We need to dig into God's Word personally but we especially need to do Bible study within the context of community. I spent some time yesterday in a wonderful Bible study with other local Pastors. The Bible study text was Romans 11:33-12:1. Here are some of the spiritual insights shared:
1. This whole section of scripture is sandwiched in-between God's mercy. Verse 32 precedes this hymn of scripture that God's mercy is with all people, even in their disobedience. Then Paul breaks out in doxology and praise that sounds like a prayer. Finally in what follows, chapter twelve speaks about the mercy of God and how it leads us now into obedience. There is this beautiful flow of undeserved grace and mercy that flows into praise and son and end with a mercy that sustains us in holy obedience.
2. There are many doublets in this section: Disobedience and mercy, wisdom and knowledge, unsearchable judgments and the mysterious ways of God, the mind of God and God's generosity ending with Trinitarian praise (v.36).
3. There is a powerful call to humility in this biblical text. We do not counsel God or even truly know God or his ways. We are all dependent upon God's Spirit to help us understand and grow spiritually. There is a kind of contrast of no one knows the mind of God by human understanding but we can have the mind of God by the Holy Spirit teaching us.
4. We think we know what terms like "mercy" and "sacrifice" mean but Romans challenges our pride and knowledge concerning God and language. We only know God's mercy from what we have experienced and there is so much more. We only know sacrifice in what we have sacrificed which is usually very little. Sacrifice for some Christians means persecution and for others, even martyrdom.
5. This whole section of Scripture is a hymn of praise to God. Our theology needs to give way to doxology and our concerns need to give way to naked praise before a Holy God.
No comments:
Post a Comment