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