Romans 11:25-36: "God's Master Plan, Pt. 3"

Paul concludes this section by explaining that God's setting aside of Israel was planned and purposeful. He had just finished warning the Gentiles against boasting in their salvation because of the Jews rejection of Christ. He wants to pull aside both Jews and Gentiles and again help them see that God is sovereignly working out His plan of salvation. What was previously a mystery to them Paul desires to show them how God has sovereignly worked throughout history to bring salvation to the Jews first and then the Gentiles. Paul writes, "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation". The problem Paul is trying to show them is that they are so reliant on themselves for salvation. He wants to take them aside to say 'stop trying to take credit, in the end God has worked everything out in His sovereignty'. That plan that was previously a mystery is that "a partial hardening has happened to Israel". As Paul had explained earlier, the Jews have rejected their Messiah, however, there has always been a remnant that God has kept for Himself. This is shown in the use of the term "partial". Paul then explains that this partial hardening has been purposeful for the salvation of the Gentiles, and will occur "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. MacArthur writes, "the hardening will last only for God's divinely determined duration. It began when Israel rejected Jesus as her Messiah and Savior, and it will end when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in". He then summarizes the end result "and thus all Israel will be saved". Once the full number of Gentiles has entered the kingdom of God, it will then signal the beginning of Israel's final redemption. MacArthur explains, "All Israel must be taken to mean just that - the entire nation that survives God's judgment during the Great Tribulation. The common amillenial view that all Israel refers only to a remnant redeemed during the church age does injustice to the text". Paul must have been extremely excited to break that wonderful news to his Jewish brethren, which had previously been a mystery to them.

Paul continues to reveal God's perfect plan in salvation by using Old Testament Scripture once again, "just as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob'". Throughout Romans Paul has completely pulled the rug out from under his Jewish brethren. He has devastated those who stood on ancestory, tradition, and good works for salvation. They must have felt completely ripped apart from all Paul was saying. Paul was merely holding them up to the truth and explaining all that God had said in the Scriptures they had studied their whole lives. Paul again brings them to the scriptures to help them see that God will make good on His promise to them as He has planned since eternity. Paul is showing them that someday Israel will turn back to it's Messiah and He will "remove ungodliness from Jacob". He quotes from Isaiah again, "And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins." MacAthur writes, "The ultimate salvation of Israel is also assured by divine certainty. In order for 'all Israel [to] be saved,' all her sin must be forgiven and removed. And that is expressly what God promises to do . . . The promise is unconditional. It will not depend on Israel's deciding on its own to come back to the Lord but on the Lord's sovereignly bringing Israel back to Himself".

Paul continues, "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". Because of their rejection of the Messiah, the Jews had become enemies with God, opening the door for the Gentiles temporarily. However, from all eternity God has beloved His chosen people, with the eternal perspective of all He would save from the time of Isaac and Jacob, until the whole nation of Israel is saved one day. MacArthur writes, "From the permanent, eternal standpoint of God's sovereign chose, Israel is even now (they are) and forever will be beloved for the sake of the fathers- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When the Lord elected (by divine choice) the nation of Israel to be His own people, He bound Himself by His own promises to bring Jews to salvation and to be forever His beloved and holy people. During this present age, Israel might be called the 'beloved' enemies of God. Because of unbelief, they are, like all the unsaved, at enmity with God (Rom. 5:10; 8:7)". However, as God has promised, He will pour out His mercy on His chosen nation once the fullness of the Gentiles has been let in, "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable". This last statement is the main point Paul is trying to drive home: that God's grace is the only thing that saves us, and He will be true with His promises. As this relates to the Jewish people, Paul has been trying to show them that their self-righteousness will get them nowhere, it is only through trusting in Christ and accepting His grace that they may be saved. They also must understand that all that God has promised will come true, they just did not understand it properly.

To continue to show God's sovereignty and mercy, Paul comes back to summarize all he has said at the beginning of this section, "For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy". Speaking to the Gentiles, Paul points out that just as they had once been disobedient and without mercy, because of the Jews rejection, have been shown mercy and grace by God. How much more, now, will Israel be shown mercy when they return to God? Basically reiterating the same points he had made earlier. This all leads up to show that "God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all". This shows God's power and sovereignty in whom He chooses to save. No one can reason with God who is in constant disobedience to Him, He has shut Him up. MacArthur writes, "Man's sin, manifested in his willful disobedience, provides a means for God to demonstrate the magnitude and graciousness of His mercy. Were there no disobedience, there would be no need for and there could be no expression of God's mercy. To reveal Himself as merciful, He permitted sin. He has shut up all - the whole world, Jew and Gentile - in disobedience and unbelief in order that He might show mercy to all who repent of their sin and turn to Him for gracious salvation".

Paul finishes the section with the only proper response to all that has been said and that is a beautiful doxology to God, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!". After the uncompromising truth of all that Paul had just said, there is no perfect understanding of it. The depth of what had been said was far beyond human comprehension. Somehow God had perfectly planned all that has occurred while maintaining man's responsibility of faith. Because all readers would be hard pressed to completely comprehend all that had been said, all Paul can do is praise God for being above our thoughts. He continues to be in awe of God's master plan for salvation, "How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!". Paul is left basically speechless to explain an infinite God to finite people. Paul, as he often does, asks three rhetorical questions to finish up the section and further separate God's holiness from our sinfulness. "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 form Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen". What an amazing section of chapters. Paul has explained the Master plan of salvation to his brethren using the very scriptures they had their whole lives, yet until now, had been a mystery to them. Paul can't help but think through all that God has done for His people despite their rejection, and breaks out into wonderful praise to Him.