The wisdom and knowledge of God
by Neil Bergmann
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Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Romans 11:33)
Read Romans 11:25–36
The first section of today’s reading continues Paul’s discussion about the relative roles of Jews and Gentiles in God’s plan for salvation. In summary, it explains that God’s plan is for all humanity to be saved regardless of our origins, background and obedience to God’s will. Salvation does not depend on what we do; salvation is all God’s work.
Here is a version of a poem from author Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle:
Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly;
People got to sit and wonder ‘why, why, why?’
Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land;
People got to tell themselves they understand.
I believe this poem expresses two deep truths. Humans are naturally curious about how everything works, and we are also intellectually proud enough to think that we understand. Maybe we don’t all individually understand astrophysics or molecular biology; however, as a species, at least a few of us have got it figured out.
As Christians, we naturally want to explore all that we can about God and his plan for salvation, and that is a good thing. But our knowledge is always incomplete, even if we tell ourselves that we understand. Paul calls God’s salvation plan a mystery (verse 25). Then, in the key text above (verse 33), Paul reinforces the fact that we can never fully understand God’s plan.
Our intellectual pride when we think that we individually – or even corporately as a church – understand God’s plans is misplaced. We are called to intellectual humility and to accept that we cannot fully understand God’s ways.
Instead, in a confusing world of multiple faiths and competing denominations, we are freed from determining who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’. Instead, we are free to share the love that God has for all that he has created. As verse 36 proclaims, ‘For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.’
Unsearchable and unknowable God, thank you for your revelation in Jesus Christ, and thank you for the sure and certain knowledge that through Jesus, I am saved to live with you forever. Amen.
Neil Bergmann is a lay deacon at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale, Queensland. He is a member of the Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology (ISCAST). He enjoys ISCAST biennial conferences about science and faith in conversation.
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