God will save Israel's people
25 My Christian friends, I want to help you to understand about Israel's people. It is a secret that God has shown to us. If you really understand it, you will not be proud that you are so clever. Many of Israel's people have refused to believe in Christ. They will continue to refuse him until the complete number of Gentiles have believed. 26 When this has happened, God will save all Israel's people. This is written in the Bible:
‘The one who rescues will come from Zion.
He will turn Jacob's people away from their sins.
11:26 Zion is God's home on earth (Jerusalem) or in heaven. See Revelation 21:2. ‘Jacob's people’ is another name for Israel's people. Jacob was Abraham's grandson and God gave him the name ‘Israel’. 27 And I will make this covenant with them.
I will forgive them for their sins.’
28 Israel's people have become God's enemies, because they have refused to believe the good news about Christ. This has happened to help you who are Gentiles. But God still loves Israel's people, because he has chosen them as his own people. That is what he promised to their ancestors. 29 God's thoughts about his people cannot change. He has blessed them with gifts. He has chosen them to belong to him.
30 In past times, you Gentiles did not obey God. But now God has been very kind to you, because Israel's people refused to obey him. 31 Even now, they do not obey God. As a result, God may now be kind to them, in the same way that he has been kind to you. 32 God says that everyone is guilty because they do not obey him. He says that so that he can be kind and he can forgive everyone.
God is great and we should praise him
33 Yes! God is very great! He has everything! He knows and he understands all things! Nobody can completely understand the things that he decides. Nobody can explain the ways in which he works. 34 The Bible says this:
‘Nobody knows the thoughts of the Lord God.
Nobody is able to tell him what he should do.’
35 ‘Nobody has ever given anything to God
so that God had to pay something back to that person.’
36 It is God who made all things. He also causes all things to continue. And all things are there to show how great he is.
We praise him for ever! He is great! Amen. This is true!
