Romans 11:7-12: a reflection

7What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” 9David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. 10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.” 11I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. 12Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

As Paul reflects on Israel's partial hardening, he sees God's larger saving purpose at work even in it: through their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles, and this too serves God's wider mercy. Did they stumble that they might fall? Paul asks; may it never be. But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles. Paul will not read Israel's stumbling as the end of the story or as pure loss; he sees God working a larger purpose even through it, so that even this setback becomes the occasion of salvation reaching the Gentiles, and points toward a greater good still to come. This shows that God works his larger saving purpose even through failures and setbacks. God works his larger purpose even through failures and setbacks. Even a stumbling can serve God's wider saving purpose. God brings good out of even the setbacks in his plan. God's larger purpose is at work even in apparent loss.

Notice how Paul refuses to read Israel's stumbling as simple, final loss. He asks whether they stumbled so as to fall irrevocably, and answers, may it never be. Instead, he sees God at work even through the stumbling: by it, salvation has come to the Gentiles; and he looks forward to an even greater good, their fullness. Paul sees the larger purpose of God weaving even this setback into his saving plan, bringing good out of it, and not letting it be the end. This reflects a way of seeing that can steady us. We often face what look like failures, setbacks, and losses, in our own lives and in the world, and we can read them as simple, final loss, as the defeat of any good purpose. But God is at work in a larger purpose that we cannot always see, and he is able to weave even our setbacks and failures into his good purposes, to bring good out of what looks like loss. This does not make setbacks good in themselves, but it means they are not the end of the story, not beyond God's power to redeem. We can trust that God's larger purpose is at work even through the setbacks and failures we face, and that he can bring good out of them. God can weave even our setbacks into his larger good purpose. Setbacks are not the end of the story; God works through them. God brings good out of what looks like loss. Trust God's larger purpose at work even in failures and setbacks.

That is worth resting in, for God works his larger saving purpose even through failures and setbacks, bringing good out of what looks like loss, as he brought salvation to the Gentiles through Israel's stumbling. We can read the failures and setbacks we face as simple, final loss, the defeat of any good purpose; but Paul refused to read Israel's stumbling that way, seeing God's larger purpose weaving even it into his saving plan. God brings good out of setbacks. When you face what looks like failure or loss, remember that God's larger purpose is at work, and he can bring good even out of this. Rest in the truth that God works his larger saving purpose even through failures and setbacks, bringing good out of what looks like loss, as Paul, reflecting on Israel's stumbling, refused to read it as simple final loss and saw that by it salvation had come to the Gentiles, pointing toward a greater good still to come; for Paul would not treat the stumbling as the end of the story or as pure loss but saw God working a larger purpose even through it, weaving even this setback into his saving plan, and this reflects a way of seeing that can steady us, since we often face what look like failures, setbacks, and losses in our own lives and in the world and can read them as simple, final loss and the defeat of any good purpose, but God is at work in a larger purpose we cannot always see and is able to weave even our setbacks and failures into his good purposes and bring good out of what looks like loss, which does not make setbacks good in themselves but means they are not the end of the story or beyond God's power to redeem, so that we can trust that his larger purpose is at work even through the setbacks and failures we face.

Lord, as Paul reflects on Israel's partial hardening, he sees your larger saving purpose at work even in it: through their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles, and this too serves your wider mercy. Did they stumble that they might fall? Paul asks; may it never be. But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles. Paul will not read Israel's stumbling as the end of the story or as pure loss; he sees you working a larger purpose even through it, so that even this setback becomes the occasion of salvation reaching the Gentiles, and points toward a greater good still to come. This shows that you work your larger saving purpose even through failures and setbacks. Show me how Paul refuses to read Israel's stumbling as simple, final loss. He asks whether they stumbled so as to fall irrevocably, and answers, may it never be. Instead, he sees you at work even through the stumbling, and looks forward to an even greater good. Paul sees your larger purpose weaving even this setback into your saving plan. This reflects a way of seeing that can steady me. I often face what look like failures, setbacks, and losses, in my own life and in the world, and I can read them as simple, final loss. But you are at work in a larger purpose that I cannot always see, and you are able to weave even my setbacks and failures into your good purposes, to bring good out of what looks like loss. This does not make setbacks good in themselves, but it means they are not the end of the story, not beyond your power to redeem. Take that to my heart, for you work your larger saving purpose even through failures and setbacks. When I face what looks like failure or loss, help me remember that your larger purpose is at work, Lord, and that you can bring good even out of this, so that I trust you rather than reading setbacks as simple, final loss.