Our Awesome God

I really miss our pulpit. And I don’t even like our pulpit. At least there I have room for my Bible. Kind of important if you’re going to preach.

We come one more time to this challenging set of chapters in Romans. And this is indeed has been a difficult stretch of scripture. likened, as I pointed out at the outset, to scaling a formidable peak, even the deadly Eiger Mountain. But we found this section to be understandable and instructive.

Paul has returned to this bewildering question about Israel and their poor response to the gospel, to their response to the doctrine of justification by faith, and even their response to Christ himself. Indeed Israel had, for the most part, rejected all of that. But Paul enables his readers to comprehend that all of this is part of God’s sovereign design.

Divine sovereignty is the overall subject of these three entire chapters, the fourth section. But rather than discussing God’s sovereignty over individual lives, which he’s already done, he’s unfolding God’s sovereignty over entire nations, specifically the nation of Israel and the non-Jewish people, the Gentiles. And God is, Paul rather, is laying out for us here the glorious truth that God is sovereign over all things and all nations.

In the opening chapter, we saw that Paul set forth the principle that a nation’s rejection of God’s plans does not upset God or his plans. As grievous as it was, Israel’s rejection of Christ as Messiah is an expression of God’s sovereign design. God is certainly a God of mercy, but he is sovereign in his display of that mercy even.

Regarding the question of Israel, Paul clarifies their standing as it pertains to God’s mercy. He does so by showing that God has allowed them to go their own way and to reject Christ. God has not treated them unfairly. by not showing them mercy, nor is he capricious in extending his grace to the godless and bumbling Gentile nation, mercy towards those who did not even seek it. God is sovereign in the display of his mercy, as Paul cited God’s own words to Moses, and then applied them to the nations here in this passage.

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. And I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

God’s plans are not upset by Israel’s rejection of Christ. It’s all a matter of the sovereign mercy of God.

And the second part of his argument, which began in chapter 9 verse 30, and includes all of chapter 10 as well, Paul builds upon his articulation of God’s sovereignty by telling his readers, secondly, that a nation’s dullness does not thwart God’s intentions. God has a plan of redemption, but it was never his intention to provide salvation through law-keeping, through holding fast fastidiously to the law of God. Rather, it was Paul, as Paul set forth in his letter to the Galatians, God’s law was designed to be our tutor, our schoolmaster, as some of the older translations have it, our tutor or schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.

The entire goal of the law was to open sinners’ eyes to their need of justification by faith. not that they could somehow earn their salvation by law keeping. Well Israel did not understand that plan by God and in 930-33 Paul sets forth the distinction between Israel’s approach to salvation and the Gentiles’ approach to salvation.

Paul says that Israel pursued a law of righteousness by means of their works, attempting to live according to God’s law. The Gentiles, on the other hand, were willing to humble themselves and acknowledge their utter inability to adhere to God’s law, and thereby receive God’s righteousness by faith. two dramatically different approaches.

Well, in the following portion, the first 13 verses of chapter 10, Paul lays out what is now obvious, that Israel’s grasp at salvation on their own terms was futile. They had it all. They had a relationship with God. They had the means of worship. They had God’s word. They had God’s instructions. And they were zealous in the pursuit of those things, but they could not comprehend the simple message of the gospel.

Paul highlights that in verses 8 through 13. the simplicity of God’s message, confessing faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, and believing in the dynamic reality of Christ’s resurrection. They did not understand the connection between faith and righteousness, or the confession of that faith and salvation. But these were, by God’s design, God’s means of salvation, justification by faith alone in Christ alone. And that salvation was open to all, not only the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, all who would believe.

So Paul closes his argument that not only does one nation’s rejection, even the nation of Israel, not upset God’s plans, or their dullness thwart God’s intentions. But there’s another question that immediately arises. Why would God, even in his sovereign mercy, allow all of this? And it’s that question that Paul moves to answer in chapter 11. And the answer, simply stated, is that God’s own glory is in view. A nation’s purposes are for God’s glory, not their own. Let’s consider Paul’s argument for God’s glory in the entirety of chapter 11. A lengthy reading, mind you, so bear with me as we course through chapter 11.

