"But rather if even I am being poured out upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am rejoicing and I am rejoicing with you all."
-at this point paul still is hoping to be released from his imprisonment (cf phil 2.24), but as he has just touched on the concept of standing before Christ, he does in fact realize that for him the day could arrive in the very near future. therefore he pictures his life as a sacrifice using this metaphor of being poured out as a drink offering. both the greeks and the jews used libations in their divine worship, which was the custom of pouring out wine on top of sacrifices. whether paul is to die in the near future or be released, it is clear that he regarded his own life as a sacrifice, one of worshipping the Lord by being spent and completely devoted to the progress of the Gospel in the lives of others. paul’s was a life given fully to Jesus and to help others follow Him. it was his expression of worship and devotion to the Lord, and it was for him a source of extreme joy. and all the moreso if in living for Jesus he happened to die for Jesus.
-note the tone of yieldedness. paul doesn’t know if and when he will die, but that’s not up to him. God is in control. paul’s life is in God’s hands. Jesus is Lord and Master, and paul is the willing servant. whether he lives or dies is of no consequence, as long as he dies doing what his Master wants.
-and yes, note as well the tone of joy. paul experienced so much joy in living for Jesus and helping others live for Him (phil 4.1, 1th 2.19-20, 1th 3.9, 2cor 12.15) that he couldn’t contain it. even tho he is in chains and facing possible death as he writes this letter, he has inexpressible joy (cf 2jn 4, 3jn 4, col 1.24, 1pet 1.8). this is truly the heritage of the believer - not only is joy one of the fruits of the Spirit, but it is one of the primary identifying characteristics of God’s kingdom and people (rom 14.17, act 13.52, jn 15.11). contagious, overflowing joy will mark out the lives of those who truly and closely follow Jesus, even and especially in the midst of afflictions and trials (2cor 8.2, 1pet 1.6, jam 1.2, mt 5.11-12, jn 16.20-22, act 5.41, rom 12.12, 2cor 6.10). joy in trials is what proves that we have definitely trusted in Jesus (1pet 1.7). when life throws you a curveball and is spitting up weeds, can you have joy? can you, do you experience indescribable joy even in the midst of the brokenness? yes, the world is broken. people are broken. people break down, things break down, and nothing ultimately satisfies apart from Jesus. there is no lasting joy apart from our everlasting Lord - but in Him our joy is made complete. find your joy in Him (ps 16.11).
"...holding upon [the] word of life, unto my boasting unto [the] day of Christ, so that I did not run unto empty nor did I toil unto empty."
-the Word of life... the only other place this phrase is used in Scripture is in 1jn 1.1, and it is used as a title for Jesus. Jesus did say that His words were life (jn 6.63), and of course He is the Way, the Truth AND the Life (jn 14.6). peter himself affirmed that Jesus had the words of eternal life (jn 6.68). john elsewhere affirms that Jesus is the source of life (jn 1.4). and He also is the Word (jn 1.1), through Whom all life in the universe came into being (col 1.16). so one way to look at this is to say that paul is talking about holding on to Jesus. He is the One Who provides life in abundance (jn 10.10) and Who quenches and satisfies our deep soul thirst (jn 4.14, jn 7.37-38). His water gives true life. He is our Rock and our Refuge and our Strength and a very present Help in time of Trouble. He is our Great High Priest Who was tempted in all things like we are (and suffered even more than we have or will) but never sinned. so yes, in a very real way we are to hold tight and fast on to Jesus as we follow Him through the storms of life, as we journey with Him in a broken world amongst broken people and through our own experiences of brokenness. we look to Him and fix our eyes on Him (heb 12.1-2), we cry out for help to Him, we cast all our cares and worries on Him. we drink deeply from the well of His delights, from His Fountain of living water. and we choose to rejoice and pray and give thanks without any grumbling or complaining no matter what comes our way, trusting that He is with us and will carry us through to life eternal. and in the end, this is both how to be the shining light God wants us to be and it is the proverbial proof of the pudding. the one who claims to follow Jesus but fails to hold on to Him until death or until He returns is a pretender, not a follower at all.
