Heavenly Sarcasm

There is a bit of sarcasm in a scripture I read recently - I didn't pick it up until I re-read it. It occurs in Isaiah 40. See if you can pick it up...

"Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

See it? Two questions capture a side of God I have rarely seen in scripture. "Do you not know? Have you not heard?" He's sarcastic! Ha! The people of Israel are complaining and God shows a bit of sarcasm.

Maybe it's the original language that lessens the effect of God's tone. How about, "Oh...guess you haven't heard." And, "Heh - yeah, you must not have gotten the memo?"

We complain and God holds up the hand: "Wait wait wait wait! Who do you think I am? You are forgetting who it is you are relating to here! I'm not incapable nor can I be caught by surprise! I am THE EVERLASTING GOD, the creator of the ends of the earth!" (very, very loose paraphrase).

If God were Tony Danza (Heaven forbid :) Israel would get the "AAA OOO...OOO AAA!" If He were Gary Coleman (God rest his little soul), He'd say, "Whatchu talkin' bout (fill in your name here). If He were Archie Bunker, He'd be saying, "Ah Jeeze, Edith" (silent "h"). If he were Homer He'd say, "Why you little..." Okay, maybe that's taking it too far.

We need some sarcasm, I think. I don't believe God is a soft lil' kitty - we need Him to grab our attention, to call out our attitudes and beliefs here and there...and NOTHING does it like a little sarcasm. You just have to be listening for it.

The sarcasm here grabs our attention in order that we might pay attention to what follows - that is, God's loving hand over top of our very dependant lives. The sarcasm? S'all good! ;)