Romans 11:25-36
Today's Passage: Romans 11:25-36
This might be one of the most complex and confusing passages I have ever had to write about. But I am thankful for people smarter than me. John Piper says there are “Four Stages of God’s Design for History” that we can see from verses 30-32. Here are the four:
1) The time of Gentile disobedience—the time when God let the nations go their own ways and sink further and further into sin, while God patiently wrote a lesson book for the nations in the history of Israel as he gave them law and writings and prophets.
2) The time of Jewish disobedience—the time when they rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ, and God gave them up to hardness.
3) The time of mercy shown to millions of Gentiles through the spread of the gospel to all nations and calling out a redeemed people of God—a fullness of the Gentiles.
4) The time of mercy on Israel as God completes his redemptive plan and takes away the hardening and saves the nation of Israel with a mass conversion to Christ.
Right now, we are living in #3. The Old Testament displays #1, and we see #2 be played out in the Gospels. Romans 11 is saying there is a time for #4 to come about.
Why would God plan it this way? Piper says, “God’s aim in history to stop the mouth of human pride and magnify the greatness of His absolute free mercy.” Jews would boast over Gentiles and vice versa, but in each situation, salvation would come through God’s mercy.
Ultimately, we need to trust and rest in verses 33-36. We do not understand God’s ways, we cannot give Him council, ultimately, we trust Him because He has never proven unfaithful.
If you would like to read the whole article from John Piper, you can find it here: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-design-for-history-the-glory-of-his-mercy
Written By: Brice Stockton
This might be one of the most complex and confusing passages I have ever had to write about. But I am thankful for people smarter than me. John Piper says there are “Four Stages of God’s Design for History” that we can see from verses 30-32. Here are the four:
1) The time of Gentile disobedience—the time when God let the nations go their own ways and sink further and further into sin, while God patiently wrote a lesson book for the nations in the history of Israel as he gave them law and writings and prophets.
2) The time of Jewish disobedience—the time when they rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ, and God gave them up to hardness.
3) The time of mercy shown to millions of Gentiles through the spread of the gospel to all nations and calling out a redeemed people of God—a fullness of the Gentiles.
4) The time of mercy on Israel as God completes his redemptive plan and takes away the hardening and saves the nation of Israel with a mass conversion to Christ.
Right now, we are living in #3. The Old Testament displays #1, and we see #2 be played out in the Gospels. Romans 11 is saying there is a time for #4 to come about.
Why would God plan it this way? Piper says, “God’s aim in history to stop the mouth of human pride and magnify the greatness of His absolute free mercy.” Jews would boast over Gentiles and vice versa, but in each situation, salvation would come through God’s mercy.
Ultimately, we need to trust and rest in verses 33-36. We do not understand God’s ways, we cannot give Him council, ultimately, we trust Him because He has never proven unfaithful.
If you would like to read the whole article from John Piper, you can find it here: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/gods-design-for-history-the-glory-of-his-mercy
Written By: Brice Stockton
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