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A few weeks ago I had written about finding humor in the Bible. Here are a few more places that made me smile…
That Time God Called Out Mullets
We all remember the mullet haircut, right? Short in the front, long in back, or as the saying goes “Business in the front, party in the back.” Often the sides are shaved even closer. It’s a completely ridiculous style which somehow made a bit of a comeback last year and the year before. In my Complete Jewish Bible it says “I will scatter to the winds those who shave the sides of their heads; From every direction I will bring their disaster on them,” says Adonai.” (Jeremiah 49:32b, CJB) In the NIV version it skips the whole hair reference altogether, though there is a little note at the bottom to indicate that this part is missing. When I read that passage, it made me laugh because right away I thought of the good ol’ mullet being such a bad style that even God passed judgement on it. I know of course that God was actually referencing Kedar and Hazor for judgement, not the mullet haircut but….
Jesus Gets Hangry
You may or may not be familiar with the term “hangry.” It’s when a person is so hungry that they get grumpy. I get hangry. It would seem that even Jesus himself was not immune to becoming hangry. In Mark 11 it says:
“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it. On reaching Jerusalam, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.” (Mark 11:12-16, NIV)
I don’t want to add too much commentary here and unwittingly offend Jesus, so I’m just going to let you digest all that on your own and come to your own conclusion. Snickers could have done a re-enactment of this scene and had a commercial is all I’m saying. “You’re not you when you’re hungry.”
Sometimes We Need a Snack AND a Nap
What are the first two things we ask a little kid when they start to flop around and whine? The first question is usually “Do you need a nap?” The second question is “Are you hungry?” Guess what? Adults have the same problem sometimes. Sometimes they are prominent biblical figures. In 1 Kings 19, Jezebel sends a death threat to Elijah. Elijah runs for it. He gets to Beersheba and leaves his servant there and keeps on going. A day’s journey later he finds a broom tree and sits under it and prays to God that he might die.
“I have had enough Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.” 1 Kings 19:4b, NIV
Then an angel nudged him awake and told him to eat. When Elijah looked, he found a cake of baked bread on hot coals and a jar of water. He ate, drank, and fell asleep again. The angel came back again and woke him up and told him to eat a second time. He did and was able to get where he needed to. He just needed a nap and some food. It’s so simple really. So many problems could be solved with a snack and a nap. Sometimes the lessons we learn in the Bible aren’t as complicated as we think they ought to be.
Don’t Make Me Come Down There!
In Exodus we find God talking with Moses on Mount Sinai. They had been in conference up there for a good while and the natives were getting restless below. “Adonai said to Moshe (Moses), “Go down! Hurry! Your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have become corrupt! So quickly they have turned aside from the way I ordered them to follow! They have cast a metal statue of a calf, worshipped it, sacrificed to it and said, ‘Israel! Here is your god, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” Adonai continued speaking to Moshe: “I have been watching these people; and you can see how stiff-necked they are. Now leave me alone, so that my anger can blaze against them, and I can put an end to them! I will make a great nation out of you instead.” (Exodus 32: 7-10, CJB)
I always appreciate the part where God calls them “YOUR people.” It’s like having a bad day with the kids and then telling your spouse when they get home from work, “Do you know what YOUR CHILD did today??” When a kid is bad they’re never MY kid. It’s always YOUR kid. And now we know where we get that from. God said it first. He wasn’t done either. He told Moses to more or less get on out of there because he was about to put an end to all the shenanigans and start over. Moses managed to talk him out of it and went down to settle the matter himself. It’s amusing and terrifying at the same time. I want to giggle but I don’t want God to see me giggle, but I know he sees everything so I’m just hoping that the statute of limitations has passed and now it’s ok to see the humor in it.
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