Romans 11:25-32 (ESV)
Scripture: Romans 11:25-32 (ESV)
“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob’; ‘and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.”
Devotion
In the big picture story of the Bible, the story of Israel is like a complex puzzle, full of unexpected turns. In Romans 11, Paul reminds us that the rejection Israel has for Jesus is a partial or temporary hardening of Israel’s heart. In God’s big picture plan, this hardening of heart opens a doorway for the Gentiles to enter God’s family.
Paul shows us a significant twist in the story of God’s people. Israel, chosen and beloved, experiences a hardening of heart, not as a final judgment but as a chapter in a larger story that includes the Gentiles. This temporary hardening serves a purpose: it opens the door for non-Jews to enter into the family of God. But the story doesn’t end there. It loops back, promising that salvation will come to Israel through the mercy God has shown to the Gentiles.
Now exactly how that works, we don’t know. But this does challenge us in a number of different ways.
Firstly, it reminds us that the church has a mission to reach out to the Jews. The good news of Jesus is as much for them as it is for the rest of the world. When we reach out to Israel we are joining in God’s work of bringing them back into the fold.
Secondly, it reminds us that God’s plans are mysterious and not always obvious. I think if we were honest, we wouldn’t normally think that a temporary hardening of Israel’s heart would be the best way to spread the Gospel. However, we are not God and we don’t know everything. This passage is an invitation to lean in to the mystery of God’s work and to humbly admit that God knows better than we do.
Finally, it challenges the notion that our own spiritual journey should be “onwards and upwards”. Here we see an example of a whole nation going spiritually backwards, in order to ultimately go forwards. Now we can’t directly apply what God is doing to Israel to us, but there is a spiritual truth here that spiritual growth isn’t linear. Sometimes we go backwards in order to go forwards. Sometimes we do have to walk through the spiritual desert in order to get Egypt out of us. And sometimes Israel’s heart has to be hardened in order for them to be saved.
This passage is once again a call to humility and hope. We’re reminded not to be proud or think we’ve figured God out. His ways are higher and his plans are bigger than we could imagine. This passage encourages us to trust beyond our understanding.
Prayer
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Father, thank You for revealing the depths of Your mercy. Help me to grasp the width and length of Your love, not just for me but for all Your creation. Teach me to walk in humility, recognizing Your mercy in my life and extending that grace to others. May Your Spirit guide me to embrace Your comprehensive plan, seeing beyond my understanding and trusting in Your promises. Amen.
Spiritual Challenge for the Day
Today, challenge yourself to look beyond your circle. Reach out to someone different from you, maybe someone you’ve overlooked or underestimated, and show them the kind of love God reveals in Romans 11. Whether it’s a kind word, a listening ear, or a helping hand, let’s live out the breadth of God’s mercy in our daily lives.