I say then, God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be, for I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Or do you not know what the scripture says in the passage about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have torn down thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life. But what is the divine response to him? I have kept for myself 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

In the same way, then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant, according to God’s gracious choice, But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? That which Israel is seeking for it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Just as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see, and ears to hear not, eyes to see not, and ears to hear not down to this very day.

As David says, let their table become a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a retribution to them. Let their eyes be darkened to see not and bend their backs forever. I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be. But by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous.

Now, if their transgression be riches for the world, and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be? But I’m speaking to you who are Gentiles, inasmuch then as I am an apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection be the rejection of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

And if the first piece of dough be holy, the lump is also. And if the root be holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and become a 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 in your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 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 will also be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

For 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 shall these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and thus all Israel will be saved. Just as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob, and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.

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. For 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 in order that because of the mercy shown to you, they also may be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience that he might show mercy to all.

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.

We’ve already acknowledged the difficulty, even the controversial nature of these chapters. And here in chapter 11, we enter into one of the toughest portions of our entire climb. Some have attempted to explain these things away by suggesting that Paul is speaking about what has already transpired in history. not about what lies ahead for these nations, Israel and the Gentiles. Some believe that Paul to be discussing the history of the church, but the context does not bear out that argument that Paul is talking about church history. Throughout this discussion, Paul has been discussing two nations, the nation of Israel and the nation that is not Israel, the Gentiles. Paul’s discussion, rather, Paul’s language does not bear out the argument that Paul is talking about church history. Paul is not discussing the church past, present, or future. Throughout the entirety of his discussion, 9, 10, and 11, the church is never mentioned. Not once. What Paul is discussing here, specifically, is God’s sovereignty over the nations, plural. Specifically, God’s sovereignty over Israel and His sovereignty over the Gentiles.

And time after time in these chapters, Paul has referred to Israel that can only be understood as the Jewish people. Listen to just a brief review. Romans 931, Israel pursuing a law of righteousness did not arrive at that law. That can’t apply to the church. Romans 1019, Israel did not know, did they? Romans 1021, as for Israel, he says, all the day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people. of Elijah in chapter 11 verse 2, which verse we just read, he’s pleading with God against Israel. In verse 7, Israel is seeking what it has not obtained. In verse 25, a partial hardening has happened to Israel. And regarding Israel, his purpose is here in chapter 11, is to inform us of a great and general salvation of the Jewish people. Not the nation of Israel in its entirety, but the redeemed portion of that. Reasonable interpretation does not bear out the argument that Paul is talking about church history.

Just as not all Jews had rejected the Savior, Paul being one of them, yet Paul can speak of Israel having done so. So also when Paul speaks of a future restoration of the Jewish people, he isn’t saying that every person, every Jewish person alive will be saved, only that there will be a great inpouring of Jewish believers. and they will be saved not by law keeping but by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone all in all in this chapter Paul is pointing not to the totality of the occasional salvation of a Jewish person there will be those as well happily know what he’s referring to here is a significant future event in which great masses of Jewish people, Israel, will be converted to Christ for salvation. What a thrilling thought.

The church and Israel are separate and distinct, each with a plan of their own by God, and yet there will ultimately be one people of God redeemed by the one and same Redeemer, Saved by the same means, faith in Christ alone.

With that backdrop, let’s go again to Paul’s argument, which is a brief review of verses one through 32. The first thing that we noted a few weeks ago is that a nation, with regard to the nation’s purposes being for God’s glory, The first thing we noted was that Israel’s remnant is graced, not forsaken. To begin with, Paul characterizes Israel not as forsaken, but graced by God himself. Paul asks yet another of his classic rhetorical questions. God has not rejected his people, that is Israel, has he? It’s a reasonable conjecture, given all that Paul has said. Paul has invested no little time over the course of the two previous chapters highlighting Israel’s errors. They went about their pursuit of salvation all wrong. They did not pursue God’s righteousness, and they were effectively dulled to the call of the gospel. And so one might wonder, does this mean that God is finished with the nation of Israel? But even the way that Paul asks the question insists upon a negative answer. God has not rejected his people, has he? And Paul immediately denounces that question, may it never be. It’s the ninth time just in this letter that Paul has uttered this superlatively strong answer. And Paul goes on and on repeatedly using this literary device in order to counter bad arguments.