-now, elsewhere paul does mention holding fast to what is the written Word of God (cf 1cor 15.2, tit 1.9). the end result of holding on to the Word of Christ would no doubt look much the same as holding on to Jesus Himself, Christ Who is the very Word of God (jn 1.1). of course in holding up and holding on to the written Word one must ultimately be careful not to divest it of its ultimate source of truth and life and power - that which we call the Bible is only as powerful as the One Who wrote it. but we know that God’s written Word thus is full of power (rom 1.16), it is alive and at work (1th 2.13, heb 4.12), it is profitable, and it is what allows those who follow Christ to be fully equipped and ready to do anything and everything that God wants them to do (2tim 3.16-17, 2tim 2.15)(cf ps 119.89, ps 119.160, is 40.8, is 55.11, mt 24.35).
-and so holding on to the written Word will look similar to holding upon the One Who wrote it, every day believing that it is true, that its promises are true and that its commands are to be obeyed because each one has been given by the faithful God with Whom we have to do (cf ps 56.4). we follow its instruction and rest in its truth regardless of what comes our way because it comes from Him, whether blessing or storms, peace or persecution, illness or health. in times of darkness or distress or uncertainty, the Word of God is our light, a beacon of truth and hope and comfort (ps 119.105). it is the rock which provides that sure foundation on which to build our lives (mt 7.24-27). but we cannot be passive, we must not expect that we can merely hear a bit of the Word or read a little-dab’ll-do-ya and then survive all that comes our way. we must know it and understand it - study it, memorize it, meditate on it (ps 40.8, ps 119.11, 2tim 2.15, josh 1.8). and we must believe it and take pains to actually be absorbed in it and put it into practice, letting it be our counsel and guide and playbook for living (jam 1.22). ours is no mean or bitter task, however - there is much joy and peace and pleasure and treasure to be gleaned from the pages of God’s Word and from the One Who wrote it and is found therein (jer 15.16, ps 19.7-11, ps 1.2, ps 119.14)(cf mt 11.29-30). but understand that holding onto Christ and His Word is both the end and the means to the end. we want to be holding onto Jesus all the way until that final day - this will show that we are truly His. but we make it to the end by holding onto Christ and His Word each and every day until we make it to the end. it is indeed a glorious dance, a joyous journey with a indescribable destination.
-at this point, holding upon the Word is still tied to doing all things without grumbling or disputing. and it stands to reason - the one who is in fact holding fast to the Word of God is far less prone to give in to grumbling or disputing about their circumstances, and the one who is caught up in grumbling and complaining is far less likely to be inclined to really wade into and hold upon the Word.
-now, we hold on all the way until the day of Christ... paul’s third mention of this day in his letter, the day when Jesus Christ returns in all His glory and every eye will see and every heart will know once and for all that Jesus is Lord. no doubt for paul this return was imminent - Jesus was coming back in his lifetime. paul pictures for both himself and his readers a life that was to be diligently stewarded right up to the day when Christ came back (cf 2tim 4.7). they were going to wake up one day and Christ would return on that very day, and they would be out of time. of course, for those who would die before that day - and for all those who have died since then - death holds a similar finality. you wake up one day, and that will be the day you die, at which point you are likewise out of time. either way, whichever day is your last it will come as a thief at a time when you are not prepared and least expect it (most likely unless you have a terminal illness or a death sentence). you are going to meet your Maker, and the very next thing you know you will be in the presence of the One Who is either your Savior or your Judge. for many it will be too late to believe - they should have trusted in Him before that day (heb 9.27, lk 21.34, 2pet 3.7-10). and for those who did turn from self to trust in and follow Christ for salvation in this life, it will mean the end of the opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven. it is a major point of focus for paul - it colors pretty much everything he says and does (cf 2tim 4.1). and he really has a twin motivation. on that day when Christ returns, He will separate the sheep from the goats, those who are truly saved and are His from those who are not. those who have had true faith which endured for their entire lives will enter eternal life. others who perhaps believed in their heads only for a short while or dabbled with Jesus or tried real hard to be good but never truly acknowledged their sin or trusted in Christ’s death on the cross - these will have to pay the penalty for their sins away from the presence of God (2th 1.7-10). so, on the one hand, paul earnestly wants to see people maintaining their confession until that day for their own sakes and for the glory of the One Who saved them. but on the other hand, there is the benefit that accrues to the accounts of all those who, like paul, are investing spiritually in the lives of others. they pray and serve and give of themselves and of their time and resources in order to help others learn about Christ and live for Him, and to the extent that those they help do indeed wind up trusting and following Christ, these faithful servants will have occasion to glory and celebrate in the day of Christ. in fact, all of Christ’s followers will see the eternal fruit of their labors, and they will be rewarded for how they did this - or not (cf phil 4.17, 2cor 9.6, 1cor 3.8-15, 1cor 4.5, 1cor 9.17, 2tim 1.12, 2tim 1.18, 2tim 4.8). thus paul wants these philippians to be holding upon the Word until the end for their sakes and so that his efforts don’t come up empty.
-run... ‘do you not know that those who run in a race all run? run in such a way that you may win.’ these are paul’s words in 1cor 9.24. all we who follow Christ are indeed running in a race (cf heb 12.1). it is a marathon, a daily test of endurance, running long and hard to glorify the Lord day in and day out, to exalt His Name (recall phil 1.20), AND to help others come to believe in His Name and live for Him (1cor 9.22-23, phil 1.22). these two actually go very much hand in hand - the great goal and outcome of making disciples is that they turn from living for themselves to living for the glory of God, AND help others do the same. this is the great purpose for which paul labors and struggles (col 1.28-29). it is a bit of a harsh reality perhaps - most people in a prosperous and pervasively Christian society like ours do not begin to follow Christ with the sense that they are signing up for a marathon. ours is the culture of easy-believe-ism, where one has the impression that they can get their fire insurance and not have to expend much effort beyond that. surely the fault in many ways lies with the leaders, those including myself who set the bar (and the example?) so low and ask their people to give up so little. sure, there is the need to tithe and build the buildings and show up to the programs, but what of the cross? what of the daily dying to self and doing all things for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God? what of saying no to what i want and saying yes to whatever Jesus wants? what of selling out and becoming poor in order to make others rich (cf 2cor 6.10, 2cor 8.9)? even in the church ours is the culture of indulgence, of comfort and convenience and of super-size-me. we haven’t signed up for a marathon. ours is a leisurely stroll in the park.
-empty... for those who ARE running what is THE marathon of marathons, paul repeatedly expresses great concern that he and others should wind up wasting the great effort they are expending both to follow Christ and to spread the fame of His Name among the nations (1cor 15.10, 1cor 15.58, gal 2.2, gal 4.11, 1th 3.5, 1cor 9.27). oh, how depressing the thought, that one would run really hard or work really hard on anything, and have it come up empty. ’empty’ is kenos, and here means without effect or result or profit. nothingness, pointless, fruitless, in vain - this is what paul is desperately trying to avoid. paul’s is the mindset of a coach. there could be the disappointment of say, an olympic athlete who had trained and worked their whole life for one event and gets disqualified, and then there would be the disappointment of their coach, the one who trained them. the coach’s effort would have in essence been empty and wasted as well. so coach paul’s hope and prayer and exhortation has in view these philippian believers finishing the race themselves, obeying and revering Christ and holding fast His Word (as well as spreading it) until He returns. and thus paul does not want to be wasting his time, throwing away his days and gifts and what Christ has entrusted to Him on things (and people) that don’t wind up bearing fruit for eternity. to that end he is totally intent on exalting Christ and glorifying Him by helping Gentiles truly follow Jesus unto eternal life, and that not just for a season but for a lifetime. to that end, they will need to be holding fast to the Word of life. this holding fast upon God’s Word is both the end and the means to get there.
"...in order that you should come to be blameless and flawless, children of God unblemished in the middle of a generation crooked and perverted, in whom you are shining as stars in the kosmos..."
