Romans 11:33, commentary and pictures

Paul bursts into praise after showing that God has not cast off Israel but keeps a remnant by grace, brings salvation to the Gentiles through Israel's fall, grafts believing Gentiles in as wild branches while broken natural branches can be grafted in again, lets partial blindness rest on Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, saves all Israel when the Deliverer turns ungodliness from Jacob, and shuts all up in unbelief to have mercy upon all. He declares how deep are the riches of God's wisdom and knowledge, how beyond tracing are His decisions and His ways, with all things from Him and through Him and to Him for glory forever, since none has known His mind or counseled Him or first given to Him to be repaid. His wisdom and knowledge and judgments and ways lie beyond full searching or explaining by finite minds, even the greatest intellects, yet He orders all in righteousness and enough of His dealings can be understood to see boundless love and mercy with infinite power. That unsearchable wisdom is most clearly seen in Christ, who embodies the Godhead and is God's wisdom, and in the cross where infinite love and justice and mercy meet beyond speech or full comprehension. Therefore no one should try to lift the veil over His hidden glory by speculation, but bow in reverence, trust His power and love beyond understanding, and give the life in obedient service to prove His good and perfect will.

Context and Plain Sense

Paul's cry of praise comes after laying out that God had not cast off Israel, that a faithful remnant according to grace remained, that through Israel's fall salvation reached the Gentiles, and that believing Gentiles as wild olive branches were grafted into the noble olive tree while unbelieving natural branches were broken off. Those broken branches can be grafted in again if they do not continue in unbelief, for blindness in part had happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. All Israel shall be saved when the Deliverer comes out of Sion to turn away ungodliness from Jacob and to take away sins, since God concluded all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all. The outburst therefore means God is abundantly able to transform the hearts of Jew and Gentile alike and to grant to every believer in Christ the blessings promised to Israel.

The verse declares the depth of the riches of both God's wisdom and knowledge, whose judgments are unsearchable and whose ways are past finding out. Joined to what follows, it traces all things as of Him and through Him and to Him, to whom be glory forever, for no one has known the mind of the Lord or been His counselor or first given to Him to require repayment. It is the greatest honor to be linked with Christ, wear His yoke, bear His burden, and labor together with God while building character with right material.

The verse closes Romans 11 and is to be read carefully and prayerfully, declaring deep richness of wisdom and knowledge whose decisions cannot be searched out and whose methods cannot be traced out. It opens the call to understand and know God's will, to increase in faith and righteousness and to grow up in Christ the living Head. It leads directly into the appeal to present the body as a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice as reasonable service, and to be changed by a renewed mind rather than shaped by the world so as to prove God's good and acceptable and perfect will. There every member has a work to do according to fitted capability and measure of faith, all blending as a complete whole, and the instruction rebukes many who claim to be Christians and must be received and practiced and not only read in order to cleanse the life.

The chapter containing the verse outlines a work for the Jewish people that must be studied and must not be ignored. That work must be carried out with special wisdom and righteousness, clearing the King's highway and giving the Jews every opportunity to receive the light and come to it. It includes the hope that Jews who accept Christ will be grafted into Christ, the true stock.

God Beyond Comprehension

O the depth speaks of riches, wisdom, knowledge, judgments, decisions, purposes, methods, ways and works of God as immeasurably deep, lying beyond human searching, discovery, tracing, explanation and full comprehension by finite, erring minds, even by the greatest intellects and most highly educated minds. His judgments cannot be searched out and His ways lie beyond human discovery, pointing to infinite wisdom, love, justice and mercy.

He is the all-wise, omniscient One who understands thoughts afar off, is acquainted with all ways, knows every word on the tongue, and knows all His works from the beginning of the world. His wisdom never makes a mistake and makes no errors, and He does not lead people into mistakes.

His unsearchable wisdom governs whom He trusts with the care of precious souls. He will not entrust His flock to those subject to erroneous evil influences, but only to those with depth of experience, substantial character, excellent judgment and steadiness who see danger hanging over the flock. He does not entrust it to those who are wavering and vulnerable to evil or who are the first to plunge into evil instead of discerning it.

