Romans 11:25-36 God’s extreme mercies
Romans 11:25-36
A
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery —so that you will not be wise in your own estimation —that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“ The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “ This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
B
28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
C
30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
D
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.
Background
Paul reminds the Gentile believers that God’s salvation plan for the world will include their Israel brothers. Because God has preserved a remnant for Israel, Israel’s rejection of the gospel is only partial and temporary. God’s extreme mercies and capacity for forgiveness will once again reach out to Israel through the remnant. This shows that God does not give up on even the hardest of sinners. If God has not given up on Israel, we must also not give up on anyone.
Having said that, Gentiles believers must not be arrogant but learn from the mistakes of Israel and not to repeat them. Both Israel and the Gentiles are arrogant and disobedient at some point, if not for the extreme mercies of God, none can be saved. As Christians, do we accept people’s criticism with an open mind? Do we despise others thinking that we have all the right answers? Today’s devotion reminds us of the extreme mercies of God.
Observation
A
Paul warns Gentile believers not to become conceited through the mistaken assumption that God has abandoned Israel, lest they become “wise in their own estimation.” The God who knows Israel intimately has determined that their hardening is neither total nor permanent, but partial and temporary.
Paul therefore holds out hope that, through the witness of a faithful remnant, Israel will yet come to repentance—but only after the Gentile world has been fully evangelized, “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” This does not imply that every individual of Jewish descent will be saved indiscriminately; rather, salvation remains contingent upon repentance from sin and the acknowledgment of God as Lord.
What this reveals is God’s enduring faithfulness. He does not abandon the rebellious, even those who have long stood opposed to the gospel. Israel’s present resistance does not nullify God’s covenantal purposes, for His mercy remains at work, patiently calling all—Jew and Gentile alike—to repentance and faith.
B
Although Israel persecuted the ministers of the gospel, from the standpoint of the gospel they are regarded as enemies; yet they remain God’s people because His love is unchanging. God is like a loving Father who never ceases to reach out to children who have gone astray. His love, His gifts, and His calling toward them are not revoked, for “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”
At the same time, Israel’s persecution of the apostles and evangelists served, in God’s providence, to propel the gospel outward. What was intended for harm became the means by which the message of salvation was carried to the rest of the world.
C
Paul makes this statement in the context of his own ministry, having been compelled to turn to the Gentiles because of Israel’s rejection of the gospel. Yet Israel’s disobedience did not thwart God’s purposes; rather, it became the means by which mercy was extended to the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry. This was intentional within God’s redemptive design, so that the salvation of the Gentiles might provoke Israel to jealousy and ultimately lead them to repentance—“because of the mercy shown to you, they also may now receive mercy.”
Therefore, there is no basis for either Israel or the Gentiles to despise one another, for all have been disobedient at one time or another. Salvation rests not on human merit, but on God’s mercy and unfailing love. As Paul concludes, “God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”
D
God’s infinite wisdom is displayed in the way He confronts wickedness and injustice in the world. In the days of the Old Testament, many of Israel’s leaders acted corruptly—exploiting the people and abusing their authority. Some might argue that God should simply destroy the wicked and spare the righteous. Yet Scripture reminds us that none is truly righteous; even those who claim innocence often oppress the vulnerable within their own communities.
Consequently, God orders the course of history in ways that surpass human understanding. As Paul exclaims, “How unsearchable are His judgments, and how unfathomable His ways!” Though His purposes may remain hidden from us, God’s decisions are never arbitrary. They are always wise, merciful, and just.
Truth
1. Once God adopts you as His child, you belong to Him—unless you choose to abandon Him.
“The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” No matter how rebellious His children may become, nothing diminishes God’s love or His longing for their return. What God began with Israel, He will bring to completion when Christ returns as the victorious Messiah. God does not give up on His people; He desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Therefore, when believers backslide, we must not give up reaching out to them, for God has not given up on them. And if you yourself have strayed in any way, there is no better time than now to turn back to God. As Jesus promises, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37).
2. Do not assume that you know yourself so well that you are beyond correction.
God sees what lies hidden in the heart—things we ourselves often fail to recognize. This is why Paul warns Gentile believers against arrogance. Some appear humble and sincere, yet when success or promotion comes, they grow distant from those who once walked closely with them. Many later confess that they long for simpler days, when life felt lighter despite having less.
No one imagines being unfaithful on the day they marry, yet few recognize their own vulnerability to sin and temptation. Success has a way of revealing our corruption, for all of us are frail and fallible. Were it not for God’s enduring mercy, we might have destroyed ourselves long ago. Therefore, let us remain humble and open to correction, that we may be transformed and experience more of God’s mercy—for “God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.”
3. God’s faithfulness extends beyond you—to your children and your children’s children.
Just as God remains faithful to Israel for the sake of Abraham—“beloved for the sake of the fathers”—so He remembers His covenant across generations. This is a powerful incentive to remain faithful and to love God wholeheartedly, knowing that His faithfulness reaches beyond our own lifetime. Even if our children rebel or walk away, God remembers His covenant and continues to pursue them with steadfast love.
4. God’s blessings in your life may draw others toward repentance—but remember what true blessing is.
God may use His favor upon your life to stir others to jealousy and awaken their desire to seek Him. Yet the greatest blessings are not material prosperity, but peace, joy, health, unity within the community, and a clear sense of divine calling. These are the signs of a life deeply rooted in God’s mercy and grace.
Application
1. Do you remember the time when God first spoke to you regarding your calling? If He has spoken, perhaps it is time to do a review as to where you stand in reference to that calling. At same time continue to pray for your unsaved children, spouse, friends and relatives that God may use you to reach out to them just as He used the Gentiles to reach out to the Jews.
2. Do you sometimes defend yourself excessively? Try to understand the reasons behind your behavior as it could stem from fear of failure and fear of man.
3. Write on paper a list of things that people said concerning you that needed improvement. Identify some of the key areas and request your mentor to help you progress.
Dear Lord, I thank you for placing a calling in my life. I recognize Your extreme mercies are at work, and what You have started in my life, You will fulfill it to perfection. Release me from my past failures that haunts me and hinders my progress. As I humble myself before You, raise me up as Your servant to bring salvation to my world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.