OH! Our Inscrutable God!

Church Family: For the last eleven chapters of Romans, Paul has been explaining the plan of God in saving Jews and Gentiles through Christ Jesus. This bridge section in Romans 11:33-36 brings us from eleven chapters of deep theological truths about our salvation to how it is to be applied to our lives in chapters 12-16 of Romans. Paul pauses before he gets to the application and lets the theology of all that he has discussed to erupt in doxology (words of praise). In these four verses Paul is singing praises to God for His amazing work in Jesus Christ.

Paul has shown us that the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews became the opportunity for Gentiles to be evangelized to receive the gospel. The salvation of the Gentiles then caused the elect/remnant Jews to be jealous of the believing, redeemed Gentiles. The elect/remnant Jews then throughout the generations since Christ have been coming to Christ, repenting and believing that He is God incarnate and that God raised Him from the dead after crucifixion. This has been God’s plan since before the creation of the world. This is not God’s plan B, but His plan A. His plan has always been to embrace both Jew and Gentile as His children bestowing upon them great eternal promises. God’s grace of salvation today is being extended to both Jew and Gentile across the globe drawing men and women to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for their justification.

This epic plan of God to include all nations into His eternal promises reveals the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! His judgments within this plan of salvation are unsearchable and His ways in which He brought this plan of salvation are inscrutable. That is such an amazing word, inscrutable. What does inscrutable mean? Paul is saying that it is impossible for us to fully understand the depths of God’s knowledge and wisdom to bring about salvation for even one soul. His knowledge and wisdom are unfathomable, incomprehensible, and mysterious as He works out His plan flawlessly throughout history (Romans 11:33-36).

Think with me. God’s knowledge is His omniscience. There is nothing that God does not already know before it happens. He knows everything perfectly. He knows the entire history and future for all of eternity. Pouring forth from God’s perfect knowledge comes His perfect wisdom. His wisdom is what we see carried out through the application of His knowledge.

In Romans 11:33-36, Paul is praising God for how He has worked in history with perfect knowledge and wisdom to bring about salvation for Jew and Gentile. Paul is worshipping and he wants his readers, us, to worship with him. In God’s perfect wisdom He planned for a perfect Savior to be given freely to rescue sinners from our sin, eternal death and the eternal wrath of God. All the while, as we are living and breathing on this earth today, He is directing our lives minute by minute with a perfect excellent purpose to fulfill His beautiful sovereign will.

Think about the depths of God’s understanding as He carried you through your life in all circumstances and hardships and protection to know Him and His salvation for you as your heavenly Father. He put desires in your heart. He put people in your path. He put circumstances in your life. He initiated hardships perfectly with love. He protected you from the enemy stealing you away for eternity. He has known your temptations, and heart’s desires and yet has brought your ultimate forgiveness and redemption to make all things new in your life. He has never allowed you to be tried beyond your ability always making a way of escape. He has known the questions that you have had in your heart and He answers them.

Let these truths go from our minds to our heart erupting in words or praise. Paul uses a word of great praise and affection, “OH!” This little word in the Greek is a word that shows great emotion, amazement, bewilderment, praise and glory and honor towards God. And all of this heart emotion, affection and joy is directed towards what God has done to complete our salvation through Jesus Christ. Let us dwell on the depths of God’s loving wisdom and His inscrutable ways to fulfill His eternal promise of our salvation through Jesus Christ and let our response be, “OH!” “WOW!” "Praise you God!" For from You, God, and through You and to You are all things. To God be glory forever. Amen! (Rom. 11:36.

See you Sunday, worshipping our inscrutable God: Steve