Sunday 21Ae, Proper 16Ab. Epistle.

Praise to God. 11:33-36

Introduction
Paul, having argued in chapter 11:1-32, that the "hardening" of the Jews, as to number, is not total, and as to time, is not final, rounds up chapters 9-11 with praise to God, praise to the all-wise and almighty Sovereign whose resources, wisdom, decisions, and methods are beyond anyone's comprehension, v33-36. Our God is the Originator, Director, and End of all things.

The passage
Our passage for study serves as a hymn of wonder and adoration addressed to God in all his majesty. It expresses the mystery of God's grace toward broken humanity, a mystery that cannot be fathomed, a mystery that lies in the very majesty of God.
Hodge, in his commentary on Romans says of this passage: "The reason why man can lay God under no obligation is, that God is himself all and in all; the source, the means and the end. By him all things are; through his power, wisdom and goodness, all things are directed and governed. God is the source, the constantly working cause, and end of all things. When Paul asks, who has first given to God? The answer is: No one, for of him, through him and to him, are all things. It is for the display of his character everything exists, and is directed, as the highest and noblest of all possible objects. Creatures are as nothing, less than vanity and nothing in comparison with God. Human knowledge, power and virtue, are mere glimmering reflections from the brightness of the divine glory. That system of religion, therefore, is best in accordance with the character of God, the nature of man and the end of the universe, in which all things are of, through, and to God; and which most effectually leads men to say, 'not unto us, but unto thy name be all the glory'"
v33. God's riches, wisdom and knowledge are beyond measure. "How could man ever understand the reasons for (His) action, or explain the methods of (His) working?", Phillips.
v34-35. Paul, quoting Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11a, asks three questions which express the transcendent wisdom and self-sufficiency of God. The quotes serve to support v33a. The third question, v35, makes the point that it is impossible to put God in our debt.
v36a. In the first half of the verse Paul states that God is the creator, the sustainer, the ruler and the goal, of everything.
v36b. Paul concludes with a doxology - a statement of praise to God.

The wonder of God
"The leading principle of all is, that God is the source of all good; that in fallen man there is neither merit nor ability; that salvation, consequently, is all of grace, as well as sanctification as pardon, as well election as eternal glory. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen", Hodge.

There are times in our lives when we catch a glimpse of God's hand at work. These events are often rare because we live most of our lives away from the centre of God's will. That is, we live our lives in the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life. We focus on living, rather than the living God.
Life is most often focused on buying and selling, living and loving, courting and mating, planting and reaping.... There is nothing evil with the secular life. God is the source and sustainer of all that is about us. His general providence is behind everything we touch. Circumstance ebbs and flows, often without order or purpose. We may want to imagine God's hand in these events, but they are little more than random cause and effect. Most often these circumstances are "good", for God's creation is "good", but then sometimes they are evil, for his "good" creation is stained by sin.
Yet, there are events, circumstances, which, in a special way, display the hand of God, and reveal a deep "knowledge" of him. These events are part of God's special providence. Special providence concerns his determined purpose to conform a people into the likeness of his Son. From the beginning of time God determined, purposed, to gather a people to himself and to glorify them, Rom.8:28-30. So, throughout history we can observe a righteous line, a remnant people, a people saved by grace through faith. Nothing has ever hindered God's purpose to gather this people to himself, and nothing will ever hinder this purpose. Even the wilful acts of sinful humanity may serve God's purpose. Take, for example, the crucifixion of Jesus. God's eternal purpose is realized despite the human malaise. It is then we learn something of God's "wisdom and knowledge."
When we catch a glimpse of God's special providence we are usually taken by the mystery of if all. We can well cry with Paul, "his paths are beyond tracing out." Indeed, "who has known the mind of the Lord?" Yes, the "depth of the riches and of the wisdom and the knowledge of God" are "beyond tracing out".

Discussion
1. In what sense is the knowledge of God "deep"?
2. Discuss the three elements of v36a. Each speak of God's divinity.
3. Have you ever glimpsed the wonder of God's hand upon your life? If so, you may like to share your experience.

