- God’s gift and call are irrevocable: (11:29-32): The privileges and call given to Israel can never be cancelled. Our God is an unchanging God. The gifts and blessings given to Israel cannot be taken back or changed. When Adam disobeyed, the whole humanity lost connection with God. “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (3:23). Jews and Gentiles were all under sin and there was no difference. When the entire humanity became disobedient, walking in their own ways, God chose Abraham to make a generation through which Christ will come. God has shown His mercy and grace to one and all. Israel could not enjoy its privileges because of its unfaithfulness, yet God is consistent and true to His word.
In the original plan of God, Jews were the source of blessing to all the world. God’s blessings should extend to all the Gentiles through the Jews. But when Jews rejected Christ, God blessed the Gentiles because of their faith in Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ. But God still maintained His faithfulness to the promise and covenant He made to Patriarchs.
The disobedient Jews enabled God to show mercy to the Gentiles. God’s mercy will continue until the Gentiles reach its full number (11:25). Israel will again receive mercy. God’s ultimate purpose is to have mercy on all people. Our is God is just God. Because the wages of sin is death (6:23a), the eternal life can only be given to both Gentiles and Jews as a gift. Gentiles and Jews are all under sin and there is no difference between them. Everyone has sinned and deserves a guilty verdict, but in Christ all are given mercy “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Tit.2:11). It included all races, nations
The hardening of Israel will continue until the full number of Gentiles are reached with the Gospel. Now the time has come that Jews too will receive mercy and enjoy the rich blessings of Christ along with the saved Gentiles. God will establish His promised covenant with Israel. God in His sovereignty knew that a day will come, both Jews and Gentiles would share the blessings of God. For God will have mercy on Jews and God’s plan would be fulfilled.
Doxology: (11:33-36):
This is a hymn giving praise and glory to God. At the end of this chapter Paul burst into praise as his theology became a doxology for God. The depths of the wisdom and knowledge of God is beyond human comprehension. The plan of salvation for all the people demonstrated God’s infinite knowledge and His ability to use it wisely. Only a God like our God could turn the fall of Israel into salvation for both Israel and Gentiles. His plans and purposes can never be aborted nor lack any fulfilment. No human being can fully know the mind of the Lord, the more we study His ways and about Him through the Bible, the more we offer praises to Him. Israel seemed to have ruined God’s plan, but God’s plans are perfect. God has revealed some of His plans and His judgements so that people may know them, but it is humanly impossible to understand all His plans. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord (Isa.55:8). Paul uses the Gospel as the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph.5:8b).
Paul takes the quotation from OT “Who has understood the mind of the Lord or instructed Him as His counsellor, Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten Him and who taught Him the right way?” (Isa.40:13-14). He is the sole designer and sole responsibility for His acts. He governs the universe and our lives in perfect wisdom, justice and love. He is indeed the Sovereign of all things, the One to whom all creatures are accountable and whom all should glorify. God is under no obligation to repay anyone, for no one has ever given Him anything.
Finally Paul concluded beautifully, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever and ever! Amen” (11:36). He is the beginning and end, the initial and final authority. His ways are beyond man’s understanding, man’s wisdom, man’s counselling, man’s giving (11:34-35). Everything comes from Him and they are for His glory forever and ever. He is to be magnified, exalted and lifted high above. Yes the all-Sovereign God deserves praise from all His creation.
A few questions to answer before we move to next chapter:
- Do you think that God has chosen you because you are better than others?
- What do you understand when people get hardened as the days go by? (11:7-10)
- What do you mean by stumbling and falling? (11:11-11-12)
- How do I grow as an ingrafted branch? (11:17-21)
- By the illustration of olive tree, does my church is considered as part of the true Israel? If so what should be my attitude? (11:22-24)
- How does God restore the covenant He made to the Israel and Church? (11:25-27)
- What do we learn from Paul’s doxology? (11:33-36)