The depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. (ii) (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] As the Lord may help me, I will again direct your attention to the Epistle to the Romans, the 11th chapter, verse 33. The Epistle to the Romans, the 11th chapter, verse 33.

[0:14] Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

[0:31] Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

[0:45] The truth set before us in these words brings to our attention the fact that God is God. If this were not true of God, then there would be no distinction between God and men.

[1:03] That men are foolish enough to think that they can be as wise as God, of course, is seen again and again. What is also seen again and again is that God is able to put down the mighty from his seat and to exalt them of low decree.

[1:25] We find then the depth of feeling which goes into the words of our text expressed with this initial word, oh.

[1:40] Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. It may be recognized in the letter. It may be believed in the doctrine.

[1:54] But, oh, to get this into our hearts through a greatest experience will be absolutely overwhelming. To think that the wisdom and knowledge of God in saving our souls reaches a depth which cannot be plumbed, contains riches which can never be measured.

[2:15] Surely, Paul himself was not a little acquainted with the riches, with the depth, as well as these things relate to the wisdom and knowledge of God.

[2:35] This morning's discourse was primarily directed to this first part, the wisdom and knowledge of God, and just a touch upon the depth of the riches in respect of both of them.

[2:51] We shall now, with the help of God, look at the second part of this verse. How unsearchable are his judgments and are his ways past finding out.

[3:07] The word judgments here primarily refers to the execution of his decrees. The word judgments do not refer, in this particular circumstance, to those solemn happenings, calamities, tragedies that come upon the earth, and are certainly a punishment for the wickedness of men.

[3:39] This is a word which can be looked upon by the people of God and rejoiced in.

[3:54] The people of God rejoice in God's decrees and the execution of them. The people of God, we live in an unstable world.

[4:09] We set before you the fullness and glory of stability. How much we need, not only stability, but to be stabilized in these present evil days.

[4:26] Whilst many are setting forth so-called doctrines, which are the result of mangled interpretations of the word of God, this word stands firm.

[4:45] How unsearchable are his judgments. God's decrees, we shall not be able to enter into to know the reason why.

[5:03] And amongst other things, to know the reason why God should choose some and leave others. It is important to us, though we should observe that which is written in this chapter, the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

[5:33] The rest were blinded. And the whole of the world is blinded from the truth.

[5:46] And therefore, it is a wonderful mercy to have our eyes opened to know what the truth really is.

[5:58] And the truth is that God chose a people to show forth his praise. Now, the decrees of God must, of course, contain this weighty and solemn doctrine of God's divine choice.

[6:22] The sovereignty of God is to be seen throughout the world in all things that he does.

[6:35] And in the execution of these things, we are bound to say sometimes how unsearchable are his judgments. If we look at the beginning of them, we may well wonder why.

[6:55] But if we look at the end of them, and especially in respect to ourselves as individuals, if we have become the subject of them, then we shall join with a full feeling with Paul here how unsearchable are his judgments.

[7:16] the purpose of our reading in the book of Daniel was to show forth what God can do.

[7:30] And Nebuchadnezzar is not to be regarded as an unusual person. He was a usual person.

[7:40] He had the same nature that you've got and I've got. And though it may not have been within our power to build a great city, yet the Spirit is there.

[7:58] And nothing but the Spirit of God will bring us down subsequently to acknowledge that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

[8:09] And he doeth whatsoever he will in the armies of heaven and amongst the inhabitants of the earth. And furthermore, none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou?

[8:26] And if you should think that that is unfair, that you should have more liberty, at least you should have a stay say in what God is doing.

[8:41] If you are born again of the Spirit, the time will come when you will extol God and bless God that your hands were so tied that you couldn't do what you thought God ought to be doing.

[8:59] And you couldn't divert the course that God's river was taking. But his judgments, the performance of his decrees, the methods of it, and his purposes being performed were unsearchable, must be recognized.

[9:26] Looking at your case, looking at my case, do you think that you would have known the Lord had it not have been for God's decree?

[9:38] Now this is not putting the whole thing into a hard and fast, cold, doctrinal presentation.

[9:54] If there is one thing that is laid in the hearts of God's children by the teaching of the Spirit, it is this. Had not thy choice prevented mine, I ne'er had chosen thee, would never have thought of it.

[10:16] And how this is brought about is through God's judgments. It is he, his decree who formed the earth, fixed my first and second birth.

[10:39] Parents, native place and time, all appointed were by him. Do you think you could improve on it?

[10:53] Do you think you could do better? If it had been left to you, then you could have hoarded things in a better way? Well, our natural mind may sometimes go to so much extravagance as to be so full of pride as to think we could have ordered things better.

[11:19] Sometimes, some people have thought they could have ordered things better. There is a story which I can't exactly remember in its detail but it refers to a person that was quite dissatisfied with the cross that was laid upon them.

[11:46] And I think in a dream they saw other crosses and they thought that those crosses were much better and much easier to carry than the one that they had to carry and which made them so discontented.

[12:10] And so I believe one cross was tried and another cross was tried and they had to come back to the cross that they had in the first place.

[12:22] And the reason was this because that cross fitted their back. Now you see when men make their plans as I think I mentioned this morning there is usually an afterthought that will alter the plans a little.

