There are many different kinds of laughs in human experience. One website says, “Though there are many ways to laugh, from giggles to guffaws and from chuckles to cackles, it turns out that we humans laugh for many reasons, some of them odd. And it’s more than just the latest David Sedaris book or episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’ that has us doubled over — 90 percent of our laughter has nothing to do with somebody telling a joke.”[1] This website goes on to explain 10 different kinds of laughter. There is 1) Etiquette laughter, 2) Contagious laughter, 3) Nervous laughter, 4) Belly laughter, 5) Silent laughter, 6) Stress-relieving laughter, 7) Pigeon laughter, 8) Snorting laughter, 9 Canned laughter and 10) Cruel laughter. But they missed one. It’s God’s laughter as recorded in Psalm 2:4. It says, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”

I would call it “derision laughter.” Eveson says, “The dramatic imagery is meant to convey the utter stupidity of human scheming against God. This is why such plotting is useless. We might be impressed or intimidated by the hostile intentions and forceful efforts of those opposed to God and his people, but from God’s vantage point it is ludicrous. How absurd, how irrational, how futile the attempts made by puny humans to rebel against God! They are like a race of pygmies where the ruling giant is in a position to put an end to them all with one stamp of his foot.”[2] God did not laugh at the Cross. He wept at the experience Jesus had to go through for the sake of all mankind. The sky turned black at midday as his only son, whom he loved, cried out in agony “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” That was not funny at all. What was funny is the arrogance of Satan who thought he had victory over the Christ. What was funny is the human arrogance that asserted itself above God and every good thing on the earth. The Father knew that the suffering of His Son, as painful and sorrowful as it was, would only last for a few days. Like many preachers have said, “It was Friday night, but Sunday was coming.”

The Lord is “enthroned.” It’s interesting that when God is said to sit, the Hebrew text translates it as “enthroned.” When Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father, he was “enthroned” in heaven. From the position of sovereign rule, God watches the affairs of man on earth and is not in the least perturbed by the turmoil among the nations. Van Gemeren identifies God’s laughter for us. He says, rather than being worried or perturbed, “A scornful laugh comes from his throne.” The movement of the Psalm is from earth to heaven. He continues, “In this section the scene shifts from earth to heaven, where we catch a glimpse of God laughing at and mocking the feeble attempts of the rulers. The OT commonly uses anthropopathic language to describe God in terms of human emotions. Above the turbulence of the nations, God sits and reacts to their rebellion against him with laughter. His laughter is an expression of ridicule, for he knows their end. The confidence of God’s people rests in God himself, who is unmoved by the political machinations on earth. As earthly creatures we can hardly avoid becoming involved; yet our hope is in the God who laughs and scoffs at our enemies.” So, no matter how much chaos and confusion and rage we see on earth always remember that the one “enthroned in heaven” is our Lord, who is for us. It might be Friday night in our lives in some ways, but God knows that Sunday is coming. So, do we. The stone will be rolled away and the “Master of the Universe” will show himself.[3]

[1] https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/emotions/5-types-of-laughter.htm

[2] Eveson, Philip. 2014–2015. The Book of Psalms: From Suffering to Glory. Vol. 1. Welwyn Commentary Series. Welwyn Garden City, UK: EP.

[3] VanGemeren, Willem A. 1991. “Psalms.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, 5:68. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.