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In this same chapter we have another reference to the blindness that fell upon Israel, in
verses 8-10:
"According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they
should not see, and ears that they should not hear; unto this day. And David saith . . . . .
Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see" (Rom. 11: 8-10).
We have here three quotations taken from Isa. 29:, Deut. 29:, Isa. 6: 9 and
Psa. 69: 22. If we turn, first, to Isa. 29: 10 we find no hint of the "secret" revealed in
Rom. 11:, but as we read on to verses 17 and 18 we become aware of the fact that a
change is intended. Instead of judgment we have restoration; Lebanon shall be turned
into a fruitful field, the deaf shall hear, and "the eyes of the blind shall see". The secret of
Rom. 11: is here, for those who are able to discern it.
The passage in Deut. 29: 4 does not refer primarily to the time of which Paul
spoke, but to the condition obtaining when Israel came out of Egypt. The words: "unto
this day" as uttered by Moses can have no other interpretation. There is a hint, however,
of further and fuller revelation in the last verse of the chapter--a verse that has suffered
somewhat at the hands of translators. We transcribe the note given in The Companion
Bible:
"The italics in the A.V. (put in Roman type in the R.V.) show that the Hebrew was not
clear to the translators. They make good sense in English, but this is not the sense of the
Hebrew text. The words rendered `unto the Lord our God' have the extraordinary points
(App. 31) to show that they form no part of the text, and should come out. The meaning
then is:
The secret things, even the revealed things (belong) to us and to our children for
ever, that we may do all the words of this law, i.e., the revealed things, and the secret
things which have not been, but will yet be revealed."
Israel had "seen" the miracles which had been wrought in Egypt, but these
"revealed" things had left them blind. Their children, however, were to "do all the
words of this law", so that the fact that blindness was only for a time was evidently a part
of the "secret". Moreover, it is the "nations" that comment upon Israel's excision
(Deut. 29: 24-28), and that are likely to become "wise in their own conceits".
Isa. 6: 9 and 10--the third passage mentioned above--is followed by the prophet's
question "Lord, how long?" and the Lord's answer in verse 11. In verse 13, also we
have the pledge of the remnant. Even Psalm 69:, which seems to speak of hopeless
misery, ends on the same note: "God will save Zion."
We may conclude, therefore, that the secret of Israel's blindness is well within the
testimony of Moses and the prophets.
The mystery that had been kept secret (Rom. 16: 25).
We have now to enquire whether or not this secret is outside the scope of Moses and
the prophets.