Even the mysteries revealed in nature and in the common things and surroundings of daily life are past finite comprehension. Even men of the greatest intellect cannot understand them, and not even the mechanism of the human body can be fully understood or explained by finite minds. Every drop of rain, flake of snow, spire of grass, leaf, flower and shrub testifies of Him and teaches that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God and nothing too small for His attention.

God shrouds Himself in thick clouds of mystery when He reveals Himself, concealing more of Himself than He makes known. As the living personal Author and Ruler of nature He stands above all science and knows what is inexplicable to the greatest human minds. His greatness and majesty are so vast that the nations before Him are only as a drop in the bucket, human language cannot define Him, and few truly know or understand Him, for His ways cannot be traced out by men.

If men could fully understand and explain His ways and works, they would not believe Him to be the infinite One and He would not stand as supreme. They would no longer revere Him, fear His power, or trust their souls wholly in His hands.

He has not revealed to mortals exactly how He created the world in six literal days, and His existence and creative works are likewise incomprehensible. Claims about creation that go beyond Bible history rest on uncertainty, while the timing and history of things found in the earth are to be understood through the Bible.

Human knowledge of God may keep growing through life and eternity, and saints and angels increase in capability and knowledge, yet it will never reach the infinite fullness of His wisdom and power. Men may be ever searching, ever inquiring and ever learning and yet there is an infinity beyond, for searching and learning never end. His law, however, is not beyond understanding, for even the weakest mind can grasp its rules for life and character.

His ways cannot be fully discovered or predicted in advance, and the Holy One must not be limited by human plans or expectations of how He will work. No one can lay out in clear lines how He will work, because the Lord has ways and means for every emergency and will work in ways least expected, and those who mark out ways whereby He will work will be disappointed. He does not lead people into mistakes, but may allow them to teach needed lessons and in mercy bring good and blessings through them, and His kingdom does not come in a way that can simply be observed beforehand.

What May Be Known

Though clouds and darkness are round about Him, righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne, and He orders everything in wisdom and righteousness. Finite minds cannot fully comprehend His plans, judgments, ways, character or works, or discover Him completely by searching, and to the keenest intellect and most highly educated mind He must ever remain clothed in mystery. Yet people can understand enough of His dealings, purposes and motives to discern boundless love and mercy joined with infinite power.

He reveals as much of His purposes as is good for them to know, including the history of the flood as a guide to what He has revealed for good. What He has not revealed remains beyond discovery and veiled from penetration, and beyond what is good to know the omnipotent hand and loving heart, His power, love and wisdom, must still be trusted with reverent submission rather than distrust.

All that man needs to know and can know of God has been revealed in His Word and in the life of His Son the great Teacher, and about those revelations men may speak. Searching Scripture with a humble heart gives wisdom and understanding, and those who earnestly seek light turn toward that light and find ever more of these riches. Its truths are hidden from the superficial reader, and prayer for wisdom brings new light and glory from its pages.

God's dealings with human life reveal depths of wisdom and judgment that are rich treasures, though unsearchable to human understanding. These mysteries are among the ways He makes knowledge of Himself available to seekers, for He is the source of all knowledge. Intellect cultivated studiously under the control of His Spirit becomes more effective in His service, talents used are multiplied, and experience in spiritual things widens vision, so that saints and angels both increase in capability and knowledge as they work in their spheres.

The verse does not remove the need for faith upon sufficient evidence appealing to reason rather than demonstration, leaving the possibility of doubt while giving abundant testimony and the open evidence of experience. Like its Author, His Word presents mysteries finite beings can never fully comprehend, such as the entrance of sin, the incarnation of Christ, regeneration, the resurrection, and many other subjects too deep to explain, with the difficulty lying only in the weakness and narrowness of the human mind. Truths and the workings of providence can seem dark and mysterious, so they call for implicit faith and trust in His moral government.

