Is God "Joyfull and Happy" About Sin?

Once again we cycle back to whether the cornerstone is properly set: is the Bible a faithful revelation of God's truth?

• If not, then it's hard for me to understand exactly what one would base one's concept of God upon, other then their own personal wishes and desires, projections and selections.
  
• If yes, then it's hard for me to understand how the idea of God's holy wrath -- mentioned hundreds of times throughout the Bible -- can be simply dismissed.

The problem most have -- and you yourself did this in your last post -- is they project our experience with human anger back on God. Unfortunately, our anger springs from a sinful base. I become angry at my wife for reasons having to do with my selfish desires rather than any true and just assessment of her actions.

In your post you wrote, "My suspicion is that God is in an unimaginable state of constant ecstatic joy and happiness." Was God ecstatic and happy when his chosen people abandoned him and worshipped false idols? Is God ecstatic and happy when people commit acts of evil in his name? Was God ecastic and happy when the tsunami swept over a hundred thousand people? On the day of judgment, will God be ecstatic and happy as he casts multitudes into eternal damnation?

Based on your reasoning, God must therefore not possess another emotion: sadness.

Did you realize the Bible makes no reference to Jesus ever laughing? Yet it does make reference to him sad, disappointed and angry. I don't think that proves he never laughed, but I do think it's significant there's no recording of him having done so.

Another question: how are we to understand the concept of God's mercy in the context of God never being anything but happy and joyful? dictionary.com defines "Mercy" as "Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency." (emphasis mine) Clemency from what?

The Bible tells us that God sacrificed his Son Jesus as a way to atone for our sins. Why would God do that if he had no sense of meting out punishment for sins committed? The beauty of Grace is found in the magnitude of what it provides: forgiveness of our sins; avoidance of eternal damnation. And the source of that damnation can be none other than God himself.

Sobering thoughts, to be sure.