Well, we have almost made it to the crescendo here at the end of this section of Romans. Romans chapters 9 through 11 dealing with God’s faithfulness to his people, God saving his people. We started in Romans chapter nine with Paul’s great anguish over the condition of his people. He assured us, however, that it is not as though the word of God has failed.
God’s word has not failed. God’s word does not fail. God’s word will not fail. He goes on to explain very clearly how God has not promised salvation to every ethnic descendant of Abraham. After that we get to Romans chapter 10. And in Romans chapter 10 we see the picture of how one comes to saving faith.
the mechanism, if you will, that God has put in place for those who come to faith through the hearing of God’s word, responding to the gospel and repentance and faith. We then come to chapter 11. And in chapter 11, we see this wonderful picture of the olive tree and branches that are broken off and grafted on. And there is a picture of this great mystery unfolding.
And here as we get toward the end of chapter 11 today in verses 25 to32, the paragraph right before that great doxology, the great praise that ends this letter. We finally come to the place where we understand what initiates that great praise. Up to this point, we really haven’t seen it. Up to this point, remember the question is, is God going to be faithful to the descendants of Abraham? Is God going to be faithful to ethnic Israel? And up to this point in chapter 9 and chapter 10 and the first half or twothirds of chapter 11,
there has not been much to celebrate as it relates to answering that question. But here in this paragraph, we see what leads Paul to this moment of doxology. Here at the end of this section, beginning in verse 25, we read, “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers.
