Sarcasm

Sarcasm is such a curious device that we often enable in our day-to-day speech in order to establish a particular point or to make light of a situation. Many would argue that there is no place for sarcasm, and that God would never approve of such a usage. However, I know that God has been sarcastic in His dealings with the people of Israel. Take a look at Amos 4: 6-11

6"I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
7"I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither;8so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.
9”I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.
10"I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
11"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;yet you did not return to me," declares the LORD.
12"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!"
13For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth- the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!

God was blatantly sarcastic with the Israelites, but there was purpose in his sarcasm. Israel denied the idea that these things were happening to them because they had turned away from God. He was making a point that He knew that they were bitter towards him for bringing these hardships, but he still wanted them to realize that they came because they did not follow Him. Would God still be sarcastic with us about our hardships if we were away from Him?

Kyle