| Title | : | The Pleasures of God: Meditations on Gods Delight in Being God |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781576736654 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 309 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1991 |
Isn’t it true—we really don’t know someone until we understand what makes that person happy? And so it is with God!
What does bring delight to the happiest Being in the universe? John Piper writes, that it’s only when we know what makes God glad that we’ll know the greatness of His glory. Therefore, we must comprehend “the pleasures of God.”
Unlike so much of what is written today, this is not a book about us. It is about the One we were made for—God Himself. In this theological masterpiece—chosen by World Magazine as one of the 20th Century’s top 100 books, John Piper reveals the biblical evidence to help us see and savor what the pleasures of God show us about Him. Then we will be able to drink deeply—and satisfyingly—from the only well that offers living water.
What followers of Jesus need now, more than anything else, is to know and love—behold and embrace—the great, glorious, sovereign, happy God of the Bible.
“This is a unique and precious book that everybody should read more than once.”
J.I. PACKER
Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia
Includes a study guide for individual and small-group use.
The Pleasures of God: Meditations on Gods Delight in Being God Reviews
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Saying I have a love-hate relationship with John Piper would be too strong a statement. It's more a love-meh relationship. I love his preaching- heck, I'd be willing to say that in my opinion he's easily the best living preacher. But I've regularly found his books to be, well, meh. Not that they're theologically bad, it's just that they're long and dry and only really work if you read them in his voice in your head, and that gets tiring after a while. So I picked up The Pleasures of God (provided free by the publisher on the condition that I write a review- not necessarily a good one) with no more than moderate expectations. The book lived up to my expectations.
Summary: The Pleasures of God is about just that: what makes God happy? To that end, Piper broke the book into two sections: 1) The pleasure of God in Himself (in Jesus, in His actions, in creation, in His own Glory); 2) the pleasure of God in His people (in election, in justification, in providence, in our prayer, in our obedience).
Analysis: Like pretty much every Piper book I've ever read, it's theologically correct, full of wonderful insights, dry, and about a hundred pages longer than it really needs to be. Also, it is about how God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
Who Should Read This Book: People who will likely never pick up Jonathan Edwards. Really, The Pleasures of God is an interpretation of Edwards' theology in The End for which God Created the World. Which is a dense and difficult book that most people will never even start, let alone finish. Even though this book is longer, it's a much easier read and the place to begin if you want to get the gist of Edwards' ideas.
Who Should Not Read This Book: People who've read more than three of Piper's other books, or who've never had any encounter with Piper before. If you've read a good number of Piper's books, you know that he just applies the same theme (God's Glory) to different topics. Which isn't a bad thing, of course. It just means that after a while it gets repetitive. On the other hand, if you've never encountered Piper, his books just aren't the place to start. I recommend getting on his website (
www.desiringgod.org) and listening to a few of his sermons. If you enjoy them, pick up the book and give it a read.
Having said all of that, the idea behind the book is a critical one for modern Christianity. Especially in modern America, where our idea of God bounces between a kindly, inept grandfather figure and a buddy who mildly approves of everything we do, Piper's revelation of the Biblical theme that God is ultimately delighted in Himself, rather than in us. So I suppose technically another category of people Who Should Read This Book is that of those modern Americans who've bought into the various lies about God that modern American culture shills to us 24/7...
Overall, this is a worthwhile read, and very useful as a devotional. I recommend reading it with a group and taking advantage of the study guide in the back. -
One of the most important books in my life!
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i would recommend this book to anyone.
get to know what makes the heart of God happy.
piper's chapter on obedience was scripture soaked and life-altering. -
A phenomenal, life-changing book! It clearly deserves it's place in World Magazine's list of the top 100 books of the twentieth century. This is a rich feast for the soul that requires reading slowly and taking plenty of time to chew on, savor, and digest each chapter. More than one reading will be needed to digest all that's here. An excellent follow-up to "Desiring God" by the same author. I look forward to reading "Future Grace", the final book in the "trilogy".