Brief review in chapter 3 verse 3 Paul wonders if Israel’s unbelief nullifies God’s faithfulness. May it never be, he says. In 3.5, he presents a hypothetical accusation. Is God unrighteous in the exercise of his wrath? May it never be, Paul challenges. If salvation is by faith in 3.31, do we nullify the law? May it never be, he says. If salvation is by grace, should we continue in sin so that grace might increase? May it never be, Paul says. In 6.15, if we are under the law, are we free to sin? May it never be. And in Romans 9.14, is God unjust? May it never be. And so when Paul employs this literary device here, he uses it to answer the most absurd allegations against God. And he does so here in the opening verse of chapter 11 as well. God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be. Paul goes on to use numerous arguments against the idea of God’s rejection of Israel. He uses himself first. I am an Israelite. If God rejected Israel, he too would be necessarily rejected. The second argument that he makes, subtle as it is, is that Paul refers to them here as his people, God’s people. The third argument that he uses is they are the people whom God foreknew. From eternity past, he set his love upon them. God would not reject them outright simply because he’s already chosen to love them.

God will not forsake this nation beginning in the middle of verse 2 down through verse 5 Paul clarifies here what he means by his people it isn’t every Jewish person ever born no indeed it is only what Paul calls here a remnant according to God’s gracious choice Here too, in this verse, just as we saw in chapter 10 with regard to God’s mercy, there is an exercise of divine sovereignty here. A remnant, a portion of Israel, according to God’s gracious choice.

The argument that he uses of Elijah refers to those few people of the prophet’s day who had not bowed the knee to Baal. They had not given themselves to idolatrous worship of the day. These were the exception. It wasn’t all of Israel. Rather, it was a mere 7,000, a remnant of that nation. And so it will be with regard to the salvation by faith in Christ. He says a remnant, according to God’s gracious choice, will one day come to faith in the Savior. Not every Jewish person will be saved. Only those whom God has foreknown, chosen, will in time place their faith in Jesus Christ. And so such Israelites are graced, really, not forsaken.

The nation of Israel’s initial rejection of Christ was not complete, nor is it forever. But in their initial rejection of the Messiah, God has a purpose. It opened the door of salvation to the Gentiles, the non-Jews, through the hearing of the gospel. That’s Paul’s focus in verses 11 through 14.

As we are considering God’s sovereignty over the nations, and his glory in them, not only is Israel’s remnant graced, but secondly, Israel’s rejection brings salvation to the Gentiles. Paul asks yet another of his very famous rhetorical questions. Israel did not stumble so as to fall, did they? Paul differentiates here immediately between stumbling and falling. And he does so to make clear Israel’s standing. By stumbling, Israel did indeed initially reject their Messiah. That much is a given. But Paul’s question centers on whether or not they fell. Whether or not it was to a destructive and permanent fall.

Paul asserts that this nation did stumble. They did foolishly and initially reject Christ, but they did not fall. They did not utterly and completely or irreversibly fall away from God’s grace. Israel’s rejection from Christ was deplorable indeed, and it did have terrible consequences for that nation, not the least of which was the destruction of their city and temple and the devastation and scattering of its people. And yet God has a purpose even in that. There’s a great blessing in it. It opened the door of good news, the good news of salvation through Christ to the Gentiles.

Paul says it this way at the end of verse 11. By there, that is Israel’s transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles. We can read the book of Acts and watch this unfold historically. The entire latter half of the book of Acts gives the magnificent account of Paul’s ministry of the gospel to the Gentiles. And all of this, Paul says, is a result of the Jews’ initial rejection of their Messiah. Paul says that Israel’s blunder, their stumbling, their transgression, their failure, God took and turned for good to the Gentiles. Paul refers to it as riches, spiritual riches.

