Faith & Funny

Intro

New Spring Church had a great article on the subject. I am not going to just read this to you

Question: Did Adam and Eve Make Jokes?

Before we can answer that well, I think that we have to discuss, HOW Adam and Eve were made, and who made them.

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

“In ‘HIS’ own image...”

We are created with emotion, creativity, will and ability to act. We are the image of God, in a lot of ways (but not all) we are a copy. We get angry, we see God get angry in scripture, we love, we see God love us and if you’ve read the whole bible, you’d have seen God showing his sense of humor in the bible!

Three ways God shows humor in the bible...

1. Sarcasm

sar·casm /ˈsärˌkazəm/ the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

Let’s take a look at a time where God used sarcasm.

There was a time where a profit of God, Elijah, was in an argument with profits of Baal.

Baal was a god that was worshiped by pagens thousands of years ago. They believed that Baal was the supreme God, like we believe that God is the ultimate. They were convinced of it.

It all boiled down to a competition. Elijah wanted the people of Israel to choose Baal or God himself. Each side took a bull and prepared it for sacrifice. The Baal profits prepared the bull for sacrifice and called out to Baal for fire to be brought down.

Nothing happened

at about noon, Elijah had some sarcasm for the profits of Baal.

1 Kings 18:27 (ESV)

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”

Elijah literally did a “nana nanna poo poo!” at them.

then...

Elijah then did the same thing, and something amazing happened. God answered with sending fire down!

Sarcasm is funny, Elijah was able to be funny because of the brain that God gave him!

2. Absurdity

Sometimes the most stupid thing is the funniest thing.

Video

Numbers 22:28 (ESV)

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

God was trying to get Balaam to not go the way he was going. the story is great and can be found in Numbers Chapter 22. But the long and the short of it is that God wanted to get Balaam’s attention. So he used a talking donkey! That’s just as weird as the ice cream video!

3. Pranks!

Yes, God has pranked a people before! Let’s read

1 Samuel 5 (ESV)

When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

Yikes. God literally knocked over the idol that was in front of the ark to show the people that God is greater than any idol!

God uses humor!

Proverbs 17:22 ESV

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Humor is a good thing that is a gift from God! Used well, the bible says that it is medicine! So be funny! Making sure that the humor you’re using goplorifies God and makes everyone laugh, not just the people that aren’t getting picked on.

So, to answer the question, did Adam and Eve tell jokes? Well I have to say that I don’t have any biblical basis to confirm to you 110% that they did tell each other jokes, I can say that they likely had some humor from time to time.

Terry.

Terry who?

Terry Dactyl! (Pterodactyl)

So I think that leaves us the question. How much goofing off is too much?

Ecclesiastes 3:4 ESV

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

All things in moderation.

Ultimately, this question isn’t the most serious question in the whole world, and I’m sure that we’d be able to get on with our lives without the knowledge of wether or not jokes were told.

But I hope if a) answers the question and b) shows you how the bible, when interpreted holistically can answer life’s questions! Further, it shows us that we serve a God that cares for us!

Gospel Message.