Romans 11:33-36 - God, The Source of All

Romans 11:33-36 ³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? ³⁶ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Message: God, the depths of Him; He is unsearchable; no one really knows Him; To Him be glory forever.

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.

What the Lord is Saying:

Chapter 9 and has been difficult subject matter. After putting forth the gospel in the first 8 chapter and showing the Jews that it is through God making us righteous through Christ, not through being a Jew, having circumcision, hanging onto the Law, Paul then mentions Israel's rejection of Christ, though remnants remain. Yet, by the Lord hardening Israel or allowing their rejection of Him, God has opened up the door for the Gentiles to receive truth. But, one day Israel will return. God is not finished with them. 

Here is an outline of Chapter 11 by biblepilot.com. 

• 11:1-10 God has not rejected Israel
• 11:1-6 Elect remnant chosen by grace
• 11:7-10 Hardening of the rest (11:7)
• 11:11-24 Consequences of belief and unbelief illustrated
• 11:11-12 Gentiles saved to make Israel jealous
• 11:13-16 Paul’s hope for saving some
• 11:17-21 Gentiles grafted as olive branch
• 11:22-24 Kindness and severity of God
• 11:25-32 Mystery of Israel’s salvation
• 11:25-27 Partial hardening
• 11:28-32 God is merciful
• 11:33-36 Praise for our unsearchable God

Paul concludes this non-exhaustive discussion with Praise for God. Paul hasn't answered every question, but overall concluded that God is in control. 

The Depth of God - verse 33
In light of this, Paul describes the depth of God. He is after all the creator of all, the giver of all, and He sustains all. Yes, we try to understand Him, but He is unsearchable and unfathomable. It feels like what Paul is doing is confessing to his audience, in one way, that these doctrines are a lot to handle, and yet, they should be, because God is in fact beyond our understanding. There is a depth to his understanding that we can't totally comprehend. This should be normal for us to see. Many faiths think that everything about God is to be known. No way. There is unfathomable and unsearchable. 

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? - verse 34
Isaiah 40:13-14

¹³ Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has informed Him?
¹⁴ With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?

The conclusion from these verses is rather simple. We don't tell God what to do nor do we educate Him. God is in charge. He does not consult with anyone. No one gave him understanding for he is understanding. He is truth. No one taught Him in the path of what is right and wrong. No one gave him knowledge. No one tells him how things work or gives him understanding. 

I think one of the lies that Satan tells people is that God doesn't know everything and that man is able to figure out things on his own.   

But God does reveal to man his ways. The Bible is a book of writings from men based upon the revelation by God. The challenge that comes in life often is who has God given understanding. Many people will stand up continually and say that they are the prophet that God has given understanding or they are the pastor that rightly understands a particular text or the way of truth. Everyone wants to be an authority on truth. 

Psalm 40:5
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

Something that stands out for me with the verse from Psalm 40 is that we spend so much time trying to understand God and David lets us know that God has thoughts toward us.

who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? - verse 35
Job 41:11

“Who has given to Me that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.
 

God is never obligated to us. Everything we are comes from him. We can not give something to God that He does not have.

CS Lewis: To argue with God is to argue with the very power that makes it possible to argue at all.

From Him, through Him and to Him are all things - verse 36
The context here in Romans is Paul presenting the great plan of salvation to and for all people. He was not only speaking to the Jews and only speaking to Gentiles, but speaking to everyone. And it is fitting that this verse would conclude Paul's thoughts from chapter 9-11. All of life is about God. It is from Him. It is through Him. It is to Him. How deep should our love of God be in the light of all that we have learned in these texts.   

Promise: God is the source of all