神的丰富，智慧和知识是何等的大！ The Greatness of God’s riches, wisdom and knowledge!

罗马书 11：25－36  Romans 11:25-36

弟兄们，我不愿意你们不知道这奥秘，就是以色列人有几分是硬心的，等到外邦人的数目添满了，於是以色列全家都要得救。如经上所记：必有一位救主从锡安出来，要消除雅各家的一切罪恶；又说：这就是我与他们所立的约，我要除去他们的罪。

这样，就著福音说，他们为你们的缘故是仇敌；就著拣选说，他们为列祖的缘故是蒙爱的。因为神的恩赐和选召是没有后悔的。你们从前不顺服神，如今因他们的不顺服，你们倒蒙了怜恤。这样，他们也是不顺服，叫他们因著施给你们的怜恤，现在也就蒙怜恤。因为神将众人都圈在不顺服之中，特意要怜恤众人。

深哉，神丰富的智慧和知识！ 他的判断何其难测！ 他的踪迹何其难寻！ 谁知道主的心？ 谁作过他的谋士呢？ 谁是先给了他，使他后来偿还呢？ 因为万有都是本於他，倚靠他，归於他。愿荣耀归给他，直到永远。阿们！

现今有一个奥秘， 就是以色列人有几分是硬心的，於是他们没有得救。等到外邦人得救的数目添满了，以色列全家都要得救。这个数目是什么而这事情会几时发生呢？我们不知道，只有神才会知道。等到这个数目添满了，以色列全家就要得救，因为神的应许是确实的：神与他们所立的约是永恒的，他要除去他们的罪。

就著福音来说，他们是神的仇敌；但就著拣选说，他们是蒙爱的，是被拣选的。所以他们仍然是蒙神所爱的子民，不是为他们的缘故，而是应为神已经拣选了他们的列祖，亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的缘故。当神赐他的应允和恩赐，他不会后悔与回转的。这是一件奥妙的事 － 外邦人曾经是神的敌人， 不顺服神， 但因犹太人的不顺服，他们倒蒙了怜恤。如今，借着外邦人，神也怜恤犹太人。这样，神将众人都圈在不顺服之中，特意要怜恤众人, 无论是犹太人或外邦人。

在此显明了神的丰富、智慧和知识； 他的判断何其难测； 他的踪迹何其难寻！ 谁能超越他的思考呢？ 谁能超越他所赐的恩赐呢？谁能超越他的作为呢？  “因为万有都是本於他，倚靠他，归於他。愿荣耀归给他，直到永远。阿们！”

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”

Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

The present mystery is: a portion of the Israelites is hardened in their hearts, and so, they are unsaved. But they will remain in this condition until “the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.” What is the full number and when this is going to happen we do not know, only God knows. And when this happens, ALL Israel will also be saved because God’s promise to them is sure: He has made an everlasting covenant with Israel to turn them from ungodliness and save them from their sins.

According to the gospel, the Israelites are now enemies of God but according to selection, they are chose and loved of God. Thus they are still the people that God loves, not because of themselves, but because He has chosen their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And when God promised and gave, His gifts are irrevocable. Here is a strange happening – Gentiles were once enemies with God but when the Jews rebelled against God, He turned to show His favor to Gentiles. So now, through the Gentiles, God is showing His mercy to the Jews, which means that His mercy is shown to everyone, Gentile and Jew alike.

Herein lies God’s greatness in riches, wisdom and knowledge; and His decisions and ways of doing things are unfathomable! We can’t out-think God. We can’t out-give God, and we can’t out-do God! “For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”

神是恩慈与严厉的 Our God is both kind and severe

罗马书 11：17－24  Romans 11:17-24

若有几根枝子被折下来，你这野橄榄得接在其中，一同得著橄榄根的肥汁，你就不可向旧枝子夸口；若是夸口，当知道不是你托著根，乃是根托著你。

你若说，那枝子被折下来是特为叫我接上。不错！ 他们因为不信，所以被折下来；你因为信，所以立得住； 你不可自高，反要惧怕。神既不爱惜原来的枝子，也必不爱惜你。

可见神的恩慈和严厉，向那跌倒的人是严厉的，向你是有恩慈的；只要你长久在他的恩慈里，不然，你也要被砍下来。而且他们若不是长久不信，仍要被接上，因为神能够把他们从新接上。你是从那天生的野橄榄上砍下来的，尚且逆著性得接在好橄榄上，何况这本树的枝子，要接在本树上呢！

外邦人基督教徒必须常常记得神所赐的特别的恩典与怜悯，并且感激神将他们包挂在他的救恩计划里，伸手来拯救他们。所以，当神拒绝了犹太人，他们对他们能得救要谦卑，不可存有骄傲的心态。就好像亚伯拉罕是树根，犹太人是原来的枝子，但被折断了。而野生枝子的外邦人却被接在树根上。所以他们不可骄傲或夸口，应为他们能稳稳地接在树根上是本乎他们信于耶稣基督而犹太人被折是因为他们的不信。

这样，神对那不信的非常严厉，而对那些信的满有恩慈。这做法是出于神，不分种族。想想看，神肯性得将我们接在好橄榄树上，就是以亚伯拉罕为根的以色列国。这是个奇迹！赞美荣耀神！让我们感谢与敬拜我们的神。他是无所不能的，甚至能再次将犹太人连接回他们原有的树根，但他们必先相信。

But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember - those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.

Gentile Christians should always remember and be grateful that the mercy and grace of God have reached them and they are included in the salvation plan of God. They should always be humble and not brag about their salvation while God rejected the Jews. It is like, Abraham was the root, and the Jews were the original branches that were broken off, the Gentiles were the wild branches that were grafted in their place. Therefore, they should not be proud or think too highly of themselves. They are held firmly in the root because of their faith in Jesus Christ while the Jews were broken off because of unbelief.

Thus God is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind to those who trusted in Him. This action of God is regardless of whether they are Jews of Gentiles. Think of it, God was so willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting us into his cultivated tree, the nation of Israel that has its root in Abraham. It takes a miracle to do this! Praise be to God! Let us be grateful and worship Him. God can do anything, even to graft back the Jews to their original root, provided they too believe.