Read Romans 11:16–36
For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may
have mercy on them all.
Romans 11:32
We must remember that God chose the Jews so that the Gentiles
might be saved. “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” was
God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3). The tragedy was that Israel
failed to share the truth with the Gentiles. But God declared both
Jews and Gentiles to be lost and condemned. This action meant that
He could have mercy on all because of the sacrifice of Christ on the
cross (Rom. 11:28–32).
Having contemplated God’s great plan of salvation for Jews and
Gentiles, all Paul could do was sing a hymn of praise. Only a God as
wise as our God could take the fall of Israel and turn it into salvation
for the world! His plans will not be aborted, nor will His purposes lack
fulfillment (Isa. 46:10). No human being can fully know the mind of
the Lord (1 Cor. 2:16), and the more we study His ways, the more we
offer Him praise. Are we to conclude that God does not know what
He is doing? Of course not! God is too wise to make plans that will
not be fulfilled. Israel did not allow Him to rule, so He overruled!
Something to Ponder
Has God ever “overruled” any of your plans? How did you feel when
it happened?