Question:  Dear Greg,

            Where in the Bible can I find that God has a sense of humor?

            How was Saul able to talk to Samuel after Samuel was dead, considering the fact that God says that we cannot communicate with the dead?  Why would God allow for an exception in this case?

            Dan and Darlene

Answer:  Dear Dan and Darlene,

            God’s sense of humor—it is found everywhere-- in natural revelation (the creation itself) and in special revelation (the Bible).  Some believe that God’s sense of humor is revealed in the animals he created—the diversity, and even fun that can be seen and learned.  Others comment that God has to have a sense of humor—he created humans and continues to “put up with us” (of course, he does far more than merely “put up with us”—he loves us unconditionally).

            The Bible says that one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy—abiding joy, which is part of a sense of humor, but deeper.  God’s sense of humor is not simply a surface laugh based upon gags and one-liners, but a deep sense of joy, giving way to laughter and joy.  God’s heart is filled with warmth and laughter—this is the continuous testimony of the Bible.

            One specific book to which I would refer you is titled, “The Humor of Christ” by Elton Trueblood.  Irony, satire, paradox are all a part of God’s sense of humor, Trueblood notes.  A few of the many passages—blind guides (Matthew 15:14), camel through a needle’s eye (Matthew 19:24), and several passages in Matthew 23 as Christ uses humor with a point (see verses 3,5,13,24,25, and 27).

            Your second question—the witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28.  There are several explanations to this passage.  First, we need to remember that the Bible condemns witchcraft (Exodus 22:18, Deuteronomy 18:9-12 and Isaiah 8:19-20) so we are not being encouraged to use palm readers, fortune-tellers, mediums, etc. by this passage.  Death, according to the Bible is final (Hebrews 9:27) and nowhere does the Bible tell us that the dead can contact the living.  The dead cannot return (2 Samuel 12:23)—neither can the devil or his demons overcome God’s authority over life and death (Job 1:10-12).

            Some believe that the witch did not bring Samuel up from the dead, but Saul was tricked into thinking that he was speaking with Samuel.  Whatever happened here is not a normative occurrence and little explanation is given to us about what actually happened.  Therefore our view needs to be informed by the rest of what the Bible says about the dead, about witchcraft, etc.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht