The Pleasures of God
In The Pleasures of God, John Piper proclaims God’s delight in being God. Henry Scougal said that the worth and excellency of a soul are measured by the object of its love. Piper takes this quote and applies it to God. If the pleasures of God are the measure of His excellency or glory, then meditating on these pleasures holds out great hope for being changed into His likeness.
An Exuberantly Happy God
Chapter 1 begins by examining God’s pleasure in His Son. With contagious joy, Piper presents Jesus as our true treasure and King. Because their relationship has existed from all eternity, we see that God is, and always has been, an exuberantly happy God.
In characteristic Piper fashion, he shows how God can take pleasure in His sovereignty over suffering. He demonstrates that, in one sense, God does not delight in the death of the wicked, yet He does all that He pleases. God is sovereign over all suffering and sin. We can be confident that God is in control, that He is good, and that His ways are wise.
Deep Joy
This book covers a wide range of topics. Chapters 3 and 4 address nature and missions. In Chapter 5, Piper presents one of the best defenses and explanations of election that I have read. In Chapter 6, he carefully explains God’s pleasure in bruising His Son. The chapter ends with a parable penned by Piper that left me in awe of our Lord’s great love and deep joy.
Piper employs wonderful, poetic language throughout the book. Piper describes what he imagines to be the sound of God singing as the roar of the sun mingled with the tender, warm crackling of logs in a living-room fireplace on a cozy winter’s night. He says that God’s joy in His people is like a bridegroom’s joy over his bride, with honeymoon-intensity pleasure, energy, excitement, enthusiasm, and enjoyment forever.
God Does As He Pleases
The book concludes with a close look at Luke 12:32. This chapter is representative of the entire book. It is a theological work, but it is also a gold mine for those willing to follow Piper into the depths of the Bible and into the mind, heart, and joy of God. Discover what makes God happy. He does as He pleases—and I can rejoice in Him, with Him, and through Him.
I received a media copy of The Pleasures of God (Amazon, 27% off Westminster Bookstore and use promo code DIVEINDIGDEEP to save an extra 5% off your entire order always) and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.