In this verse Paul says something wonderful and wondrous about the nature and character of God. Genesis 30:13 demonstrates that the word 'blessed' often carries the idea of 'happy', and so it is that Paul is referring here to 'the happy God'!

It seems that most of mankind conceives of God as a great ogre somewhere in the heavens, passing His days by going about watching for those who get just a bit out of line so that He can then crack them over the head with a big thunderbolt of wrath. And religion is no real help in this regard!

Recently my oldest son and I were in the large Museum of Natural History here in Chicago. As we toured the section containing the so-called 'totem poles' we were both struck by the dreadful and frightening appearances of these gods. There was not a happy face in the bunch!

How glad we were to know the God-- 'the true and living God' --of the Bible, who calls Himself  'the happy God!' And this is all the more wonderful as we see it in the context of the gospel of grace.

As God looks at the cross of Calvary He sees it not as the place of our Savior's defeat but rather of His greatest triumph, for there he 'declared His righteousness' as Christ paid the just penalty for our sins (Romans 3:24-26), 'took away' the accusing finger of the law (Colossians 2:14), and openly and thoroughly defeated Satan and his hosts (Colossians 2:15). Thus Paul calls his message 'the glorious gospel of the blessed God!'

All this reminds us that God is 'happy' as He sees the outworking of His purposes and plan. This is true in prophecy as well as 'the mystery.' Consider Zephaniah 3:14-17 in this regard:

Thus God has promised that as He sees His long stated purpose for the nation Israel brought to fruition He will 'rejoice' and 'joy' over her-- He will be 'the happy God' in her midst! Little wonder, then, that even after Pentecost we hear Peter still beseeching his wayward nation:

The time was then ripe doe Israel to fulfill her purpose among the nations. Yet, sadly, as we read on in early Acts we see her continuing lack of response. Indeed, her leaders rise up in such open opposition and hostility against the followers of Christ that by Acts 8:1 we are told that there are only twelve believers in the capital city itself!

And as we read we can almost hear the approaching hoof beats of judgment, for the prophets had long predicted the Father's response to the continued rejection of the Son would be wrath and judgment:

In light of all this, 1 Timothy 1:11 is all the more significant. How is it that Paul can tell us that God is 'the happy God' when His purpose for Israel is yet unfulfilled? It is just here that 'the mystery' comes in, for God had another purpose, a secret purpose which He had kept hidden in Himself only now to be made known through the 'good news' committed to Paul's trust.

Thus today God is 'the happy God' as He sees His 'secret' purpose being fulfilled during the dispensation of Grace. With this in mind it is instructive to consider some of the verses that talk about our 'pleasing' God in this age. Notice a sampling.

We should start with Galatians 1:15-16, where the very manner in which the present program is revealed-- that is, through the ministry committed to the Apostle Paul-- is said to have been pleasing to God:

Thus it is Paul who writes to the Thessalonians and to us:

And it is Paul, again, who sets before us the example of the one who seeks only to 'please Him who have chosen him to be a soldier' (2 Timothy 2:4), saying,

Although 'the preaching of the cross' may seem as mere foolishness to the world about us, to God and the believer it is a heartwarming message and Paul tells us that it is God's sovereign pleasure to save those who believe this wonderful message of grace:

And what of the position and ministry of the believer today? We are told that 'God hath set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased Him' (1 Corinthians 12:18). 1 Corinthians 12 is clear that each member of the Body of Christ has a vital function to fill in the working and well being of the Body as a whole. For more on this see Ephesians 4:11-16, etc.

Further, speaking of resurrection, Paul says:

Thus each member of the Body of Christ is promised a resurrection body 'fashioned like unto His glorious body' (Philippians 3:20-21). Indeed, Christ's coming for us will be a 'blessed hope' both for us and our God! Ephesians 2:7 tells us that it is God's purpose

The happy God-- yes! and surrounded by happy saints, for the more fully we recognize and understand 'His purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began' the more fully we can rejoice in what He is doing today and thus live lives of obedience that honor and please Him.