What He reveals of Himself, even to the most elevated mind, points to an infinite depth of wisdom, purity and love beyond what has been revealed. His concealment from His people, like the cloudy pillar before ancient Israel, does not mean He has abandoned them. Those who continue in the path of duty can later look back with joy and thankfulness on the dark and difficult times.

In suffering, contemplating Christ's sacrifice and trusting Him in faith brings this truth home. Even when His purposes cannot be traced, the soul can rest in His love and praise Him.

Wisdom Revealed in Christ

Paul's outburst is prompted by contemplating the glory of the divine character as revealed in Christ, for Christ embodies the glory of the Godhead and represents the Father, and all that can be known of God to the saving of the soul is the measure of the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. He is Immanuel, God with us, who is the wisdom of God, and the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge is displayed in the love that reaches out for the recovery of lost and ruined man. That same depth means God with believers in Christ Jesus to accompany them every step of the journey to heaven, with the Holy Spirit as comforter, guide in perplexity, soother of sorrows, and shield in temptation. This lays a broad foundation for faith and places before the believing soul a hope big with immortality.

The infinite wisdom, love, justice and mercy of God are made known in the cross, beyond human speech, writing or comprehension. The revelation centers in Christ crucified for sins, risen from the dead, ascended on high, and ever living to intercede. He left equality with God to take the form of a servant and become human, humbled Himself in obedience to death on the cross, rose to the right hand of God, and saves to the uttermost those who come to God. As a sinless high priest tempted in all points He sympathizes with human weakness, and this is the depth of God's riches in wisdom and knowledge.

The depth is hidden in the story of Bethlehem as an exhaustless theme. It is seen in the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. That exchange rebukes human pride and self-sufficiency, yet it was only the beginning of His wonderful condescension.

To take man's nature even as Adam had it in innocence in Eden would already have been an almost infinite humiliation. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened and defiled by four thousand years of sin, accepting like every child of Adam the results of the great law of heredity as shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came to share human sorrows and temptations, to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, and to give the example of a sinless life. God permitted His Son to come as a helpless babe subject to human weakness, though Satan had hated Christ for His position in heaven and hated Him more when dethroned and when He pledged Himself to redeem sinners, and though Satan claimed dominion over this world, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it at the risk of failure and eternal loss.

The verse expresses the depth of wisdom and knowledge in the salvation of the human family laid in the sacrifice of Him who was equal with God. Christ made redemption possible by submitting to Satan's misrepresentations, thereby exposing Satan as the cause of disloyalty in God's universe and forever settling the great controversy between Christ and Satan. His judgments are unsearchable and His ways past finding out, no finite mortal has known the mind of the Lord or been His counsellor, no one has first given to Him so that God must repay, and all things are of Him and through Him and to Him, to whom be glory forever. Hence it is the greatest honor to link with Christ, wear His yoke, bear His burden, and labor together with God while building character with right material. The salvation Jesus secured by paying the ransom and dying in humanity's place is a fitting cause for the exclamation, being a work beyond human power to accomplish or fully comprehend.

The immeasurable riches are seen in the gift of His only-begotten Son, for the depth of God's riches is the glory of His love shown in giving Him. The love of Christ is so broad and glorious that everything people consider great or important becomes insignificant beside it. Christ's life shows this love through compassion, grace, humility, truth and love.

The depth is shown in God's long-suffering with human perversity and rebellion, restraining His own power and holding back the powers of darkness, preserving life and leaving sinners opportunities for forgiveness and acceptance. His patience is not acquittal of the wicked, and presuming on His mercy by continuing in sin is dangerous. It is shown in sending Christ in human form to reveal the divine nature in contrast with sinful human nature and to make the Father known, clothing divinity with humanity and living the law of God in perfect purity though tempted in all points without sin.