-remember that paul is focused in the twin goals of furthering the Gospel and exalting Christ. and they feed each other. furthering the Gospel is ultimately intended to bring glory to Christ, and exalting Christ is central to the forward progress of the Gospel.
-towards that end, paul is picturing believers whose lives are completely devoid of any spot or flaw or anything that would mar the appearance or otherwise diminish the brilliance of their lives. and in this context, the way to get to this place of being blameless and flawless and unblemished is to eliminate the grumbling and disputing. the destination and the path here are directly tied together by the purpose clause, hina, which is the first word in this verse. it always refers to purpose, result, outcome. thus the purpose of avoiding the grumbling and disputing mentioned in the previous verse is so that my life will be clean and pure enough to brilliantly illuminate a dark world which has lost its way. in other words, we are totally still talking about the forward progress of the Good News, of the cause of Christ. and at the same time we are talking about a life that simultaneously makes Him look really good.
-now someone might object that the bar here is too high, that it is impossible humanly-speaking for any Christ-follower to arrive at a place where they could be described as perfectly flawless all the time. and on one level, they would be correct. but there are two responses to this. first, the NT writers and God Himself are never averse to setting our bar exactly as high as paul sets it here. even though God’s people are living under grace, He expects them to be perfect, and to do the impossible (mt 5.48, mt 19.26, mk 9.23, jn 14.13, 2cor 7.1, jam 1.4, 1pet 1.14-16). and second, what perfection looks like in the lives of God’s people is that we aim (with the power that God supplies - cf 2cor 12.9) to be perfect, and when we do fall short we own it, we make it right, and we move on from there.
-but our standard is not the world around us. that world falls way short - it is lost and living in darkness. the default posture of the generation of our peers is rebellion in a life lived apart from its Creator, and as a result that generation is mired in a morass of me-first empty-hearted dissatisfaction. it is always seeking, never finding true abiding joy and peace. theirs is the cotton-candy syndrome - the world appears to offer something of great satisfaction, but it does not last. in the end it melts away to nothing and they are left feeling empty. the invariable outcome of unmet needs and desires is anger and more me-first self-seeking, along with grumbling and complaining. (have you ever met an older person who has lived their life apart from God? this is exactly what you tend to encounter, someone who is selfish and bitter and dissatisfied.) when things don’t go the way someone wants them to, when people don’t live or lead or do things the way someone wants them to, the natural instinct born out of self-centeredness is to communicate that dissatisfaction, either directly or indirectly. sometimes they will angrily communicate directly to the source of the dissatisfaction (complaining/disputing), while other times the communication will be more indirect, usually to others who possibly share similar feelings of dissatisfaction (grumbling). both tacks are born in and fed by a heart of me-first. this does not mean that a Christ-follower is not allowed to or will never be dissatisfied or disappointed. on the contrary, life will not always go the way we plan or desire. people will never behave or lead the way we want them to or think they should. it is our response that gives us the chance to shine, or not. there is a sinful worldly way to respond, and there is a godly way, one which makes Jesus look good and can further the progress of the Good News. Christ-follower, however you respond, please make sure you do so in a way that shows off the breathtaking goodness of God.
-when things aren’t going the way i want them to or think they should, i can either respectfully approach someone who could potentially do something about it (either the God of my circumstances or else a person who is a steward of those)(maybe give my anger the chance to subside first), OR i choose to enter in with a humble and respectful heart knowing full well that God is in control, that He is not at all surprised by the way things are and in fact is probably behind and in them all the way. He has my back, and He will work (IS working) all things for good (rom 8.28). if things do not change according to my liking, i can seek the Lord about possibly getting out from under the circumstances, or i can stay in there with respect for God’s sovereignly appointed circumstances and/or leaders and with a heart of trust and gratitude. in everything give thanks, because this is what God wants (1th 5.18). and remember there are no greener pastures this side of heaven. the leader or organization or company or church or marriage that aren’t the way i want them to be will never be the way i want them to be. there are no perfect people or leaders or relationships or human organizations. my attempt to extricate myself and find something or someone more suitable will most likely eventually result in continued dissatisfaction, because God is often using my circumstances not to fix what’s wrong with the world but rather to fix my selfish heart.
