Chapter 13 – More on God’s Happiness

 

The Axolotl

 Does it matter if we perceive that God is a happy God? Alcorn, puts it this way. “If your grumpy neighbor asks, ‘What are you up to?’ you’ll see it as a suspicious, condemning question. But if your cheerful neighbor asks the same thing, you’ll smile and talk about your plans. We interpret people’s words according to how we perceive their character and outlook. So it is with our view of God.” In chapter 13, Alcorn goes on to explore how we can know that God is essentially happy.

 1. God rejoices, is glad, and exults over his people.

Zephaniah 3:17  The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

 Isaiah 62:5 As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

 2. All heaven is joyful when a sinner repents.

Luke 15:7  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

 3. Look at the joy and delight he takes in his creation… for example the horse.

“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? . . . He paws in the valley and exults in his strength. . . . He laughs at fear and is not dismayed. . . . With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’” (Job 39:19, 21-22, 24-25).

 4. He must have a sense of humor to have created the

“giraffe, the camel, the hippopotamus, and the duck-billed platypus. If you need more proof, look at online photos of animals such as the proboscis monkey, the star-nosed mole, the pink fairy armadillo, the Dumbo octopus, the sucker-footed bat, the blobfish, or the axolotl”(Alcorn).

 5. If He is the source of our happiness, He Himself must be the essence of happiness.

Happy is the person whom the LORD does not consider guilty. (Psalm 32:2, NCV)

Happy is the nation whose God is Yahweh. (Psalm 33:12, HCSB)

Happy are those whom you choose. (Psalm 65:4, NRSV, GNT)

 6. If he wasn’t happy (joyful), why does he care so much about making us joyful?

 John 15:11  These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 16:24  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

John 17:13  But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

 7. Our final destiny is to enter fully into His happiness.

 “Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:23, NIV).

Questions

Do you see God as happy, angry, cold, warm? Why does it matter?

Even right this moment?

How should this affect your Bible reading, singing, church attendance, joy?