The Pleasure of God
Mar 11, 2009
Nearly all Christians agree that our pleasure is fine with God, as long as it is experienced within the confines of his commands. Still others feel or believe that God is the great frowning killjoy of the world. However, most Christians balk at any desire to actually actively pursue our pleasure. Yet, I believe that in God’s design of the universe and in His revealed will in Scripture, he commands us to pursue our pleasure. Recently, I was struck with something said by on “old-timer,” that is, a godly writer from long ago—in this case Henry Scougal. Scougal says that God is infinitely happy in Himself, the happiest being in the universe. Everything He does is pure pleasure. I had actually never thought about God being happy, taking pleasure, or feeling delight, yet the Scripture is littered with these references. Just consider a few[1]
- God’spPleasure in Himself: I Timothy 1.11 should be translated “The good news of the glory of the happy God.” Jesus invites us into the “joy of our master (Matthew 25.23).” God is said to be perfect and without need of help to His happiness (Acts 17.25, Romans 11.33-36). Jesus states the purpose of His mission is to impart His self-joy to all those who believe in Him (John 15.11, 17.13).
- God’s pleasure in all that He does: “Our God is in the heavens, he does whatever he pleases (Ps. 115.3).” “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps (Psalm 135.6).”
- God Himself is said to be the source of pleasure: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16.11).”
- God’s pleasure in His Son: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 17.5).”
- God’s pleasure in His creation: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever, may the Lord rejoice in His works (Psalm 104.31).” In Job 38.4-7, God describes the mood of heaven at the moment of creation when “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God [angels] shouted for joy.”
- God’s pleasure in making a people for Himself: “For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for Himself (I Samuel 12.22).”
- God’s pleasure in choosing His People: “Yet the Lord delighted in your fathers to love them and chose their descendants after them (Deut. 10.14-15).” Or consider Jesus prayer about the Father’s revelation to the elect in Luke 10.21: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes: yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing before you.”
- God’s pleasure in punishing His Son: “The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting him to grief…the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand (Isaiah 53.10).”[2]
- God’s pleasure in those who hope in Him: “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love (Psalm 147.10-11).” “I will rejoice in
- God’s pleasure in the prayers of His people: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight (Proverbs 15.8).”
- God’s pleasure in public justice: “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight (Proverbs 11.1).”
- God’s pleasure in giving us the Kingdom: “Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (Luke 12.42).”
What would it mean for you to think that the Christian God is a happy God, a God who takes pleasure in all that He does?
[1] See The Pleasures of God by John Piper for these and other references
[2] Many translations such as the ESV have softened God’s pleasure to His “will,” but the Hebrew word literally means “to take pleasure or delight in.”