Textual notes Abbreviations, Bibliography

Against the heresy of nomism (that a believer's standing before God is maintained and progressed by obedience to the law), Paul sets out in Romans to develop his thesis that right-standing in the sight of God is appropriated by faith and not works of the law, 1:16-17. He establishes that sin is universal, whether for a lax Gentile believer, or a "righteous" Jewish believer, such that in the end, right-standing before God (covenant compliance), with its promised blessings (reconciliation, sonship, the gift of the Spirit, right living and eternal salvation), rests on Christ's atoning work appropriated through faith and not submission to the Mosaic law. Yet, how can we be sure of these promises when the divine Abrahamic promises seem unfulfilled? Has not God abandoned national Israel? If God's covenant promises to Israel are unfulfilled, how can we be sure they will be fulfilled for us, the children of faith? Has not the Abrahamic covenant failed, 9:6a?
In answering this question, Paul's argument is advanced in a clearly defined literary unit with an introduction, 9:1-5, a statement/question defining the problem, 9:6a, a three-staged developed argument, 9:6b-11:32, and a conclusion, 11:33-36. In these three chapters Paul establishes that God's covenant promises have not failed since a remnant according to grace has facilitated a true Israel, 9:6b-29, that national Israel's present condition of unbelief is due to its own pursuit of law-righteousness, 9:30-10:21, and that Israel's present state of unbelief is not final in that it does not annul God's promises, 11:1-32.
So, "has God's covenant promises to Israel failed?" 9:6a. Paul first establishes, in 9:6b-29, that not all Jews are part of God's true Israel and therefore, as an ethnic people, they cannot "establish a legitimate claim on God's favor based on national heritage", Mounce. Then, in 9:30-10:21, Paul establishes that God's promises to Abraham always rested on faith and it was Israel's inclination to maintain covenant standing by obedience to the law of Moses, rather than faith, that has led to the bulk of Jews being excluded from the new covenant. In 11:1-32, Paul goes on to argue that "this is not God's last word. Israel is not doomed to final rejection", Hunter, 11:2a. First, Paul establishes that Israel's rejection is not total, 11:1-10, he then goes on to argue that neither is Israel's rejection final, v11-24, and then finally he outlines, in v25-32, God's universal purpose of mercy, both for Israel and the Gentiles.
Now, in v33-36, Paul concludes his argument with a doxology of gratitude. Many Israelites have failed to appropriate the blessings of the covenant, yet a remnant have and this remnant, along with an influx of Gentiles, is but a taste of God's ultimate mercy - of his faithfulness to covenant promises. To this end Paul is "lost in wonder, love and praise."
For an overview of the main interpretive approaches to chapters 9-11 see notes for 9: 1-5

v33
\W "Oh" - An exclamation expressing deep emotion of awe and wonder.
baqoV (oV) "the depth" - depth. Deep in the sense of a deep, or high (depending on how you view it) pile of gold, money, etc. "The inexhaustible and unsearchable fullness of God", Strobel.
ploutou (oV) gen. "of the riches" - of riches. The "depth/fullness" is modified by the genitive "of riches", a "fullness" that consists of abundant spiritual riches. Similarly for "wisdom" (a "fullness" that consists of the divine plan of salvation / mercy ????) and "knowledge" (a "fullness" that consists of the totality of God's knowledge. Note that elsewhere the genitive "of God" would be treated as an objective genitive, of our knowledge about God). "O the depth of the wealth, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God."
anexeraunhta adj. "unsearchable" - unfathomable [the judgments of him]. Expressing "the complete impossibility of any of the human race penetrating the mind of God", Morris.
anexicniastoi (oV) "beyond tracing out" - incomprehensible, inscrutable. "How could man ever understand the reasons for (His) action, or explain the methods of (His) working?", Phillips.

v34
Isaiah 40:13. Paul uses this quote and the one following, to support his statement in v33a. Isaiah is not quite saying that God's ways are inscrutable, although Paul certainly uses the quote to this end.
gar "-" - for. Here transitional, but possibly a bit causal; "and so we read", Cassirer.
sumbouloV (oV) "counselor" - counselor, advisor. hapax legomenon, once only use in the NT. The question intends a negative answer, "no one has the authority or ability to counsel God." For Isaiah, the question relates to the scepticism of Israel with regard to God's promises, for Paul the issue concerns the majesty of God. Jewett suggests that behind the quote lies a barb directed at the Gentile members of the Roman church whose anti-Semitism has clouded their understanding of the place of Israel in God's plans. This view is widely held in new-perspective circles.

v35
Job 41:3, although certainly not a direct quote. Again expressing the majesty of God in an ironic statement/question; "what man ever gave God anything that put God in his debt?", Barclay.
kai "-" - and. Introducing "a result that comes from what precedes", BAGD.
proedwken (prodidwmi) aor. "given to [God]" - previously gave, gave before [to him]. Hapax legomenon. Referring to a payment made in advance.

v36
The construction of this verse involves the piling up of prepositional phrases which serve well to express a final note of praise and adoration.
oJti "for" - Here expressing cause/reason.
ex + gen. "from [him]" - out of, from. God as the source of all things.
dia + gen. "through [him]" - through, by means of. God as the instrument of all things.
eiV + acc. "to him" - to, into. Possibly "all things are for him, but more likely in a directional sense, "toward", "he is the goal of them all", Cassirer; "all ends in him", Moffatt; the "all", ta panta, being the totality of everything.
eiV touV aiwnaV "forever" - to the ages. Paul is ascribing all glory to God for eternity.

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Romans

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