Does God have a sense of humor?

[mathetria]

I often hear people say that God has a sense of humor, but I've never heard the idea explained. Is it biblical?


(Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I am new here.)

 

[earl40]

I often hear people say that God has a sense of humor, but I've never heard the idea explained. Is it biblical?


(Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I am new here.)

If you are asking if God can be humorous the answer is yes. If you are asking if anything can make God laugh the answer is no.

 

[sevenzedek]

I often hear people say that God has a sense of humor, but I've never heard the idea explained. Is it biblical?


(Sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I am new here.)

If you are asking if God can be humorous the answer is yes. If you are asking if anything can make God laugh the answer is no.

Why?

 

[Wayne]

"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall have them in derision."

(Ps. 2:4)

 

[Philip]

There's all kinds of humour in the Bible. There's Elijah and Isaiah poking fun at idol worship, there's Jesus making puns, apparently Proverbs in the original Hebrew is full of witty wordplay which gets lost in translation, and then there's Paul, who often uses sarcasm in reference to his opponents. I'd say at the very least that the Holy Spirit inspired these people's sense of humour.

 

[mathetria]

If you are asking if God can be humorous the answer is yes. If you are asking if anything can make God laugh the answer is no.

God may do things that we find humorous, but does He view things in a humorous light?

"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall have them in derision."

(Ps. 2:4)

There is also this: "I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you" (Proverbs 1:26)

Does derision/mockery indicate a sense of humor? I'm not sure...

 

[Wayne]

Prior discussion on the PB:

http://www.puritanboard.com/f17/does-god-have-emotions-10189/

For those that don't want to read the whole thread, the first response to the OP is quite good.

 

[mathetria]

Scoffing at the destruction of one's enemies does not seem like "humor" to me.

And I don't understand humor to be an emotion, though I could be wrong. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[irresistible_grace]

Most of the time, when I hear the phase "God has a sense of humor" it is used in much the same way as the expression "God helps those who help themselves." That and, "God has more faith in me than I do in myself." Does God have a sense of humor? Probably not like ours and not in the context that this expression is commonly used in.

When my best friend is having a really bad day, I'll catch her saying this. Or when something happens that she finds rather ironic. "God must have a sense of humor because ______________!"

When God laughs in Scripture it isn't at a joke or anything we would consider funny.
Rather, it is an emotion of scorn that I find being communicated (to mock or deride).

 

[Tirian]

Made in the image of God. Obviously not the same as God - but there must be impressions that stem from the attributes of God at least.

 

[Gesetveemet]

One thing is certain, when God laughs judgment is coming.