Behold the kindness and severity of God.

Romans 11:13-36 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
²⁷ “This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

²⁸ From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; ²⁹ for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? ³⁶ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Perhaps no verse in all scripture better illustrates the paradoxes of God and His kingdom than verse 22 of today’s text, which says:    Behold then the kindness and severity of God.     In human terms it would seem that one could not be both kind and severe. But if there is to be justice, then both must exist. Even a human judge in our court system, if he or she is to be fair and just, needs to show both kindness and severity. If there is no severe punishment for those who willfully disobey, there really is no justice. A good and fair judge must be willing to impose the full penalty of the law upon those who disobey, yet they also must have kindness and compassion, not rushing to judgment and making room for mercy and grace. In the text it says:   Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.  And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

The context of this portion of scripture is speaking about the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. God’s old covenant promises were with the Jewish people. It was because of their disobedience to God that the new covenant in Christ was made to all. Even Jesus though came first for the Jews. In Matthew 15:22-28, there is an account of Jesus response to a non-Jewish woman’s request:       And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”  But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”  But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”  And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.      Jesus initial response, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”, was indeed severe. But His mercy and grace, His kindness came in response to her faith.  She could easily have been offended by the truth of Jesus words, just as many are offended by the truth today. But rather than taking offense and being subject to justice, she in faith, appealed to and received from Jesus kindness, His mercy and grace.

God still has a covenant promise to the Jewish people. He still desires that they would return to Him. Their return though is no longer through the old covenant promise. It is no longer through the law. They, like the woman, will be restored to God through faith in Christ. The text says:  And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.      They will be grafted in, brought back, not through the old way, but through Jesus. Jesus says:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)  Some are offended by that. Some think it unfair, even severe that without Christ no one can come to the Father, no one can know the kindness of God. God is a kind, merciful and loving God. He is also righteous and just. Like a judge in our human courts, in order that He be a good and fair judge, there must be severity for those who disobey. As scripture says:   The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.  The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God.  They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.  (Psalm 14:1-3)         No one could measure up to God’s righteousness. All deserve the severity of God’s judgment. Yet in His mercy and grace, because of His kindness and love, He made another way.   God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)   

The text says:   The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,  so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.     God’s irrevocable gift, redemption, salvation, mercy, grace and kindness are for all. Ephesians 2:4-9 says:    God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.     God has an irrevocable gift and calling for every person, that they might come to Him through Jesus Christ. Through Christ:  God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

Behold then the kindness and severity of God.      Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?  Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.