The Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael invokes a pair of verses from Psalms to reveal something startling about how God responds to the nations that rage against Israel: He laughs.
The first verse is (Psalms 2:1-4): "Why do the nations rage ... The Dweller in the heavens shall laugh." This psalm describes the rulers of the earth gathering in conspiracy, plotting against God and His anointed. They scheme and strategize, convinced that their combined power can overthrow divine authority. And God's response? Not thunder. Not plague. Not an army of angels. Laughter. The One who sits enthroned in the heavens looks down at these elaborate conspiracies and laughs, because from the divine perspective, the mightiest human rebellion is absurd.
The second verse reinforces the point (Psalms 59:8-9): "They spout with their mouths ... You, O Lord, will laugh at them." Here the enemies are described as dogs prowling the city at night, snarling and barking, convinced of their ferocity. And again, God laughs. Their threats, their weapons, their alliances—all of it amounts to nothing before the Creator of the universe.
The Mekhilta places these verses within the Song at the Sea tradition, connecting them to the destruction of Pharaoh's army. Pharaoh raged. Pharaoh pursued. Pharaoh believed his chariots could catch the people God had freed. The result was not a close battle but a divine joke at Pharaoh's expense—the sea closed, the army drowned, and Israel sang on the far shore. The teaching is clear: when nations conspire against Israel, God does not tremble. He laughs. And then He acts.