SCRIPTURE
Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
COMMENT
Up to this point in Romans, Paul has been talking theology. He has been trying to show that the existence of God is without doubt, that all have turned from God to selfishness and sin, to show God's patience with us, to show of God's need for justice. He also talks about man's manipulation of all of this, trying to justify our behavior so that God is to blame for our sin. He then talks about the role of faith in salvation, and how forgiveness is possible, not because of what we can do, but because of what Christ has done. He speaks of God's role in the matter...which many still cannot agree upon today. And now, in these verses, it is as if Paul's spirit has just been overwhelmed with praise. But what a praise.
Who can understand God, or what He does, or how He does it? Who can imagine to give God advice? Who can put God in their debt? No one! He is all and above all, praise the Lord!
It appears to me that it is as if Paul were standing in the presence of God, and his only response it that he is humbled. This is critical, because in Chapter 12, Paul uses the word "therefore," and I believe that these verses are what he is referring to.
One of the things that I believe has to happen in order for us to be able to appropriately respond to God is for us to see God as Paul saw Him, as the sovereign God of the universe who not only is all wise and does not need our advice, but also is perfectly content, and does not need any thing from us. He is God, and all praise goes to Him.
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