Paradoxical Pleasures in God

Paradoxical Pleasures in God

"But the LORD was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief; when he makes himself a guilt offering, he will see his offspring, he will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in his hand." — Isaiah 53:10

---

The prophetic allusions to Christ—the ultimate suffering servant—drip off this verse, but there remains a troubling question, "Why is the Lord pleased to crush Christ?" This question helps us to understand the two rival pleasures which please God that occur at this juncture. This tension is reconciled in the servant making himself a guilt offering as prophesied in Isaiah 53:10, but first let's observe the paradox of pleasure.

            On the one hand, God takes pleasure in his name and fame (1 Sam. 12:22), and, on the other hand, God takes pleasure in electing people unto himself (Deut. 10:14–15). The tension here is that all people exchange the glory of God for lesser things (Rm. 1:23 c.f. Rm. 3:23); therefore, God's pleasure in the fame of his name is at apparent odds with God's pleasure in choosing a people for himself. God is apparently in a paradox of rival pleasures . . .         

            They are paradoxical because if God vindicates his name then he would destroy the people he desires to elect, or if God justifies his people without vindicating his name then he is unrighteous (Pro. 17:15). Heads, he loses. Tails, he loses . . .  Isaiah 53:10–12 (c.f. Rm. 3:23–26) provides the answer to this paradox. The paradox is remedied during Christ's guilt offering at the cross because in Christ's dying to definitely atone for God's chosen people he was made their propitiation (God's wrath taken in their place). Romans 3:23–26 explains the significance in saying, "This [putting forward of Christ as propitiation] was to demonstrate God's righteousness . . . that he may be both just and justifier . . ." In short, God's pleasure in crushing Christ is the pleasure that comes at the climax of redemption where the vindication of his glory and the salvation of his people are reconciled. In other words, the pleasure in crushing the Son results from the consummation of the reality that God is both just and justifier.

            As a practical application, consider the term guilt offering in another light. A proverb which uses it is Proverbs 14:9, "Fools mock at the guilt offering, but the upright enjoy [God's favor]." Christ, according to Isaiah 53:10, is the only person in the Bible to offer himself as a guilt offering! Whose sin was the guilt offering for? Romans 8:3 says God condemned our sin in Christ's flesh. Whose sin? Not Christ's! Do you delight in what Christ has done? Not to delight is to mock. Christian, after meditating upon Christ's guilt offering on your behalf, rejoice with great joy because: it is finished, God is just, and God has justified you!


[This devotional was originally written for the FBS Friends Banquet 2014.]