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The "riches of the world" and the "riches of the Gentiles", resulting as we have seen
from Israel's failure (Rom. 11: 12).
The "riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God"--calling forth the Apostle's
doxology at the close of chapter 11: (Rom. 11: 33).
With these passages we must also read Rom. 10: 12:
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all
is rich unto all that call upon Him."
When dealing with the structure of Rom. 9:-11: (page 157, Volume XXVII), we
noticed that the whole passage is bounded by the conception that God is "over all":
"Who is God over all, blessed for ever" (Rom. 9: 5).
"The same Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon Him" (Rom. 10: 12).
"Of Him, and through Him, and unto Him are all things" (Rom. 11: 36).
This is assurance indeed that the purpose of God shall be achieved, whatever the
failure of His instruments, and however dark at times the prospect may appear.
The reconciling of the world, contingent upon the failure of Israel, is a most important
part of Paul's ministry. The Apostle was not commissioned on the day of Pentecost.
Israel had the opportunity of hearing the Word, with signs following, for a considerable
period before the apostle to the Gentiles received his commission. Immediately after
Acts 9: and the commission of Paul, comes Acts 10: and the indication to Peter that the
unique and separate position of the Jew was passing. In Acts 13:-14: the door of faith
opens to the Gentiles, and Israel are warned lest that "come upon them, that was spoken
by the prophets" (Acts 13: 40, 41).
The very call of Israel was associated historically with the failure and apostasy of the
Gentile world, for Abraham's call in Gen. 12: follows the failure at Babel in Gen. 11:
From the call of Abraham up to the time of the Acts of the Apostles, God had
concentrated His attention upon that one people:
"You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Amos 3: 2).
The Apostle speaks of this period of Israel's ascendancy and the corresponding
Gentile darkness, when addressing the philosophers on Mars Hill, but he also indicates
that a change has come:
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
everywhere to repent" (Acts 17: 30).
Israel lose their high position of favour, and the far-off Gentiles, through the
instrumentality of the Apostle's ministry, are brought back:
"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify
mine office" (Rom. 11: 13).