Friday - Romans 11 - God Knew

 

O

NE of the most amazing realizations in theology is that, long before God made the world, He knew of every single sin that would ever be committed. And yet, He made us anyway. More personally, God knew of my every desire; He knew of each infraction. But amazingly, I was born. Now, in this chapter Paul is dealing with the plan of God in relation to the Jews and Gentiles. God knew how far away from Him Israel would run, and yet He chose them anyway. And, God knew how many (and who) among the Gentiles will place faith in Him and who wouldn't. With all this knowledge in place, God still hit the proverbial start button. In fact, He designed our world with free will, and even knowing what all the ramifications were, He didn't renege.

 

One of the most important things in prophecy is the fruition of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel has been on a shelf (so to speak) for a very long time, but God's promise of greatness for the Jewish people has not been forgotten. Now, this tells us less about the Jews than it does about God. The security of my salvation and yours is dependent upon how well God keeps His promises to Israel.  If He doesn't take care of them, why would He take care of us?  We believe and know that He can & will do both.

 

Another lesson in God's foreknowledge is that His infinite characteristics do not negate our responsibilities. Our decisions are our own, but the consequences are part of God's eternal program. He has taken everything into consideration. Everything.