The premise of "The Pleasures of God" is that we can learn about God's character by observing what gives Him pleasure, and as we reflect on this, we can't help but be more conformed to Him. Each of the ten chapters addresses an object of God's love or pleasure, from His Son, to His creation, to doing good for His children. The appendix on the two wills of God is worth the price of the book. Piper's writing is both deeply theological, with clear, careful biblical exposition, and profoundly devotional. He tackles apparently contradictory verses in Scripture that few dare to address with grace and deep insight. The view of God he presents is awe-inspiring, enthralling, and beautiful. He is clearly enraptured with the beauty of God and longs for others to join him. -
Wish I knew how important this book was sooner rather than just assuming it was another ubiquitous Piper book. It’s a goldmine of precious truths. I thought Desiring God was the only must must read Piper book but this is the other side of the coin. (This is not to say his other works aren’t good or important, but these two tower above the rest in my estimation.)
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"... God has no need that I could ever be required to satisfy. God has no deficiencies that I might be required to supply. He is complete in Himself. He is overflowing with happiness in the fellowship of the Trinity... And since that is the way God is, we are not surprised to learn from scripture–and our faith is strengthened to hold fast–that the way to please God is to come to Him to get and not to give, to drink and not to water. He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
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True joy is found in knowing God. I loved slowly going through this and savoring each chapter. My only disappointment is that it wasn't longer. So I will just have to start reading it again. Don't try to read this quickly. Slow down. Meditate on it. Let it sink in. Experience true joy in delighting in what God delights in.
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In Piper's God series (Desiring God, Hungering for God, Pleasures of God) this is the best. To be fair, Hunger for God is about prayer and fasting not so much a full theological work. POG distills Piper's controversial theology that the Church has slowly come to love and embrace: that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. It shows Piper's Calvinism bleed through into the affections of the heart.
Just as a side-note: I have heard many preachers take portions (un-cited) of POG into their sermons when this book first came out. That's a credit to Piper's winsome and passionate appeals. We all wish we could explain God like Piper! -
Enjoyable, soul-stirring, absolutely God-centered. From all of Piper's books I've read so far, this is definitely the best (and all of them were really good). The last four chapters were especially powerful and encouraging, melting the heart with the love of God towards us as we hope in him, pray to him, and obey him. I sincerely wish this volume was more well-known.
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This was refreshing. My favorite Piper book by far. Read it and fight to believe God’s really that good. Amen
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Described by the author as "the younger cousin" of his Desiring God, The Pleasures of God is a deep, thoughtful, and rich survey of many of the ways that God finds pleasure in his own works & humanity's as well.
Downsides: Piperishly heavy, focuses in a little TOO much on a few nitty-gritty details of a thought or passage, and carries the same, single overriding theme as most of Piper's works.
Upsides: Pipersihly heavy, focuses on areas & trains of thought that many will not see in a passage, and reiterates the same, single overriding theme that I need to be reminded of more than I am.
I wanted a theological feast to start the year, and I got it. TPOG is worth your time, to be sure - especially if you need a renewed, deeper, more glorious view of your Creator. And especially if within that view you need to be reminded of why he does all he does, as an inspiration and basis for you to do all you do, for him. -
Absolutely excellent! This is a fascinating study of God based on the premise that what someone delights in reveals much about who they are. So, Piper has written a book unlike any other that I've read where he identifies, explores and explains many of the things in which God takes pleasure. D.A. Carson calls The Pleasures of God the most important book Piper has ever written. As a word of warning, the concepts are heavy and the exegesis is thorough, so the book will likely be most enjoyed by highly motivated high school students and up, since it is conceptually and theologically on par with a seminary course.
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John Piper's books are slow reading for me, not because they are dull but because their subject matter takes time to digest and reflect upon. This book was a spiritually enriching read and an aid to getting to know who God is. And guess what? He is actually quite happy and wants to share his perfections with others so that their happiness will be complete.
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Is it possible to worship your way through an entire book?
Read the absolutely masterful book, The Pleasures of God, and find out.
