Articles
The God Who Laughs
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The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
"Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us."
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The LORD shall hold them in derision.
(Psa. 2:2-4)
The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
(Psa. 37:13)
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Our fallen world operates on the principle of the strong oppressing the weak. Those who have the power can impose their will on everyone else without consequence. They know it and delight in it, daring God to do anything about it. For those who suffer under their despotic rule, the outlook is grim. Tyrants are merchants of misery, indifferent to the tears of those they oppress. In fact, they often mock the cries of their victims. There's nothing funny about life under an autocratic ruler.
The book of Psalms counsels us to take a different perspective on the problem. For all their bluster, the powerful are mere poseurs who do not know the fate that awaits them. The Lord doesn't just despise their presumptuousness--He laughs at it. At a time and place of His choosing, He will gently puff on their little house of cards, and all their strutting will come to a miserable end. Like a cat toying with a doomed mouse, God will win and they will lose.
History provides abundant evidence of this pattern. Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Antiochus Epiphanes, the Roman governor Pontus Pilate and Caiaphas the high priest -- all these believed themselves to be beyond God's grasp. They crushed the weak without mercy, confident in their power. Yet in every case, God prevailed over their schemes. Their swagger was no match for God's dominance. He laughed as He brought them down.
The greatest example of this principle can be seen in the cross. At the moment the devil thought he had won his cosmic war against God by having Jesus slain, God raised His Son from the dead. The joke was on Satan. God knew what He was doing all along.
Seeing this larger picture of reality should give us the strength to endure evil days. When injustice abounds and the powerful oppress the weak, remember what is happening in heaven. God is chuckling at the pretensions of the mighty and preparing for their demise. He will win, they will lose.
Believe that, and you can smile in even the darkest night.
--David
