A Time to Laugh
How long has it been since you laughed? I mean really laughed?
The kind of laugh where tears run down your face, you’re hunched over, hugging your belly…and you finally say, “stop, stop, please…I can’t take any more.”
If it’s been recently, good for you! Laughter truly is one of the best medicines.
If you haven’t laughed in awhile, it could be that you may be taking yourself just a teensy-weensy bit too seriously.
I love this quote:
“Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.”
— Regina Brett
It makes me chuckle. Because we can get way-y-y too serious or pious, can’t we? My Pastor refers to it as a tendency to “polish our halos.”
Sometimes, it’s our Creator that may be telling us to “lighten up” a little bit — yes, even to “chill.”
Because you know God has a sense of humor, right?
He made us in His image; He actually gave us the gift of humor.
As with other good gifts, as long as the humor is in good taste, not crude, at the expense of others, hurtful, inappropriate, or sinful, our expression of joy in laughter is absolutely acceptable.
Not only acceptable, but encouraged.
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
— Psalm 16:11 (NIV)*
As Christians, laughter is a beautiful expression of our joy in living our lives surrendered to Him. This includes the ability to laugh at funny situations, a good clean joke, and circumstances or events that tickle our funny bone.
And in today’s blog, I’m going to show you proof that our loving God has a sense of humor too.
Ready?
Pick up your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 5 in the Old Testament.
What the Bible says about Dagon
Dagon, a “fish” god, who was represented as a half-man, half-fish creature, was the main pagan deity worshiped by the Philistines. They believed Dagon provided rain and a good harvest.
The Philistines, however, were polytheistic, meaning they worshiped many gods.
Their thinking was akin to “let’s take the ark of the Lord too, because if it helped the Israelites, perhaps it can help us too.”
That was the game plan.
In Chapter 5 of the book of 1 Samuel, Scripture records the Philistines capture the ark of the Lord and place it in one of their temples in the city of Ashdod. Note that Scripture indicates the ark was placed next to or beside Dagon.
The city folk meander out to the temple the next day and find their Dagon statue prostrated, flat on the ground, before the ark of the Lord.
A definite sign of submission, don’t you think?
Overnight, the mighty statue of Dagon has become their version of the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” god.
Although the Philistines acknowledged the true God early on, they “worshiped” Him only in the sense of being one “god” among many whose favor they sought.
God wasn’t having that.
I can imagine His smiling, and perhaps even laughing, at the foolish belief that Dagon was equal to Him.
God’s command is that He, alone, be worshiped. He alone is worthy.
Scratching their heads, the people of Ashdod must have thought, at least initially, that something other than the true God of the Israelites was at work here.
Something “fishy” was goin’ on. 🙄
Perhaps they thought it was the ground shifting, although nothing was amiss with the ark of the Lord.
Perhaps they rationalized it was just one of those unexplained coincidences that happen from time to time.
Regardless, they put Dagon back in his place and leave for the evening.
The following morning the people return to the temple and lo and behold, there he is: Dagon — in all his glory — face down before the ark of the Lord.
Again!
Only this time, his head and hands have been broken off. Those pieces are found lying on the threshold.
Hmmm…they must have thought incredulously. How could that happen?
Seems, though, the people smartened up with this last bit of evidence as the true God at work.
Other “unexplainable” things were happening as well.
In addition to humiliating Dagon, God afflicted the Dagon worshipers with “emerods,” which could be boils, tumors, or “severe, bleeding hemorrhoids.”
Not one of the worshipers was laughing then.
The story concludes with the people of Ashdod pleading for the ark of the Lord to be returned to Israel.
The Ark of the Lord is Brought to Jerusalem
2 Samuel 6:12 records the movement of the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem:
“So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.” (NIV)*
There was great rejoicing among the Israelites with the return of the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.
Scripture records that King David rejoiced and danced because he was so happy the ark had been returned to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 7:22 records the words of David’s prayer to God:
“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.” (NIV)*
A great reason for us, too, as Christians to celebrate — to smile — to rejoice!
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.