The work is a transcription of Piper's meditation upon a central thought, namely: If it is true, as Henry Scougal says, that "the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love," how then is God's excellency to be measured? Is it possible to measure what sorts of things God's affections are stirred by and so better understand his character?
Here's the list Piper comes up with in my own words and some of his:
In short, what does God's love?
1. His Son (Matthew 17:5)
Whereas I am limited in my love because my heart finds nothing worthy, and my energy is too weak, and nothing really lasts, God has been infinitely happy from all eternity because he has always been overflowingly happy with his Son.
2. His works (Psalm 135:6)
"God acts in sovereign freedom. His acts do not spring up from the need to make up deficiencies but from the passion to express his own delight."
3. His creation (Psalm 104:31)
Look around you, the entirety of his creation express his joy, praises him, displays his wisdom, hearlds his enormous power and points to him!
4. His fame (1 Samuel 12:22)
"The great ground of hope, the great motive to pray, the great wellspring of mercy is God's awesome commitment to his name."
5. Election (Deuteronomy 10:14-15)
Election removes all the boasting of man and places all boasting in the accomplishments of God. God loves his glory and this formula magnifies him.
6. The bruising of his Son (Isaiah 53:10)
"If God were not committed first to vindicate the worth of his own glory there would be no gospel and no hope, for there would be no glorious God."
7. Doing good to those who hope in him (Psalm 147:10-11)
"God takes pleasure in this response because it magnifies the glory of his grace and satisfies the longing of my soul."
8. The prayers of the upright (Proverbs 15:8)
"God is the kind of God who will be pleased with the one thing I will have to offer - my thirst."
9. The personal obedience and public administration of justice by his followers (1 Samuel 15:22)
When I obey God, I declare through my actions by faith that God is praiseworthy and reliable, that everything he commands is for my good, and that his commands are difficult.
In sum, what does it teach us about God and his character when we examine that which he loves so much?
A truckload, and oh boy is it AWESOME! -
The thesis of Piper’s book is Henry Scougal’s argument that “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” He adds to this that “the most excellent soul is the soul that loves God most.” And with these in mind, he concludes that God’s worth and excellency is infinite because of his unbridled love for himself. Based on this foundation, he asserts that “grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God.” This is the basis for Piper’s book which he proceeds to explore throughout it.
Two key chapters in the book include Piper’s opening chapter that affirms God’s pleasure in the Son, which forms the basis for the rest of his pleasures. It is from the overflow of this satisfaction that all other pleasures are enabled. Another key chapter is Piper’s affirmation of God’s pleasure in his fame (which, far from arrogant, is necessary to avoid idolatry), which forms the basis for every action he undertakes towards humankind. These two foundational chapters (chapters 1 and 4) were incredible in opening up so much of God’s character to me and enabling me to see his motivation for acting as he does. They were also so helpful in adding to the beauty of the gospel, and helping me to see why the good news of Jesus truly is such good news, which is only amplified throughout the rest of the book.
The book beautifully encapsulates the heart of God for his children and the greatness of God’s pleasure in the actions and prayers of his children in response. It was an incredible book that enabled me to gain a clearer picture of who God is and the motivation for his actions. My only critique would be it occasionally felt like Piper tried too hard to fit every little thing into his own systematic theology at times, and I don’t think such stringent arguments were necessary for this book (especially surrounding election - I would have just referenced his other book, The Justification of God, and left the discourse at that). However, excluding that overly pedantic critique, The Pleasures of God was a fantastic read. I would strongly recommend The Pleasures of God to all Christians, especially after reading Desiring God! -
Another life changing book from Piper. There’s a few key reasons I love this book and would recommend it for any believer...
1) No book has ever driven me back into the Bible more than this one. I found it took me twice as long to read because it forced me to hang on each word of a verse, then dive into its context, then start to cross reference. It essentially forces the reader to face tough but important truths, and perform exegesis in a heart changing way.
2) It’s meaty. It will challenge your heart and challenge your mind, and force you into prayer. For the most part I agree with Pipers theology - but where I disagreed I had to really search and pray over the Scriptures. You can’t gloss over or avoid truth if you read this book.
