Harmon:

Fifth Sermon on Romans 11:33

In keeping with the passage that he is expositing, Amyraut’s sermon on Rom 11:33 again sustains a pervasive doxological emphasis. In response to God’s free creation, his general revelation of his patience, and forbearance in nature and providence, and his particular revelation to the Jews and in Christ, efficaciously applied in some, the only appropriate response is to cry, “Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God!” As a result, Amyraut’s purpose in his exposition of the passage is primarily to speak of the freedom of God. He observes the circumstances of Paul’s words and several conclusions, particularly of a twofold election.⁶⁹

The epistolary context of Paul links his praise of God’s wisdom with his discourse on his dealings with Jews and Gentiles. Paul has described how God allowed Israel to fall so that opportunity may be given to extend grace to Gentiles. Yet, the Jews will be called back in the future. This transfer of the center of God’s saving activity confirms that all are placed in rebellion so that God might have mercy upon all. But, this does not mean that God saves every person. According to his first kind of mercy he does, providing that they believe. But, according to the second kind of mercy that creates faith in its recipients, he does not desire for every person to be saved. On one hand, all men are not saved because many refuse God’s offered salvation, but on the other hand, they could have been saved, but their corrupt natures made it impossible for them to believe.⁷⁰

To each group, Jew and Gentile, God acted differently before the manifestation of the gospel. To the Gentiles, God gave only the revelation of himself through nature and his providence. Even this revelation was often despised, and so God allowed Gentiles to fall into infamously licentious behavior as judgment. At the same time, in Judea there were two different groups. Some faithful ones held to the promises of the Messiah and did so by the Spirit’s inward power. Others were restrained in their outward behavior from reprehensible living, while sinful passions continued to writhe within them. This apparent contrast in outward behavior between Jews and Gentiles could seem to provide a contrast in the working of God’s salvation. If Jews behaved better than Gentiles, were they saved by their works? And now that the gospel had come to Gentiles, were they saved in a different manner, by grace? To avoid this possible confusion and to emphasize God’s mercy above all other considerations, God largely removed the light of salvation from Israel for a time. This focus upon the Gentiles could then confirm his mercy.⁷¹

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