at their stupidity! They are like little children ganging up against their national government to tell the authorities, "We are cancelling all the laws you have ever passed and will refuse to obey anything you say." Of course, this would be only laughable, for they have no ability to carry out their schemes. But it is amazing how long God bears with this evil before judging it.

But on the other side is One who hears nevertheless, and if He keeps silence He does so because He counts all the restless attempts of men to dethrone Him at their proper worth. He "laughs" at them — His estimate of their folly being put, as it usually is, in strong human language.

Moreover, God not only holds these efforts of men in derision, but the time is coming when God will "speak to them in his anger." For long ages God has been speaking in grace, and keeping silent in the presence of man's rebellion against His authority. God, however, has not been indifferent to "all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." The silence of God is going to be broken, and when God speaks it will be in anger.

But vain man opposes to his own ruin. God notes his puny efforts and smiles at them all… This is man's day, and too often he does not hesitate to laugh and mock, but soon the tables will be turned. Righteousness suffers and wrongdoing is exalted; but the day is not far off when the reverse will be the case… Now He speaks to men in His grace and sends them the gospel of His Son; then His attitude will be entirely changed.

All the Old Testament bears witness to the truth of verse 24, "Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded." God has certainly pleaded with mankind for centuries. If we had been in God's place, would we have been so patient in continuing to plead with rebels? We may therefore well understand why, because men have disbelieved all His counsel and refused His rebukes, He declares, "I also will laugh at your calamity."