'Ro 11:25-36

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Completion of God’s great plan (Ro 11:25-36)

The Gentiles should not feel self-satisfied, but rather understand the purposes of God that Paul has now revealed to them. God has used the hardening of Israel to give the Gentiles the opportunity to receive the gospel, but neither the hardening of Israel nor the opportunity for the Gentiles will last for ever. God is using the conversion of the Gentiles to bring about the salvation of Israel. When Paul uses the words ‘full number’ and ‘all’ in speaking of the salvation of the Gentiles and of Israel, he is not saying that every Gentile and every Israelite will be saved. He has clearly shown earlier that faith, not nationality, is the basis of salvation.

What he reveals here is how God is bringing about the completion of his great plan to build for himself a universal and everlasting people (Ro 11:25-27).

In turning from Israel to the Gentiles, God has not forgotten the promises he made to Israel’s ancestors. He still has a special love for Israel, and that is why he wants the conversion of Gentiles to lead to the conversion of Jews (Ro 11:28-29).

Gentiles and Jews have both in turn been disobedient; but just as the Jews were the means of God’s mercy going to the Gentiles, so the Gentiles are now the means of his mercy going to the Jews. Because all are proved sinners, God can have mercy on all (Ro 11:30-32).

God’s sovereign choice, far from being unjust, has been the means of his mercy being extended to people of all nations. This displays his unsearchable wisdom and causes his thankful people to give him praise and glory (Ro 11:33-36).