-the way to really shine in the midst of dissatisfying circumstances is to do what Jesus did - to let go and go low and pursue the path of others-first others-better, to serve and love in His Name and for His sake. find ways to serve and love in the midst of your dissatisfaction, to serve and love others who maybe you think don’t deserve it. how did Jesus put it? turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give them the shirt off your back? everybody knows the words, we just don’t seem to DO the words very well. and that’s really the most important part, the doing. anybody can know the words. (and of course, the doing is impossible apart from God's power - great freedom can be found in letting go and admitting that i can't do this!)
-this is not to say that there are never circumstances or situations or relationships which a Christ-follower cannot try to improve or perhaps try to leave. certainly there are situations of abuse or danger or which would otherwise require one to be involved in something which God would not want - these are times when there may be no other recourse but to leave, at least temporarily. but if i am following Christ, the question is and must always be, what does GOD want, not what do i want. i need to make sure that i am not just pining for greener pastures that generally don’t exist this side of heaven, or that i am not making it about me or the other person. and i need to make darn sure that i am not communicating my dissatisfaction disrespectfully or to someone who cannot do something about it. that is how the world rolls, and those who follow Christ are to be better than that. the bar is definitely high, and we are indeed to be perfect, flawless - illuminaries, shining examples of how to do things differently, bold and bright pictures of Jesus to a generation that is lost and living in darkness.
"All things be doing without murmurings and dialogues..."
-here we get our second straight imperative, the fifth of the letter. paul had taken a nice detour to dwell briefly on Christ as both our perfect example of going low for the sake of the Gospel and for others-first others-better, and as our exalted Lord, but is now turning back to thoughts about how these philippian believers can be involved in exalting Christ and furthering the Gospel. we were just told to embrace fear and trembling, and now we are to avoid grumbling and complaining.
-the command here is ‘be doing’, from the word poieo, which means to create or make or do. the idea is that we are involved in creating or making deeds. we not talking about a simple act but more of a process which involves words and actions and attitudes and thoughts which all color the deeds we produce.
-when paul says all things it is readily apparent that there are no exceptions to the rule, no extenuating circumstances under which this may be ignored or suspended. one might ask which things is paul actually including in all things. is it confined to the things he has just been prescribing (as in all ‘these’ things)? is he thinking about the broader scope of the entire Christian life? do we have here perhaps just a general tenor for how Christ followers are to conduct themselves? most likely paul here is thinking about a ‘whatever we do’ kind of big picture (cf 1cor 10.31, col 3.17, 1th 5.18, mt 7.12, 1cor 9.23, 1cor 10.33, 1cor 13.7, 1cor 14.26, 1cor 14.40 - there are many passages that speak to how we should color all of our deeds). or to put it another way, as much as or as often as or anytime you find yourself in a situation where you could potentially color your conduct with this grumbling or complaining, be sure to not do that.
-let’s consider the specifics. the first thing he tells us to avoid in all things is grumbling, or murmuring. the greek word is goggusmos (pronounced ‘gongoozmos’). it is an onomatopoeia - the word sounds somewhat like what it is describing (think of ‘cuckoo’ or ‘sizzle’). grumble or murmur or mutter are good english equivalents. the NAS almost always translates it as grumble, which is exactly what the children of israel were well known for doing (cf ex 15.24, num 16.41, and many other places) and which comes quite naturally to all the fallen sons of adam. the second thing we are to avoid is dialogismos, which gives us the english word, dialogue. it has the basic idea of open conversation - discussions, deliberations, reasonings, arguments, etc, but can also include more internalized discussions which might manifest in the form of things like reflections, doubts, or opinions. together these two words cover both direct and indirect forms of resistance and criticism against what God wants, whatever it may be. this resistance could be blatant or perhaps subtle, and it may or may not be directed at a human agent, such as a husband or a parent or a boss or a pastor or some other leader, but ultimately our grumblings reflect a heart of unsurrender and disrespect towards God Himself and are against Him (ex 16.8, num 14.27).
