God’s sense of humor

Sometimes people wonder if God has a sense of humor. 

One comedian answered, “Of course!  Haven’t you ever seen a duckbill platypus?  That’s either a joke or a mistake, and God doesn’t make mistakes.”

I don’t know if the duckbill platypus is one of God’s jokes or not, but I do believe that he has a sense of humor. 

You see this clearly in chapter 2. 

Here is Pharaoh, commanding that all the Hebrew baby boys be killed.  And one day, his daughter comes home, gives him a kiss, and says, “Guess what I found today?”

“What?”

“I was taking a bath in the river and this basket floated by.  I opened it up and it was the cutest baby boy you’ve ever seen.”

“A baby boy?  In a basket?  In the river?”

“Yeah, it’s one of those Hebrew baby boys.  I’m going to adopt it.”

Can you imagine the uproar in Pharaoh’s palace that day?

“You’re going to do no such thing!  I commanded that all Hebrew baby boys be killed.  You bring that baby to me right now.  I’m going to kill it right here and now!”

“Father, how could you?  He’s so cute.  And so helpless.  I want him for my own.  I even hired a woman to nurse him me.  I think I’ll call him Moses.”

“Oh all right, all right.  If you insist.  I suppose it can’t do any harm.”

Little did Pharaoh know.  🙂 

God brings into Pharaoh’s own house the Hebrew that’s going to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt.  He gets all the training and education of a son of Pharaoh, skills he would later use in leading the people of Israel.

I can just imagine God looking down at Pharaoh saying, “So you’re going to enslave my people, are you?  And you’re going to kill every Hebrew boy, are you?  We’ll let’s just see about that! 

“Hmmm…Let’s see how shall we do this?  Ah ha!  Pharaoh’s daughter is at the river.  Perfect.  Now let’s just shift the basket a little more to the right and…”

I’m sure God had a little chuckle when Pharaoh’s daughter related all this to her father.

Anyway, so what can we get from all this? (Besides the fact that God has a sense of humor)?

Here’s what I get out of it. 

No matter how bad things get in our lives, and how badly we may get treated by others, God is still in control. 

Moses’ parents were desperate, trying to save their son from the Pharaoh’s edict.  They tried to hide him for three months, but when that became impossible, they sent him down the river with only a prayer behind it. 

But God saw what was happening, and he answered their prayer, turning the situation around on their oppressor.

How about you?  Are you in an impossible situation?   Do you feel that there’s no hope? 

Remember that no matter what you’re going through, God is still in control.  And if you’ll turn to him, he’ll see you through. 

As it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13,

No temptation (or trial) has seized you except what is common to man. 

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted (tested) beyond what you bear. 

But when you are tempted (tested), he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Usually this passage is used to talk about temptation. But the word for “temptation” in the Greek is the same word for “trials”, and the word for “tempted” is the same word used for “tested.” 

Often times in our trials we are tempted. 

When we’re being mistreated, we’re tempted to strike back. 

When we’re suffering, we’re sometimes tempted to curse God. 

But through whatever temptation or trial you’re going through, God never lets you go through more than you can bear. 

He never leaves you to stand on your own, and he has already provided for your deliverance. 

All you have to do is seek him.  The only question is, will you?