Mysteries of the master.
Rom. 11:25 -- 36. 09/07/03
Don’t you just love a ministry? One of my favorite programs on television is Unsolved Mysteries, hosted by Robert Stack. If you go to the Internet, you find that through that program over 270 cases have been solved by the viewers. We just have a tendency to love mysteries. I believe the reason we do like mysteries is so we can try to solve them. We don’t particularly like mysteries that we cannot solve. I don’t believe unsolved mysteries would be so popular if it had zero cases solved. I always wait for the update, so they can tell me the mystery has been solved.
Paul, in verse 25 mentions the word mystery. Mystery is found 22 times in the Bible and found twice in Rom.. I looked up the word mystery in my dictionary and the meaning is this: “a truth known only through faith or revelation and incomprehensible to the human reason.” Jesus gives His definition and the real definition of the word mystery. In Mark chapter 4 Jesus gives the parable of the sower of the seed. When the 12 were alone with the Lord, they ask the meaning of the parable. In verse 11, Jesus said, “unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parable’s.”
Did you notice that Jesus said unto you it is given, to know the mystery? To understand a Bible mystery, it is given to us by the Lord.
Either I read or heard while back that more of the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel is understood in the past ten years than all the years preceding. I believe the closer we get to the end time, the more the Lord reveals to us His Word.
Now we find in the final verses of Chapter 11 about three mysteries. We find the mystery of the gospel rejected, the Gentile receiving and a genuine rejoicing.
Now let’s start with THE GOSPEL REJECTED. Look at verse 25. “Blindness in part is happened to Israel.” Notice it is in part. It speaks of hardening in part that has occurred to Israel. A state of insensitivity and closed mindedness that characterizes Israel. This hardening is not total because there were a few who believed.
The mystery is why they rejected the gospel. They had the prophets. They had Moses. They had Abraham. They had the covenant, promises of God. Why did they not embrace Jesus as their savior?
Let me make this a little more personal. You know the blessing of seeing. You have the blessing of hearing. You have the blessing of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart that you need a savior of your soul. You have the blessing of understanding. Now, why don’t you embrace the Word of God as true and receive Jesus as your savior? To reject Jesus with your eyes, ears and understanding wide open has got to be a mystery.
We see not only the gospel rejected but also THE GENTILE RECEIVING. Look again at verse 25. “Until the fullness of the Gentile be come in.”
I think Israel always thought that the whole world with one day worship the one true God. They thought also they were the doorkeeper of God and to get to God people would have to go through Judaism. They felt it was in their own timing. It was this thinking that God set Israel aside for time and created an entirely new community called the church. This new community isn’t centered around the law of Moses but live by the law of Jesus. This new community celebrates communion instead of the Passover. This new community welcomes all people into their community through faith and baptism. This new community takes seriously the great commission of our Lord in making disciples. This new community worships the King of kings and Lord of Lord’s. His name is Jesus. This new community known as the church sees the Bible as the Jesus book. In Genesis he is our creator. In exodus he is our deliverer. In Leviticus he is our law. In Ruth he is our love. In Revelation he is the one who will come for his church. He is the King of kings and Lord of Lord’s. He is our savior.
We see finally A GENUINE REJOICING. Look at verse 36. “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Paul ends up chapter 11 with a doxology. A doxology is a praise to God. Christian pastor A.W. Tozer once wrote, “God is looking for people with whom his glory is safe.” Is his reputation safe with you? There is a holy glow with one who God entrust his reputation and character. When you work tomorrow you represent one living in you that releases all the power in the world through you. Hold his reputation and his character up high. You are a child of the king with Royal blood flowing through your vanes. That is, if you truly know Jesus. Do you know Jesus?
