Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! (34) “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to Him?” (38) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. Our verses begin with an outburst of praise to God (called doxology) for His wisdom, His judgment and His ways. What prompted these views? The most natural consideration is this praise refers to all the apostle refers to in chapter 11. Paul has finished the plan of redemption: he clearly presented the doctrines of justification, sanctification, the certain salvation to all believers, election, the calling of the Gentiles, the present rejection and final restoration of the Jews. Paul is overcome with the idea that God is all and man is nothing. God is infinitely exalted above his creatures.
Man can do nothing to place God under obligation. We are justified not in our own merit but the merit of Christ. The faithful are sanctified by the Spirit of God – chosen to salvation not on grounds of anything in them but according to God’s purpose. Man has neither merit or power but rests on God’s sovereign mercy alone. God is the source, the means and the end. By Him are all things directed and governed. God’s plan for salvation extends beyond human ability to comprehend and is so complex that humans cannot discover it without the aid of divine revelation. God’s purposes and His accomplishment of them are especially revealed in the cross of Christ which is foolishness to the so called “wise” of this world. God knows all things that will happen, knows all things that have happened, and judges people on that basis. We can hide nothing from God. God’s knowledge and judgment are beyond comprehension.
The point of our verse today is to humble us before God – to see what God has done for us in Christ. God is the source from which all things come, by which all things happen and the goal toward which all things move. In my research for today I came across a story about Mohammad Ali who was on a plane and refusing to fasten his safety belt. He told the stewardess that “Superman don’t need no belt”. The stewardess relied that “Superman don’t need no plane.” Ali fastened his safety belt as should we.