-clearly paul is addressing an area of pride, one where to the extent that a Christ-follower is engaged in grumbling or complaining they are in need of going low. well, they certainly need to cease and desist, but they also need to follow the example of their Lord and empty themselves and let go of their perceived rights to have things the way they want, for things to go their way. those who follow Christ need to trust that the Lord is in control and has their backs and will work through their circumstances as well as through any flawed leader, even when that person makes a mistake. now if the situation turns dangerous with regards to personal safety, we need to take steps to remove ourselves from harm’s way. we are also not to submit to any authority that would otherwise lead us to impede the forward progress of the Gospel. but all other things being equal, it does not become a child of God to grumble and complain against God-ordained circumstances or against a God-appointed authority figure. remember that everyone in authority has been put there for some reason by God Himself, and if they have some human or spiritual jurisdiction over us, then our posture is to be one of submission and respect (rom 13.1-2, 1cor 16.15, tit 2.9, tit 3.1, heb 13.17, 1pet 2.13-14, eph 5.22 - wives are specifically addressed on this at least 5 times in the NT). ultimately, one who is struggling with issues of subjection ultimately is struggling with submitting themselves to God Himself (rom 8.7).
-suffice it to say that the default position of the world and the flesh and the devil is one of rebellion and unsurrender, hence the ease with which people and even God’s people are wont to complain and grumble. it is a humility issue (cf 1pet 5.5).
-simply put, grumbling and complaining and disrespect are unbecoming to a follower of Christ. they are flat out sin, and they make God very angry.
"...for God is the [One] working in you both the to be wanting and the to be working for the good pleasure."
-amazing truth: the very thing which God wants most from me - to want Him and what He wants and to do just that - is exactly what He is faithfully and hard at work to produce in me. the word for work is energeo, which give us our word, energy, and it is used twice here. God is at work, He is energetically energizing. and since He never sleeps and has limitless power, He is always at work. the participle is present tense, so we are talking a about a continuous action. He is constantly, unceasingly at work in us. God always supplies the energy and the power as well as the desire and will-power to do the things that He asks His people to do. He is energizing us out of His limitless supply. there is nothing He wants us to do that He is not going to provide the resources needed to both want to do it as well as to actually carry it out.
-and here is where we find some motivation to obey with fear and trembling as paul mentioned in the previous verse. remember that paul has just exhorted these believers to be working out the salvation they have received from God with fear and trembling. fear and trembling are always present when God is present and shows off His power (cf ex 14.31), which makes total sense because here paul is telling us that in fact ‘God is the One’ Who IS present and is at work in us. He is the God of ‘shock and awe’, the Almighty Eternal Holy God Who created the universe with a word - this God is the One working in me, energizing in me, in my heart and soul and life. again, we’re not talking about some earthly parent or teacher or coach, or any other finite being. the Sovereign Omnipotent King of the universe is always present in my life and faithfully working in me to give me the desire and energy and power to obey and do what He wants and to make His Name great (2pet 1.3, 2tim 1.7, col 1.28-29, eph 3.20, eph 1.19, 2cor 12.9, 2cor 4.7, 1cor 4.20, 1cor 2.4-5, rom 15.18-19, act 1.8)(note the end run of God displaying His power to and through His people - ex 9.16). note how paul also prays for God’s power to be manifested in his life and the lives of others (2th 1.11, col 1.9-11, eph 3.16).
-there are two things most of us lack when it comes to fully loving and obeying God and doing the things that He wants: desire, and power. most of us can relate to not having (or experiencing) enough power to do things like love Him with all our hearts and love our neighbors as ourselves and love our enemies and pray without ceasing, etc. we are in fact powerless to do ANYTHING eternal or significant for the Lord apart from God’s supernatural enabling - all the power and ability to do the things that He wants comes from Him (jn 15.5). but the thing that holds most of God’s people back as much if not more than lack of power is lack of desire. much of the time we fall short of doing what He wants not because we lack power but rather because we lack will-power. we lack the want-to, the desire. because let’s be honest - typically, if i want something, or want to do something strongly enough, i will do it. i will do what it takes, gather the resources, etc, in order to do it. we’re talking about will-power, the want-to, which is exactly what God is ready to supply along with the power-to-do.