But Paul implies that this opening up of the gospel to the Gentiles was really only just the beginning. He argues in verse 12 that if Israel’s transgression, the rejection of Christ, resulted in riches for the world, there will be an even greater blessing with Israel’s eventual acceptance of their Savior. How much more will their fulfillment be? He hints that even greater blessings will come from Israel’s restoration. Look at verse 15. If their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? And he uses the language of resurrection here, restoration of life from the dead. It will be as if Israel were raised from the dead.

Paul uses an illustration here, as we saw a couple of weeks ago, from the horticultural world. The grafting of one kind of plant onto another. We looked at this briefly several weeks ago, but glance again if you would at verse 17 and following. Paul says that if some of the branches of God’s choice olive tree were broken off so that branches from a wild olive tree, the Gentile nation, could be grafted onto that choice specimen. This is Paul’s graphic metaphor The fruit of Israel’s initial rejection of Christ meant the salvation of the Gentiles. But Paul’s illustration is not, in fact it would not be complete if those original branches were cut off and destroyed forever. Paul tells of the hope of the natural branches, those representing the Jewish nation, being grafted back into that original tree. Paul refers to the whole equation here as the kindness and the severity of God. Verse 22, kindness, the saving gospel to the Gentiles, severity, this painful season of rebuke to the nation of Israel. Paul has a third and final explanation here of the purpose of God being God’s glory. Israel’s remnant is graced. Israel’s rejection brings salvation to the Gentiles and the disobedience of nations and God’s merciful plan. The disobedience of the nations and God’s merciful plan.

Given the fantastic news that he’s only just shared about the non-Jewish believers, he makes an immediate appeal to humility here. They are not to be wise in their own estimation. We’re not to think that salvation was because of us, or that we had something to commend to God. Paul desires that his Gentile hearers would see the big picture. so that they would not be proud or arrogant about their newfound spiritual blessings. God’s plan is still unfolding. The situation with Israel, as Paul already suggested, is not permanent.

And because of that, he refers to Israel’s initial rejection of the Savior as a partial hardening. That sad condition will continue until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, until all those non-Jews whom God had marked out for salvation have been saved. Then, and not before, Israel too will be saved. Again, not every Jew ever born, not every Jew even alive at that juncture, but some of them a remnant

And in verse 26, Paul cites Isaiah 59, 20 through 21 as proof of God’s covenant promise to Israel. Listen to this. The deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. Paul explains this passage as pointing ultimately to Israel’s restoration to God by their eventual reception of the Messiah. Their wretched disobedience will be overcome.

In verses 28 through 32, Paul issues a humbling reminder that just as our disobedience as non-Jews was met with God’s mercy there isn’t a one of us that deserved salvation so also Israel in the midst of their own disobedience will be met by that same undeserved mercy Paul says it this way to close out the argument in verse 32 God has shut up all in disobedience This reminds us of Romans 3.23, doesn’t it? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. God has shut up all in disobedience. Why? That he might show mercy to all. That’s God’s gracious purpose. And so this is, all of it, for God’s own glory. Israel’s rejection did not upset God’s plan. Israel’s dullness did not thwart God’s intentions. This nation’s purposes, as with any people or nation, is for God’s glory.

What can our response be to such profound truth? What’s Paul’s response? Worship. And in verses 33 through 36, we have one of the most overwhelming and heartfelt expressions of worship in all of recorded scripture. These verses are a doxology, if you will, an eruption of praise by the apostle. Would you look at verses 33 through 36, the glory of God’s ways over the nations. The Apostle closes this grand section appropriately with worship, with praise, an inscription of praise to God. And in these four short verses, Paul essentially evaluates God. Then he explains his assessment of God. And then he just bows in a final statement of worship. Assessment, explanation, and worship as we close.

