I really enjoyed this article from The Journal of Student Ministries and thought I’d pass it on! If you enjoy, click the title or the link at the bottom to get the rest of the article!
The Top 12 Most Humorous Scriptures …And Why It’s Okay to Laugh at Them
By Josh Tinley
Josh Tinley is the an associate editor of youth resources at the United Methodist Publishing House. He’s also a freelance writer and speaker, a high school Sunday school teacher, and an occasional math instructor (when he needs the money). You can find him online at http://www.joshtinley.com.
View all articles by Josh Tinley Enjoying the Good Book’s funny stuff
Christians rightfully revere the Bible. It is the “Good Book”; the “Word of God for the people of God.” We study the Bible, meditate on its words, and argue about the proper way to interpret the text. Sadly, our reverence for our sacred book often keeps us from enjoying the funny stuff. Students may chuckle at the racy parts of the Song of Solomon or guffaw when Balaam’s donkey opens its mouth to speak.
But biblical humor goes deeper than poetry that makes us blush or stories that seem absurd on their surface. Some Scriptures were (and are) meant to be funny and may have had their original audiences doing spit-takes. Others are funny to present-day audiences, if only because ancient people did and said a lot of funny things.
Either way, acknowledging the humor in the Bible can give life to a book that many young people view as stuffy and archaic. So, counting down from 12 to 1, are a handful of funny Scriptures that Christians can laugh at safely:
12. Ezekiel Eats a Scroll
He said to me, “Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey.” (Ezekiel 3:3)
Why It’s Funny
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, “I will put my law within [my people], and I will write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33). An emphasis on internalizing God’s law arose around the time of the Exile (especially since the destruction of the Temple compromised the people’s ability to observe the ritual aspects of the Law). To drive home this point, God told the prophet Ezekiel to literally internalize the law, thus laying the groundwork for countless puns about digesting God’s word and savoring the teachings of Scripture.
Why It’s Okay to Laugh
Because Ezekiel didn’t choke, nor did he die of ink poisoning. Often the Old Testament prophets had to become living metaphors for the sake of making God’s message known. Compared to marrying a prostitute (Hosea 1:2-3) or walking around naked for three years (Isaiah 20:1-6), eating a scroll is pretty painless.
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