-’for [God’s] good pleasure’. some versions (NIV, CEV, HCSB, NIRV) translate it as ‘good purpose’, but that is not what eudokia means. why do they do that? in doing so, they castrate it by removing the emotional component. the literal meaning is to think well of something, but look at how the word and it’s verb form are used elsewhere - mt 11.26, rom 10.1, 1th 2.8, 2th 2.12. the idea is being well-pleasing to Him, doing the things He wants and which bring Him pleasure. we see God the Father twice saying out loud for all to hear how pleased He was with His Son (mt 3.17, mt 17.5). there is most definitely emotion in that sentiment! in the end of course there will be no greater joy than for one who followed Christ in this life to hear Him say, ‘well done’ and enter into the joy of their Master knowing that they have pleased Him (mt 25.21). but what about right now, today? what is it exactly that pleases God? what gives Him pleasure?
-God is indeed a God of pleasure (ps 16.11) - that is why we, having been created in His likeness, are also wired for pleasure. from the very beginning of creation, God has woven pleasure and joy into the very fabric of creation (cf gen 2.9) - He is in the business of pleasure, creating it, pursuing it, spreading it around. He clearly enjoys blessing others - making them happy, doing good to them and giving them pleasure. consider, who is the One that created the sweetness of honey and the ability to taste it along with all the other amazing tastes there are in the world (cinammon, vanilla, sugar, chocolate)? or who is the One that regularly paints the morning and evening skies with amazing beauty and created not only the ability to see it but also the capacity to enjoy it? yes, the One Who created the rose, with all its splendor and fragrance, also engineered the nose. or who is the One who created the physical attractiveness of man along with sex, and not only tied it to the ability of mankind to multiply and fill the earth (gen 1.28), but also designed it to be an experience of indescribable physical pleasure as well as one of intensely satisfying emotional and intellectual oneness? our God is truly a God of pleasure.
-paul is talking about a glorious dance of joy, where the Creator King has infused the entirety of His creation with joyous goodness, has created His image-bearers with the capacity both to bring Him pleasure and to enter into His joy, and in spite of their subsequent rebellion then instills rebels who return to Him with the desire and ability to do the very things that bring Him great pleasure.
-we see throughout Scripture that God is very much a pleasure seeker. thirty-nine times in moses - what is generally regarded as the most boring section of the entire Bible - we read about God’s people burning a sacrifice that made an aroma that was pleasing to the Lord (even before the law was given - cf gen 8.21). it is interesting to consider how did that work? did God actually smell the smoke given off by the burning and did that give Him pleasure? and what happened to that, since we no longer find God’s people doing that? does it no longer give Him pleasure?
-what we do learn from Scripture is that there is something that definitely has always and still today does please the Lord more than those burning sacrifices, and that is a heart that is fully devoted to Him, that wants Him and wants to do what He wants (1sam 15.22, hos 6.6, mk 12.33, mic 6.6-8, 2chr 16.9). this God of pleasure made us for pleasure, made us for Himself, and has pursued us so that we could find our ultimate pleasure in Him (ps 16.11, ps 27.4), which in turn brings Him great pleasure. He pursued the pleasure of gathering a people to Himself who He could particularly bless - with goodness, with Himself (jer 32.41, 1sam 12.22), and who would find their ultimate joy and satisfaction and pleasure in Him and in turn pass on the knowledge and experience of His goodness and blessings to others. and what paul tells us here is that the God Who has gathered to Himself people who are trusting in and following Christ is faithfully giving each of them the desire and the power to do the very things which bring Him pleasure, to be devoted to Him and love Him with all of our hearts and to want Him and enjoy Him and to do the things that He wants us to do. it is indeed a glorious dance of joy.