Through Christ's redeeming power fallen people deceived by Satan can be recovered, for Christ came to live and die to save them, defeat Satan's purpose, and make a life of obedience to God's law possible for people of every nation. He thereby makes it possible for men under the sorest temptation to return to God as their center, to accept God as Creator and Christ as Redeemer, and by faith to grasp the divinity revealed in Christ's life, to receive grace and the Holy Spirit of obedience, to partake of the divine nature, and to escape the corruption in the world through lust in a life of true obedience. Under the Holy Spirit's discipline their influence and abilities, once used destructively, become means of correcting evil, restoring good, recovering souls, and binding them to God as they cooperate with God in saving others.

Christ embodies the wisdom in which are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, displayed in seeking to recover humanity from degradation and ruin. His wisdom can mold and elevate human character, but human pride in its own wisdom and righteousness must be surrendered at the cross so that people may know Christ. The depth in man's redemption means unity with Jesus Christ that unites believers to God as one man by one rule of life in a chain of mutual dependence fastened to the throne of God. By connecting humanity with divinity through reformative influences and sanctifying heavenly agencies, God in divine wisdom made provision for man to be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped corruption through lust, to have evil expelled from the soul and the desire to do evil destroyed, to destroy all difference and disunion by union with the great Center, so God's people are made one with Christ and loved by the Father as He loves His own Son. The same depth is seen in the beautiful scenes He has prepared in the natural world, such as delightful scenery and woods in lovely autumn dress, and looking upon these beauties proves that He loves us.

Reverence Instead of Speculation

No presumptuous hand is to lift the veil that conceals divine glory or probe hidden power and presence, for no mortal mind can penetrate the secrecy in which God dwells and works, and the hiding of His power is mercy because to uncover the divine presence is death, with only what He sees fit to reveal open to comprehension. Reason must acknowledge an authority superior to itself, and heart and intellect must bow to the great I AM. Finite, erring man must not attempt to interpret God, for the all-wise, omniscient One who understands thoughts afar off, is acquainted with all ways, knows every word on the tongue, and knows all His works from the beginning is above discussion, so that here silence is eloquence and men must not put their own interpretation upon Him nor indulge in speculation regarding His nature. Men must be very careful how they speak of Him, for all speculative words will be brought to light in the day when falsehood and truth are placed in sharp contrast, and He can speedily bring to naught foolish devisings of man.

What He has revealed of Himself in His Word and in the life of His Son the great Teacher may be talked about, but when it comes to His person and presence only confession is lawful — Thou art God, and Thy ways are past finding out. Human talent, conjecture, and stretched reason cannot delineate God, and all such efforts to exalt self and define Him are only guesswork and trifling with the Ruler in the heavens. It is sacrilegious to plant seeds of speculation about where God is and what He is in the minds of young or old, for such seeds grow into infidelity, cheapen His greatness, and endanger those who engage in the discussion with destruction. Such reasoning to exalt self by tracing out God trifles with Him by Satan's sophistries and leads the mind away from the perils and duties of the hour, and it answers the temptation to place science above God when scientific problems are presented to itching minds. Instead of trying to search out God, man is to stand before Him as a humble penitent and suppliant, confessing to be only a finite, erring, sinful human being.

His ways cannot be found out by those who know Him not, and cannot be interpreted or explained even by the most learned men of science. Only those entirely stripped of self and selfishness and made partakers of the divine nature can understand His ways and workings, and they understand by the help of spiritual faculties. To refuse belief because the infinite power by which He reveals Himself cannot be comprehended is wrong, leading men to doubt His existence and ascribe infinite power to nature, yet His existence, character, and law stand as facts no reasoning can overthrow. The many questions asked in Scripture were not asked to be answered but to call attention to the deep mysteries of God and to teach human limits of wisdom, showing that unanswerable questions are given to turn attention to God. Both in divine revelation and in nature He has given mysteries that are incomprehensible to command faith.

He is to be honored even more for what He does not reveal than for what lies open to limited understanding, for His unrevealed wisdom is as worthy of reverence as what He has revealed. In divine revelation He has given incomprehensible mysteries to command faith, seeking to instruct finite men to exercise faith in Him and trust themselves and their souls wholly in His hands, since His love can never be explained upon natural principles. Light shines ever brighter on the pathway of those who walk in its rays as they keep searching, inquiring, and learning, while rejection of heaven's light brings darkness dense and impenetrable.

