How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

Romans 11:13-36 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?¹⁶ If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
²⁷ “This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

²⁸ From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; ²⁹ for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

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.

Psalm 89:14 says: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.   God’s very authority is based in that He is righteous and just. In today’s text it says:  Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.   Some people question how a loving God could have eternal punishment for anyone. It is not that God is severe in His judgment. It is simply because He is a just. Justice requires that there are consequences for disobedience. Additionally, God’s kindness; His grace given to us through the cross, would be meaningless if there were no consequences for those who fall in sin.  

The text says:  But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”  Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;  for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.   Paul’s warning still rings true today, we who are saved by faith, through grace should never become conceited or arrogant. Just as the Jewish people could not depend on their heritage for salvation, neither should we ever presume on God’s grace. Jesus paid the price to redeem us from sin. Sin has not been redeemed. Justice requires that just as those who could not keep the law would suffer the consequences of sin, so too those who choose sin over redemption will also not be spared from the consequences of sin. In Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus says:  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”   Because God is just, the same standards apply to everyone, both Jew and non-Jew. Because no one can measure up to the righteousness of God, Jesus made us righteous in Him. Just as we are all judged equally concerning sin because of God’s justice, so too are we all redeemed equally, the same way. In John 14:6 Jesus says:  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The text says: The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,  so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.  For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.   No one has fallen so far in sin that they cannot be shown the mercy of God. 2 Peter 3:9 says:  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.   God doesn’t judge us immediately when we sin. He is patient. His desire is that all would come to repentance. His calling to us and for us is irrevocable. Only by our own choice of disobedience can we fail to receive the gifts of mercy, grace and salvation. In John 3:16-21 Jesus says: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”  Judgment comes not by God’s choice, but from the choice of darkness over light.

The text ends saying:   Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?  Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.   It is futile for people to question God; for the one who is created to question the creator. Even the most well educated and the sharpest; most intelligent minds in the fields of science must admit that for every question their research and study answers, many more are left unanswered or newly revealed. The magnitude and the intricacies of creation are beyond human understanding. The riches of the wisdom and knowledge of the God of creation are unfathomable. So too, are His ways and His judgments beyond human understanding. Isaiah 55:6-9 says:  Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Amen.  Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for Your righteousness and justice. Thank You that Lovingkindness and truth go before You. Your ways are indeed beyond human comprehension or understanding. Thank You for the irrevocable gifts of mercy, grace and salvation for all who believe. May I never become arrogant, presuming on Your grace, but may I come to the light and practice the truth, that my deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.  Amen.