The first thing that Paul does is to provide his assessment of God and his dealings. Verse 33. His opening statement expresses his emotional amazement of God. He says that God is wise and knowledgeable, unsearchable, unfathomable, I was converted in the 80s, and there was a word in my vocabulary, in most young people’s vocabulary at that time, the word cool had subsided. The word in the 80s was awesome. And I remember after my conversion, using that word, and I remember being corrected by a dear brother who said that that word, awesome, is a word that should be used exclusively for God. That’s what Paul’s telling us here. He’s telling us that God is awesome. He doesn’t say it as succinctly as that one word, but that’s what he means.

Glance at verse 33, oh the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways. You can tell that Paul is utterly astounded by God by his very first word, oh, oh the depth of the riches. Paul takes into account all that he has said thus far, not only in chapters 9 through 11, but all the way back from chapter 1 forward. And he’s absolutely dumbfounded at the awesomeness of God. In order to try and put his sentiments in human terms, he speaks of the depth of the riches of both of God’s wisdom and knowledge, and his judgment and his ways. By those four elements, Paul focuses on God’s astounding plans and decrees. how he ordered things according to his own purpose and glory. God not only knows all things, he is omniscient. But even in that knowledge, he arranges all things by the exercise of his wisdom in order to fulfill his designs. Judgments likewise speak of the expressions of God’s determinative will. And his ways tell us of the means and the methods that God employs to accomplish his ends. Paul is using human terms here in an attempt to try to explain the mind of God at work. And together these four features, wisdom and knowledge, judgments and ways, meld into one divine attribute, that we might think of under the singular heading of divine providence.

Paul uses two unique words to describe God in his exercise of providence. Unsearchable, unfathomable, and both of those words are, if you will, Paul words. No New Testament writer except Paul ever uses them. These terms taken together, though, as they ought to be, they indicate man’s utter inability to make a scientific study of God. He is unsearchable in the sense that where would we even begin to examine divine providence? They are unfathomable in the sense that the overwhelming extent of God’s dealings In our finite human minds, God and his providence cannot be examined and measured, calculated, so as to determine his next move.

Scripture presents God as being incomprehensible. His greatness is unsearchable, Psalm 145.3. In Isaiah 55, the prophet records God as challenging, my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Try as we might, we cannot fully comprehend God, his dealings, his purposes. Mankind cannot figure out God so as to explain what he has already done or predict what he will do in the future. All we can do as his creation is to observe and to wonder and to worship. This is Paul’s assessment of God and his dealings. And he explains his assessment in verses 34 through 36.

Where did you get all this, Paul? Paul poses a series of three questions for his readers. Very much rhetorical. Verse 34, 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? Paul knows the answers to each of these questions. Nobody. Nobody knows the mind of the Lord. Nobody has provided counsel to him. And nobody has put God in debt. Verse 34 is a clear and near verbatim quote from Isaiah 40. The whole chapter of Isaiah 40 is a close parallel to the subject at hand here in 9 through 11. It’s God’s astounding plan of redemption. Both here and there, God admonishes the reader to humble silence before him. No human mind can begin to contemplate and fathom the depth and the intricacies of God’s providence.

Likewise, the idea of providing God advice, counsel, The very idea of doing so is so absurd that it hardly needs to be said. Picture God setting up an appointment with you to come and see you and talk with you in order to secure some comfort or advice. This would immediately suggest that we are in a position of informational superiority over our counselee. As if we are wiser than him. The question itself is a gentle but sure way of reminding us of who we are and who God is.

The third question that Paul poses in verse 35 makes clear the purpose of all three questions. Paul queries, who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again? At first glance, this question seems like an innocuous question. But throughout the entirety of this epistle, Paul has drawn focus again and again to the doctrine of justification by faith. In contrast with the errant pursuit of salvation by works righteousness. That argument builds to a crescendo in chapters 9 through 11. But it has been a consistent refrain throughout this letter. And so here, when Paul asks this question, he’s challenging the audacity of attempting to put God in debt. That’s basically what a person does when they try to earn God’s favor, earn God’s salvation by doing good things. But as Paul contended early in this chapter, a pursuit of salvation by works is no longer by grace. In other words, if such were even possible, it would be earned. In other words, it would hem God in under a cloud of indebtedness, obligation. In short, he would owe such a person salvation, But Paul disputes that here with his question. Who has first given to God that it might be paid back to him again? And the answer, just like to the other two questions, is nobody. Nobody has ever earned their salvation by law keeping. Nobody has ever put God in debt. God owes no one anything ever.