3) In general I am grateful for Pipers heart. While it’s not an easy read and will challenge your mind, I found myself pausing to pray in praise, or meditate on Gods love and truths, or just be glad in God. Piper’s love for Jesus is contagious and this book is an overflow of that.
I’m grateful for what the Spirit has done through Piper - and this book is near the top of my list.
If I had to critique - sometimes it seems like there’s some unnecessary rabbit holes he goes down - but it’s worth it.
Amazing read I highly recommend!! -
An excellent, stirring book full of deep theology. This is the third time I’ve read it. This time I read it considerably faster, enjoying it without underlining or pausing to dwell too much. As a result, this time I felt more of the overarching structure of the book—God’s delight beginning within the Trinity, to creation, to the cross, to the church, and then to our good works.
I would recommend this 100x over to anyone. This book alone was the book about 10 years ago which originally led me to deeper appreciation of God, theology, and the Bible. I can’t recommend it enough. -
"The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of it's love." (Henry Scougal). So what does God love? What are His pleasures? This is the subject of this book. The shocking answer, for the man-centred, self-obsessed age that we currently live in, is that God loves Himself supremely before all others. These are meditations on God's delight in being God. They leave you more confident in the God of the Bible and more desirous to spread His fame. Highly recommended.
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I love this book so very much. It is very rich and packed with truth written in an artful, frank and easy-t0-read way, which I greatly appreciated. I will definitely read it again and treasure it, at times I didn't fully appreciate its wonder, which is why I went so slow. But once I quieted down and focused on reading it, I loved it.
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The Pleasures of God are found in God. But what gives God pleasure? As Christians we are to be among the most joys and most gratuitous. That is realized when we see God not as we choose to see him but as He reveals Hinself. That includes seeing what brings Him joy. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Obedience and on the Fathers pleasure in bruising the Son.
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«Los deleites de Dios» es un libro que deleita. De esos libros que valen la pena leer, ya que demuestra convincentemente que, como dijo Jonathan Edwards, «el disfrute de Dios es la única felicidad que puede satisfacer nuestra alma» (p. 103).
Lee la reseña en
Coalición por el Evangelio. -
Excellent meditation on God's pleasure in being God! God's passion to uphold the infinite value of His glory is one of the central themes of the book. Much like other books by Piper, this book makes much of God and I praise God for such insight into His character. Praise God for John Piper! Be prepared to stretch your mind to think about the things that delight God. Shouldn't that be our goal every day, anyway? Highly recommended book!
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Simply spectacular!
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“The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” -Henry Scougal
Once again, Piper gets to what is at the heart of all of his writing and preaching: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
This book was written to show that God takes pleasure in His nature and work as well as in the responses of his people. In each chapter, you discover how God has set out to glorify himself.
Favorite Quotes:
“One of the best tests of a person’s theology was the effect it had on one’s prayers.”
“God loves to show mercy.”
“It is the great first work of free grace that takes away the final refuge of human self-reliance and casts man on the unshakable Rock of covenant love”
“Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.” -
I love reading Piper. For him, being a Christian is not simply a set of beliefs, but the greatest pleasure there is. In this book, he admonishes Christians to find pleasure in the things Creator God takes pleasure in - namely himself and his glory. Expounding on Henry Scougal's quote, "The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love," Piper concludes that God is most worthy because he loves that which is the greatest "object" - Himself - and furthermore, that the greatest human souls must be those who likewise find pleasure in magnifying God. Piper takes the reader through 10 things that Scripture indicates God takes pleasure in, showing they all have the same end and purpose - God's glory. Each chapter was a bit long, but Piper is very thorough in making his points, which can be a great characteristic in authors.
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A phrase we now use among contemporary churches, and perhaps a phrase that has been used for years but now resurfaces, is the phrase "God-centered.' Reading through this book revealed in my own life how far from that phrase I had grown accustomed to thinking and living. Piper fleshes out what it looks like when we truly see the gospel and Scripture itself from the lens of a God-centered theology.