The Problem and The Fix: Romans 11:33-36
“33) Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34) For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35) Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36) For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36
This is an apt ending to Romans chapter 11 and the mystery of the partial hardening of Israel and the Gospel therefor going to the ends of the earth. Yet God has by no means given up on Israel or forgotten His promises.
We get in trouble when we try figuring out God and His ways. His mysteries do not fit our limited context. He cannot be forced into the box of human understanding or perspective. Eternity cannot be interpreted by time any more than the Divine can be fully understood by mere mortals.
Paul nailed it in Romans 11:33-34 when he cried out; “Oh, the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgements and unfashionable His ways. For who has know the mind of the Lord or who has become His Counselor.”
I always chuckle when people make value judgements about God our put Him on trial. It is as ridiculous as an archeologist digging up a few bones and simple tools and then writing a book with all the details of that ancient culture. They don’t have a clue or context, but they have a big imagination.
People do the same with God. He is beyond human experience and knowledge, but we try to force Him into our little boxes. Many scholars and theologians do the same. Every bias squeezes their understanding of God even smaller.
His Word is very broad, but we often force meaning on it not found in the text. As verse 36 says; “He is not our debtor, He owes us nothing.” We need to step back and let Him be in charge and simply trust Him. But living by faith is very counter self-ego and self-controlling. We want God to bow before our throne and our limited understanding. It doesn’t work!
Paul summarized the Sovereignty of God very well in verse 36: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” God and not man is the center of all things. He is the cause, the reason, the way, the truth and the ultimate conclusion! Truth and reality become distorted whenever we becomes the focal point. But it is so natural to make it about us… and the deception and conflict starts right there with our first selfish thought.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