Paul moves to prove this with one single sentence. Would you glance at the first portion of verse 36? For from him and through him and to him are all things. This is a singularly admirable testimony about God’s nature. It declares that God is the originating source of everything. That God Himself is the very means by which these things come. And that He is the end of all things. Everything is for Him. Paul emphatically says that all things are from Him. He alone is the creator and the sustainer of every created thing. All things proceed from him. Secondly, all things are through him. It is by his divine agency that everything proceeds. And once created, he keeps them and directs them according to his own purposes. And finally, Paul says that all things are to him. All things terminate. with Him. All things are for His purpose and glory.

That being the case, who could ever hold anything over God’s head? Who could ever obligate God to anything? Not the least of which would be our salvation. Given all of this for Paul or for any person who hears and understands these truths there’s only one reasonable thing to do worship and this Paul does in the closing line of verse 36 to him be the glory forever amen this is the language of worship for Paul He ascribes glory to God a half a dozen times in his letters. To him be the glory is his recurring refrain in those doxologies. It is Paul’s familiar song of praise.

The apostle has spoken of the humbling inability to figure out God. Even what we do know about him are but glimpses and shadows and outlines. We must not be stymied by what we do not know about him or what we cannot comprehend. What we do know, Paul encourages, should bring us to our knees in praise and adoration. We may be left yearning for more of God. We should be. But what He has made known to us is enough to fire wholehearted reverence for Him for all the days of our life. We have enough to know that God has provided redemption for sinners, that He has revealed Himself through our Savior, Jesus Christ, and that He is sovereignly ordering everything according to His will and desire. even what little of himself and his ways he has revealed is a stirring incentive to worship him.

Would you humble yourself in his glorious presence?

Our Heavenly Father, we came before these chapters with a measure of trepidation. Their reputation goes before them. They are indeed difficult chapters, and yet we’ve come and we’ve understood that you are sovereign and in control. That a nation’s waywardness or foolish rejection of the Messiah that you provided It does no damage to your plan. It does no damage to your intentions. You are sovereign and holy and in control of all things. Lord God, we thank you for this reminder to us. Most of us are non-Jews. Most of us have enjoyed the salvation that you provided because of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah. Lord God, we humble ourself before you. We know in our hearts we did not deserve this kindness. You showed to us mercy, undeserved mercy. Not because of what we had done, but purely because of your own merciful intentions. Lord God, how can we do anything but worship you. Lord God, we thank you for the salvation that you have extended to us. We thank you for the work of salvation that you have begun in us.

And Father, we do pray for those Jewish people that are currently at odds with you, much like we were, at enmity with a holy God. Lord God, our prayer for them is that one day they too would see Christ for who He is, the Redeemer and Savior, and that they would fall on knees of repentance and faith. Lord God, in the meantime, it is our privilege to proclaim Christ, to tell all about Him. Lord God, We pray for every believer here that you would stir their hearts to the proclamation of Christ, to tell people of the good news of salvation by faith in him alone. Father God, we pray as well for any in our midst in this room who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, who are still caught up in this dreadful attitude, the attitude of Israel seeking to do enough good that God might glance in their direction, that He might favor them with His salvation because of their good deeds. Lord God, no one has ever been saved by those means. It is by acknowledging our sin and our absolute need of a Savior that we are saved. Lord, we thank you for opening our eyes to what God had provided through Christ. We pray that you would open others to come to the realization that Jesus Christ has already paid it all for sinners. Ours is but to believe, to repent of our sin, and to place our faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Father, we thank you for these chapters, rich and instructive and humbling. We pray all of these things in Jesus’ name, amen.