The Bible: The Source of Hollywood's Humor?

A bit of light humor from the blog this morning.

I've been reading through Samuel lately and twice was caught up in a moment of laughter when I was reading the words on the page but imagining scenes from modern movies. I had to re-read the text to make sure I understood it correctly. But sure enough there it was.

In 1 Samuel 19:11-16 we read:

[11] Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” [12] So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. [13] Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. [14] And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” [15] Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” [16] And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head.  (ESV)

Every time I read this I think of Ferris Bueller and his intricate contraption that he built to make it look like he was still in bed sick. His sister is onto his trick and bursts into the room to reveal he is not really in bed.

"And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head."

Every kid has tried this trick. It shows up in TV and movies as one of the oldest tricks in the book. So I was a little surprised to find it also in the Bible! Perhaps Michal was the originator of the "dummy in bed" trick.

So I got a few good laughs out of that thinking it was a rather isolated incident until I came across Absalom's (David's son) demise in 2 Samuel 18. He is trying to run away from the soldiers trying to kill him and we read:

[9] And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on. (ESV)

Seriously?! The knocked-his-head-on-a-low-lying-tree-branch-while-riding-a-horse gag. Samuel is full of hollywood source material.

It's a common bit in all kinds of B-movies and even Disney movies. Yet, here it is in the Bible. 

Okay. Enough silliness. I need to get back to sermon prep.