THE KING’S BUSINESS
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fpr us in Paul’s wofds as found in verse 33. F. B. Meyer in commenting on this verSe has said, “We try to judge God by looking at some little fragment of His vast plans. We say this or that is not just. Better might an amateur condemn a master artist because he could not see the meaning of a little patch of his canvas, when he had never seen the whole canvas at all. What fools we are in our little inch of time to sit in judgment upon the plans that it takes eternity to work out.” Paul goes on to ask, “Who hath known the .mind of the Lord?” No one, except as God has seen fit to reveal it to him. Then he asks still further, “Who hath been His counsel lor?” No one. There are many who assume to give advice to God, but a man never 1 looks like a more consummate fool than when he, in his finite foolishness, attempts to suggest what the infinite God ought to do. We can give nothing to God, He owns all things, and whatever we have we have by His grace, and we can never tell Him that He owes us something and must recompense us. “Of Him, and thrpugh Him and unto Him, are all things.” They were created by Him, they continue to exist through Him, and they are all for His glory. Therefore, “to Him” must “be the glory forever.” Well may we add with the Apostle Paul, “Amen.” Sunday, August 12 . Rom. 12 : 1 , 2 . Paul now turns to a practical application of the profound truths that he has been teaching about God’s way of salvation and about God’s methods of dealing with Israel and with the Gentiles. Chapter 12 grows out of the chapters that precede it. This is seen in the use of the word, “Therefore.” It is on the ground of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, and on the ground of the mercies of God so wonderfully expounded, that Paul now exhorts the believers in Rome to the right manner of living. Paul’s gentleness and earnestness comes out in the three opening words, “I beseech you.” He might have commanded them, or might just have asked
Israel as an entire nation and when His plan is completely worked out, Israel as an entire nation will be saved. This is His covenant with them in that day when He takes away their sins, and God’s cove nants are absolutely sure. There was mercy even in God’s shutting them up unto the disobedience which they chose: it made it possible for Him to have mercy upon all. Saturday, August I I . Rom. 11 : 33 - 36 . Paul has been unfolding God’s wonderful plan of the ages for the salvation of Jew and Gentile, and as he contemplates it he can no longer restrain himself, and in the Holy Spirit he exclaims, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowl edge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past tracing ou t!” Well might he so exclaim. When we look at a part of God’s ways we are often deeply puzzled and sometimes we are tempted to think that there could be a better way than God’s but when we get a glimpse of His full plan, a plan that He is working out slowly as it appears to us, but swiftly on the scale of eternity, we cannot but be over whelmed at the depth of God’s wisdom and of His knowledge. If His judgments seem to us to be unjust it is simply because they are beyond us, they are unsearchable by any power of man’s mind, the finite mind cannot fathom or comprehend infinite wis dom and knowledge. ' It is not because of our superior wisdom but because of our immeasurably inferior wisdom that there seems to be anything to be criticised in the ways of God. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways, but it is not because they are beneath us, but above us, "for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are (His) ways higher than (our) ways, and (His) thoughts than (our) thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8,9). When there comes to us the fuller knowledge of eternity, when we no longer see through a mirror darkly but face to face, when we no longer know in part but know God and His ways as fully as God knows us, there will be still more meaning
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