God has a sense of humor ∙
About noontime, Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip or is asleep and needs to be awakened!” – 1 Kings 18:27
Exodus 32:21-24
21 Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?”
22 Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.”
23 “For they said to me, ‘Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’”
24 “I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it [the gold] into the fire, and out came this calf.”
“Does God have a sense of humor? He must have if He created us” (Jackie Gleason).
“God has a sense of humor. If you don’t believe me, tomorrow go to Walmart and just look at people” (Carlos Mencia).
“Thank you, God!” she exclaimed. “You didn’t just send help—you sent me a professional!”
God’s sense of humor can appear in the most unexpected ways, and this story reminds us of His creativity and grace. It’s not unlike the biblical account of Moses and Aaron, which has its own humorous twist.
When Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he left the people of Israel waiting below. Time passed, and the people grew restless—some even thought Moses had died. They decided they wanted to go back to Egypt and begged Aaron to make an idol, something tangible for them to follow. Aaron agreed and made a golden calf for them.
Moses was not dead, and when he came down the mountain and saw what was going on, he was furious. He confronts Aaron about his actions. Aaron’s response is hysterical. Aaron’s explanation might be one of the most unintentionally comedic moments in Scripture:
Exodus 32:21-24
21 Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you led them into such a great sin?”
24 Aaron replied, “They gave me the gold, I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”
Right!
Because a fully formed golden calf just magically appeared out of the fire. Aaron’s response shows us that even in the most grave or serious situations, God’s Word brims with unexpected humor and humanity.
Through stories like these, we are reminded of God’s character—He operates with wisdom beyond our understanding yet sprinkles moments of laughter and lightness to remind us of His joy.
REFLECT & PRAY
“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh” (Maya Angelou).
Father, thank You for loving me so deeply and being my heavenly Father. I’m so grateful for the many ways You show Your love and care for me again and again. Thank You for delighting in spending time with me and playing with me.
INSIGHT
One of the most vivid stories in the Bible is the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, a contest to determine whose god was real. Elijah set the stage with a challenge. Was Israel’s God, Yahweh, the one true God? Or was Baal, the god of the Canaanites, supreme?
The terms were simple. A bull was sacrificed and placed on an altar. Neither he nor the prophets of Baal could use man-made fire to burn the sacrifice. They would have to call on their deity to send fire from heaven to light the wood ablaze and consume the offering.
The prophets of Baal went first. From morning until noon, they cried out, pleading with Baal to respond. They danced, shouted, and even cut themselves to get the attention of their god. But the sky remained silent. There was no fire, no answer—just silence.
Elijah, watching the entire spectacle, couldn’t resist a bit of sarcasm. He began mocking them, saying, “Shout louder! Maybe he’s deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he’s sleeping and needs to be woken up!” His taunts underlined the powerlessness of their false god.
This moment was a clear demonstration of Yahweh’s power and presence. It silenced Israel’s doubts and reminded them that there is only one true God. Elijah’s confidence in the Lord and his boldness in confronting falsehood remain an inspiration for believers today.
1 Kings 18:27-29
27 About noontime, Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be awakened!”
29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still, there was no sound, no reply, no response.
Perhaps Baal is distracted; maybe he is daydreaming or occupied and not really paying attention. How un-godlike.
The next taunt is far more cutting and a bit crude. Perhaps he is relieving himself. The Hebrew word translated as relieving himself or busy is sig. Sig literally means dung or excrement. “Holladay says that the Hebrew word here means ‘has to attend to business’ and is a euphemism meaning ‘to relieve himself’” (UBS). Thus, the word picture is a bit graphic of Baal relieving himself, that is, having a bowel movement. Again, how un-godlike. You can fill in the blanks on this one (cf. 1 Samuel 24:3).
Why was there no response from Baal? Elijah derisively suggests that perhaps Baal had gone on a journey or was sleeping. Maybe shouting louder would help.
1 Kings 18:36-39
36 Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.
37 O LORD, answer me! Answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”
38 Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven . . ..
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The LORD – he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!”
When it was Elijah’s turn, he took things even further to demonstrate Yahweh’s might. He drenched the wood, the bull, and the altar with water—not once, but three times—until everything was soaked and water-filled a trench around the altar. Then Elijah prayed a simple yet bold prayer, asking God to show His power. Instantly, fire from heaven fell and consumed not just the bull but the wood, the stones, the soil, and even the water.
There’s no denying that one of the most unexpected and amusing stories in the Bible is the tale of Balaam and his talking donkey. It starts with God sending an angel to block Balaam’s path as he traveled. Balaam, however, couldn’t see the angel standing in the road—but his faithful donkey could. Trying to protect Balaam, the donkey stepped off the path to avoid the angel. Balaam, unaware of what was happening, got angry and beat the donkey.
This happened not once, not twice, but three times. Frustrated beyond measure, the donkey eventually just laid down in the middle of the road, refusing to move. And then the truly astonishing happened.
Numbers 22:28-34
28 Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
29 “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”
30 “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
32 “Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
33 Three times, the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”
34 Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing on the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”
The humor in this moment is undeniable. Balaam, so wrapped up in his anger, didn’t even pause to reflect on the absurdity of arguing with his donkey. He was so blinded by his frustration that he missed the miraculous nature of what was happening right in front of him.
The moral of the story? If your donkey starts talking, don’t make a donkey out of yourself by arguing back, especially when a talking donkey is outsmarting you!
This story isn’t just about humor—it’s also a reminder of God’s playfulness and creativity. Like any loving Father, God delights in connecting with His children in unexpected and even entertaining ways. Whether it’s through a sarcastic prophet, a talking donkey, or the small joys embedded in our everyday lives, God has a way of using moments like these to catch our attention and teach us important lessons.
The question is, are we paying attention? Pray for eyes that see His fingerprints in the ordinary—and the extraordinary. Don’t miss the humor, the joy, and the gentle reminders of His love that He weaves into your daily life.
This moment was a clear demonstration of Yahweh’s power and presence. It silenced Israel’s doubts and reminded them that there is only one true God. Elijah’s confidence in the Lord and his boldness in confronting falsehood remain an inspiration for the children of the King today.
¯_(ツ)_/¯10-30-2
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 