Trust and Obedient Living

Finite minds cannot fully comprehend the plans, judgments, or ways of God or discover Him completely by searching, yet enough of His dealings and motives can be understood to discern boundless love and mercy joined with infinite power, for He orders everything in wisdom and righteousness. What He has revealed of His purposes is what is good to be known, and beyond that reverent submission is due rather than distrust, trusting His power and love. His ways cannot be fully discovered or predicted in advance and His kingdom does not come in a way that can simply be observed beforehand, so walking is to be by faith rather than by sight while trusting Him to work in His own way even when present messengers fail and people now in error receive the truth and take up the work.

The wisdom and counsels of God are deep beyond the finite mind's ability to comprehend, and the methods and simple means He chooses may appear foolish or ineffective to those who trust in their own wisdom, yet they succeed through His power. His ways are past finding out and His power is of old, so the Holy One must not be limited by human plans, for the Lord has ways and means for every emergency and will work in ways least expected. Those who mark out in clear lines the ways whereby He will work will be disappointed. He must be left to work in His own way in His solemn, sacred work, with movement forward in firm reliance upon Him, watching unto prayer in hope, gratitude, and victory of faith that influences others to follow His leadings. Trust is therefore to be put not in what self can do but in what God can do, going forward with faith and patience through sifting, trying times and apparent impossibilities without questioning the length or obstacles of the way.

His ways cannot be understood in this life, for He holds His saints safely in His hand yet why earthly trials are permitted remains hidden and will never be known till reaching the golden gate in heaven. His long-suffering and forbearance are examples of those unfathomable ways, restraining His own power and holding back the powers of darkness, preserving life and leaving sinners opportunities for forgiveness and acceptance. That patience is not acquittal of the wicked, and to presume on His mercy by continuing in sin is dangerous. His wisdom is joined with measureless, everlasting love for His children, a love not uncertain and fluctuating but as far above all other love as the heavens are above the earth and ever watching over them. Hope for eternal life therefore rests in Him rather than in fallible people, and the more His love is felt the greater the amazement at its depth, leading to greater meekness and humility.

Leaving Him to depend upon erring and fallible fellow men brings Him into controversy with His people and cripples them spiritually. Because man is finite, erring, and fallible, no man is given the work of ruling over or judging his fellow men. Men must therefore be very humble, cease making self the center, take the Lord Jesus as center, wear His yoke, learn His meekness and lowliness, and teach those lessons in word and deed in a work reaching to the ends of the earth. The depth of His wisdom and knowledge is to be recognized rather than turning God-given ability toward hurting one another by contention, strife, questioning, fault-finding, misinterpreting words and acts, discouraging one another, and putting out a brother's light. Instead that ability is to be devoted to seeking knowledge and spiritual strength from God, putting the mind on heavenly things and loving one another as Christ loved.

When all powers are sanctified to discern the blessed features of Christ's character, far more can be known, reaching heights and sounding depths of experience in order to be the light of the world, while learning how little is known of sweet communion with God and the mysteries of the future life. The instruction that follows the outburst of praise closes the chapter by tracing all things as of God and through God and to God with glory forever, then appealing to give the body as a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice as reasonable service and to be changed by a renewed mind rather than shaped by the world so as to prove His good and acceptable and perfect will. That instruction rebukes many who claim to be Christians and must be received and practiced and not only read in order to cleanse the life. Glory, majesty, and power belong to God as all in all, worthy of more honor, glory, and praise than mortals can bestow, so there can be no question in regard to His will and purpose. Because He has redeemed by the price of agony and blood, those to whom He has given reasoning powers owe Him perfect obedience and pure service and praise, and must not worship idols or extol the creature above the Creator. The angels who rebelled fell through the opposite course, becoming discontent because they could not understand His purposes in exalting Jesus and giving Him great power and authority.