1. “Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?” - Job 22:2,3

2. “Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. “ - Pr 15:21

3. “ Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” -Isaiah 5:11,12

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BIBLICAL LIVING 101 - Fun ( Concept of, Contd. )
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Why DOES God want to get all up in "our business" ?

To paraphrase the speaker of text 1 this week, (Eliphaz), what can a drop of water bring to an ocean?

Is He going to be enriched by our good works? Or... to continue on our study of fun... does God take PLEASURE in my righteousness? And why does He get mad (so we think) if we look for our pleasures where we choose?

Eliphaz was reprimanded for not correctly speaking of God as Job did - we can see one example right here. What he says sounds right, but when you think about it, here is the problem - Eliphaz assumes that either (a) God is not capable of deriving any -additional- pleasure from any of mans activities or (b) God is incapable of taking pleasure ,wisdom or righteousness) , period, because He is above it all ... neither of these are correct!

What is pleasure?

Sensual gratification ( being tickled, eating, drinking, being entertained .... ) for sure, but the emotion “pleasure” applies to a much broader array of things, and is part of God's Nature.

When we say God is pleased to do such and such, and so and so, there is a deeper meaning —- His good ( what else?) will/desire/intent that leads to a good (satisfying/righteous) outcome, or, as we typically understand it, good feeling.

He is also capable of being pleased by OUR actions! Yes, we CAN bring joy to Him, with our sacrifices of praise and obedience! Not that this adds in any way to His joy, but it is a wonderful part of it!

The following texts give you a range of the hebrew words translated as pleasure (in parantheses) beginning the word "he-pes" which was in our first text.

" Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done,saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure (he-pes)," - (Is 46:10)

"If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure(he-pes) on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure (he-pes), Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight(he-pes) yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” - Is 58:13–14

Hath the Lord as great delight (he-pes) in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” (1 Sam. 15:22)

Do good in Your good pleasure (ra-son) to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem." - Ps 51:18

"I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure (ro-
seh) in uprightness". - 1 Ch 29:17

"The LORD takes pleasure (ro-seh) in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy." - Ps 147:11

" For the LORD takes pleasure (ro-seh) in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation." - Ps 149:4

"He who loves pleasure(sim-hah) will be a poor man." - Pr 21:17 (one of last weeks texts!)

We hope this helps establish that pleasure, is very much something that is part of our God's Nature. It is an expression of His will and intent, and also His satisfaction at seeing His counsel come to pass. Like Love, it is multidimensional.

Text 2: "Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom...." - if you aren't smart you are going to go looking for love/joy/pleasure in some very strange places.....

If we don’t have a right understanding of pleasure, then we will choose foolish things to give us joy. Chemical highs, adrenaline shots, bubble gum and candy floss.

Understanding the spiritual aspect of what is pleasing to Him ( loving Him and others ) will help us fuel our lives with the same joy that flows through Him.

We will celebrate victories and triumphs ( personal, family, friends , colleagues ), rejoice over our deliverances, bless Him for our daily bread, and enjoy with thanksgiving whatever He richly gives us!

There are flavors of Love beyond erotic/romantic. Sacrificial (agape), fraternal (fileo), paternal (), friendship, ... Pleasure too is multidimensional and we need the wisdom of the Word to help us appreciate it!

The effects of focusing on the wrong thing are starkly outlined by the Prophet Isaiah ( Text 3 this week ).

The people he is addressing have accumulated wealth through dubious means and are now spending their time as he describes- in the pursuit of sensual pleasure. The result ? They don’t have time for the Word, and the result is that Hell itself is making room for more idiots than planned ( they are not omniscient down there :-) ).

It’s not the drink or the musical instruments or the food that are to blame. It’s the human pattern of foolish behavior that leads to the issue - IGNORANCE OF GOD. And that it is the ultimate issue. Ignorance of God, leads to wilful disobedience, and ultimately to hell.

A focus on pleasure can also lead us to sin agains God - being grumpy at God for not giving us physical comfort is a bad thing!

The Israelites murmured in the wilderness. Their hearts and minds went back to the leeks and meat in Egypt, and they completely forgot their slavery, and their Redeemer. God's wrath burns hot against such my friends, and this is why we are warned,

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." - 2 Pe 2:20–21

Being holy means being different from the world in terms of what gives us pleasure. For Christ, His Food and Drink was to do His Father's work. In, turn, the Father could say, "This is My Son, in whom I am well PLEASED! " It is also our desire to hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the JOY of your Lord!"

To answer the question we started with - God gets in our business because He cares for us!

Hallelujah!