Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" [Isaiah 40:13] "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" [Job 41:11] For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

Paul, perhaps spontaneously, gives in to a brilliant proclamation of praise as he wraps up his thoughts on God’s eternal plan of salvation for a multitude of Jews and Gentiles. This is the response that will make us able to live out the practical moral demands of Romans 12-16. Notice, in v34-35, Paul asks three questions from two Scripture passages (Isaiah and Job) to show that he’s not making up these occasions to praise God. V34 confirms what Paul says in v33, and v35 confirms what Paul will say in v36. Before we examine these quotes and questions, look at v33.

In v33, Paul praises God for what he knows and for what he doesn’t know. He begins saying; “I can’t even begin to comprehend the depth of the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge.” He is speaking of the immeasurable nature of both God’s wisdom, His providential working in and guidance of all things for His pleasure, His specific end, His eternal purpose (Ephesians 1:11), and God’s knowledge, His exhaustive understanding of all things. Paul sees the judgments that God has handed down, and his brain cramps at the wisdom, the justice, and the mercy displayed in them. Paul sees the ways in which God deals with men salvifically in His providence and stands in awe at the knowledge of God. In light of God’s plan of salvation, revealed and explained to a certain extent here in Romans 9-11, Paul marvels and praises God. Nobody knows more about God’s plan of salvation than Paul, and he marvels (see Daniel 2:21-22). He praises God for what he has come to understand by the grace of God and also for what he doesn’t yet know. We’ve all had things in our lives, where, having gone through them we’ve looked back and said, “Lord thank You for not revealing to me that You had called me to go through that. I couldn’t have knowingly handled it." God bears that knowledge for us in His love and bids us praise Him both for what we know and for what we don’t know.

Now in v34, by asking a couple of questions from Isaiah 40:13, Paul says, “Since we don’t know all the things that God knows, we can’t be in position to give God advice about how to run His show.” And these questions confirm the occasion to praise God for all truth, revealed and hidden. Paul trusts and praises God, because God has complete knowledge and infinite wisdom. That’s Paul’s confidence. Even if Paul doesn’t know the answer – and he knows a lot of answers – he knows that God knows. Even if God has not chosen to reveal the answer – as in, “Why this thorn in my flesh?” – God knows, and Paul trusts that – “My grace is sufficient for you…When I am weak, then I am strong.” He says, “Trust God; praise Him. He knows the answer.” Paul is practically saying, “Look, if God is possesses of all knowledge and wisdom and we do not, shouldn’t we avoid complaining? If we are not in the position to advise Him because we don’t know His mind and we can’t counsel Him, shouldn’t we acknowledge our finitude and His unbound wisdom and understanding?” Paul is doing more than gritting his teeth and enduring God’s sovereignty; he is trusting that God’s exhaustive knowledge and wisdom will work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

In v35, Paul quotes Job 41:11 to explain that God’s sole ownership of all of creation demands that His glory be acknowledged. The second half of that Job verse is: “Everything under heaven belongs to Me.” Since God is the source and the supplier and the owner of all things, He’s worthy of praise. King David, in 1 Chronicles 29:14, says, “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” What a great acknowledgement! 1 Corinthians 4:7 “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”

And finally in v36, Paul’s point is that no one obligates God. Nothing belongs to us. We have no rights, except those given to us by God. And even those can be taken away at His will. Everything belongs to Him. (1) From Him: He is the source of everything. (2) Through Him: He is the agent, the channel, the instrument, the supplier of everything. (3) To Him: He is the goal, the end; everything is for Him (see Colossians 1:13-2:3). (4) All things: From Him, through Him, and to Him [or for Him] are ALL THINGS! All things are from God in the sense that He ordains all that comes to pass. But sin is not from God as an expression of His nature; rather He purposes sin, intends it for His glory to be revealed in one way or another; as we’ve seen in this study: some are destined to wrath so that the objects of mercy can see the mercy with which they are treated. Everything is a gift; there is no obligation. Because of that, Paul says that we need to praise Him. “To Him be the glory forever! Amen.” Everything that is good in this life He has been graciously given. Everything bad is still for His glory, just not necessarily how we might think. Furthermore, we deserve worse and therefore praise Him. It’s easy to know that that’s what the Bible teaches. It’s fairly easy to understand. It’s harder to believe that, and it’s most difficult to live as if we believe that. By God’s grace may we praise Him at all times in all circumstances because we know that He made this world for His glory and He knows all things.