<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>Romans 11;25-36<div><br></div><div>Today’s reading is by necessity rather lengthy. &nbsp;That is because it encapsulates and sums up the mystery of the ‘New&nbsp;Israel.’ &nbsp;Those born of water and Spirit, not of the flesh. &nbsp;This New Israel is made up of both Jews and Gentile Believers. &nbsp;Somehow, in God’s mysterious plan, the Lord has chosen to use our sinful, stubborn rebellion, both of the Gentiles and the Jews to display His grace and mercy upon all. &nbsp;In so doing creating <i>“one new man.” &nbsp;</i>(see, Ephesians 2;11-22) &nbsp;This in part is what Jesus is referring to when he says, <i>“My&nbsp;Father is working still, and I am working.” &nbsp;</i>(John 5;17)</div><div><br></div><div><b>25. &nbsp;Less you be wise in your own conceit, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of gentiles come in,</b></div><div><b>26. &nbsp;And so all Israel </b>(this refers to all Believing Jews and Gentiles, <u>not</u>&nbsp;all biological Jews)&nbsp;<b>will be saved; as it is written, “The Deliver </b>(Jesus the Christ)&nbsp;<b>will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;</b></div><div><b>27. &nbsp;“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”</b></div><div><b>28. &nbsp;As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.</b></div><div><b>29. &nbsp;For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.</b></div><div><b>30. &nbsp;Just as you were once disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,</b></div><div><b>31. &nbsp;So they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.</b></div><div><b>32. &nbsp;For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>33. &nbsp;O&nbsp;the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!</b></div><div><b>34. &nbsp;“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”<br>35. &nbsp;“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” &nbsp;</b></div><div><b>36. &nbsp;For from him and through&nbsp;him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Verses 33-36 are an ecstatic expression of worship from the heart and mind of Paul and from our own hearts as well. &nbsp;(We currently use verses 33 and 36 as our Graduals for Pentecost 6-11 in&nbsp;LBW, Three Year Lectionary. &nbsp;Prior usage were the12th-18th Sundays after Pentecost in LW, both Lectionaries.)</div><div><br></div><div>I love the worshipful celebration of God who transcends&nbsp;our human limitations! &nbsp;It encourages our born-anew souls to partake of the Divine Nature, beyond human understanding? &nbsp;Our faith truly is divinely&nbsp;mysterious! Alleluia. &nbsp;Our Liturgy leads us into that divine mystery.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, Your most holy work of creation is ongoing amongst men. &nbsp;Bless us to yearn &nbsp;</div><div>for our departure, when we will no longer, <i>“see as through a glass dimly” </i>but, <i>“face to face” </i>fully knowing our God, even, <i>“as we have been fully known.” &nbsp; </i>In Jesus we pray, Amen.<u></u></div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Romans 11;25-36
Today’s reading is by necessity rather lengthy.  That is because it encapsulates and sums up the mystery of the ‘New Israel.’  Those born of water and Spirit, not of the flesh.  This New Israel is made up of both Jews and Gentile Believers.  Somehow, in God’s mysterious plan, the Lord has chosen to use our sinful, stubborn rebellion, both of the Gentiles and the Jews to display His grace and mercy upon all.  In so doing creating “one new man.”  (see, Ephesians 2;11-22)  This in part is what Jesus is referring to when he says, “My Father is working still, and I am working.”  (John 5;17)
25.  Less you be wise in your own conceit, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of gentiles come in,26.  And so all Israel (this refers to all Believing Jews and Gentiles, not all biological Jews) will be saved; as it is written, “The Deliver (Jesus the Christ) will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;27.  “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”28.  As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.29.  For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.30.  Just as you were once disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,31.  So they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.32.  For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
33.  O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!34.  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
35.  “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”  36.  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Verses 33-36 are an ecstatic expression of worship from the heart and mind of Paul and from our own hearts as well.  (We currently use verses 33 and 36 as our Graduals for Pentecost 6-11 in LBW, Three Year Lectionary.  Prior usage were the12th-18th Sundays after Pentecost in LW, both Lectionaries.)
I love the worshipful celebration of God who transcends our human limitations!  It encourages our born-anew souls to partake of the Divine Nature, beyond human understanding?  Our faith truly is divinely mysterious! Alleluia.  Our Liturgy leads us into that divine mystery.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, Your most holy work of creation is ongoing amongst men.  Bless us to yearn  for our departure, when we will no longer, “see as through a glass dimly” but, “face to face” fully knowing our God, even, “as we have been fully known.”   In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”






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