Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!   How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

(34) For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has become His counselor?  (35) Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to Him?

(36) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.

The letter to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul to the Christian community in Rome in advance of Paul’s intended visit to the Church there.  He is outlining how God is sovereignly designing and controlling salvation history for man.  God permitted Gentiles to go their own way and revealed Himself to the Jews.  Then the Jews rejected the Messiah and crucified the sinless Son of God.    God then preserved a remnant of the Jews for Himself – for example, Paul himself was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” and the Apostle to the Gentiles – and God showed His mercy to the Gentiles.  Paul tells us in Romans that Israel will return to God through jealousy of the Gentiles. So, what Paul is showing us is the only way of salvation is NOT through human works, but through God’s purpose – His grace and mercy.

This leads to today’s verses where Paul breaks out in praise of the breadth and depth of the riches of God’s mercy and judgment.  In verses 34 and 35 Paul is quoting the books of Isaiah and Job from the Old Testament which are saying the same thing – that God is all in all and man is nothing.  We cannot comprehend God’s mind – not even close – and we should humble ourselves and worship Him.  We should not be the center of our lives as God alone brings comfort to our souls.  Man cannot ever comprehend the greatness of God – we owe God everything and God owes us nothing.

The universe belongs to God and there is nothing we can do or give that places God in our debt.  This is the Biblical doctrine of grace – that it is not earned but is a gift initiated by God.  Grace is the heart of our relationship with God.  God’s greatness is beyond our comprehension.  Paul is overwhelmed here and so should we be.  All things exist and work together because of God’s purpose and for His glory.  Our lives begin in God, continue by His bounty and return to Him.  Amen.