[12:44] There's no afterthought with God. and whatever crosses lay upon your back remember it's according to God's decree and therefore it is filled with the knowledge and wisdom of God and God has given you the right back to bear the burden.

[13:11] well the character to whom I just referred they had to come back to it that they preferred their cross to the other crosses that they had envied before until God instructed them that their cross was best because best for them because it was decreed of God and prepared of God.

[13:44] How unsearchable are his judgments. Unsearchable to finite minds.

[13:57] Job tells us who by searching can find out God. The ways of God with Job must appear to him to have been very mysterious.

[14:07] would Job have known the conversation that Satan in unhumbled boldness had with God?

[14:24] What a revelation we get here of secret things that generally speaking we know nothing about. Job is just picked out by God himself and the background is given to us.

[14:44] But that was God's judgment God's decree being performed Satan being allowed to go so far and then having the powerful words spoken to him thus far shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud wave be stayed.

[15:10] Are we thankful for that judgment of God which put a limit? He will not lay on you more than you are able to bear but will with every temptation make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear it.

[15:29] And when you can see this then you will recognize God's judgments as being full of love which they are to all the people of God.

[15:44] The judgments of God the decrees and purposes of God to be worked out in the experience of God's children are intended for the crucifixion of the flesh.

[16:02] And of course our flesh doesn't like it. And we may seek that we were in a different situation. And if we were in a different situation things would be much easier.

[16:18] We cannot move away from this point. Though God's ways are unsearchable, his judgments are unsearchable, yet they are perfectly right.

[16:32] and they are perfectly right because they are intended to ultimately bring down the spirit of rebellion and humble us in the sight of God, before God.

[16:53] As we walk in that word, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.

[17:11] That is a very well-known part of the scripture in Peter's epistle, casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.

[17:24] But do you know that you would never do that apart from God's decree? But you should do it. We do not want to cast our cares upon God.

[17:39] and as natural people we are very little interested as to whether God cares for us or not. But the gospel is brought to us through God's unsearchable judgments.

[18:03] And he brings us into the places, maybe trying, maybe torturing, but nonetheless, places where we fall down, because there is none to help, and ask God to deliver us out of our distresses.

[18:28] grace. Now we need to make it quite clear that if you are in this place, you are blessed with that grace because of God's decree and purpose.

[18:43] And when you come to think about it, as to why it is, we shall have to come to these words, how unsearchable are his judgments.

[18:53] I can feel the effect of them, I can reap the benefit from them, but how unsearchable are they in the depths of the working out of them.

[19:13] We shall feel that we should extol God as much as Nebuchadnezzar did, if God humbles our prayer of heart and gives us the grace of humility, and to have it, to desire it, to long for it, is the result of this, God's purpose of love and mercy to a sinner wretched and undone, who had no desire after Christ, nor never would have had.

[19:50] But that almighty love said, arrest that man, arrest that man. Are we witnesses to God's divine decrees?

[20:05] Not heartless decrees, not arbitrary decrees, but decrees and purposes prompted by the deep love of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for our souls.

[20:24] How unsearchable are his judgments. Dr. Ryland tells us this in his well-known hymn, He that formed me in the womb, he shall guide me to the tomb, all my time shall ever be ordered word, by his wise degree.

[20:49] Now, you see, we sometimes think of those words in the 37th Psalm, the steps of a good man, are ordered by the Lord, and he delighted in his way.

[21:01] it is something beyond our understanding, it is the unsearchable judgment of God, that though God may order the steps of a man, it may sometimes appear that man takes his own steps.

[21:25] we have to come to certain decisions in our lives, in our everyday lives. And sometimes we may be very anxious, we shall be if the fear of God is in our heart, that we should make the right decision.

[21:49] But can you trace in some of the decisions that you come to, that your steps have been ordered. And they've been ordered in respect to place and time.

[22:07] They have been ordered in respect to conditions prevailing. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, and the end thereof is destruction.

[22:27] Now that way may sometimes come before us, and God hedges it up. And we're not able to do the thing that we thought to do.

[22:40] You may wonder why it is. Well, it is because we are hedged in by God's decree, and God's loving purposes towards us.

[22:53] God's love. We're bound to say, however, how unsearchable are his judgments. His methods are sublime. He is supremely kind.

[23:05] He never comes before his time, and never is behind. Do we think that God is too late in ordering our steps? God is never too late.

[23:19] God is not going to find one witness amongst the children of God that will ever be able to say that God came too late to rescue them out of their distresses.

[23:34] On the other hand, he never comes before his time. You may think he's too late to your time. time. The Lord had to speak to his disciples and say, your time is always, but my time is not yet.

[23:57] The Lord does not leave that, as it were, in oblivion or in obscurity, but he tells us in the prophet Habakkuk, the vision is yet for an appointed time.

[24:12] That's a decreed time. And in the end it shall speak. Though it tarry, wait for it.

[24:24] How unsearchable are his judgments. Some understanding of these words will, by the Holy Ghost in us, produce a true spirit of worship.

[24:42] here, God's majesty is magnified. His glory is set forth in its blessedness.

[24:55] You know, people, the people of God, witnesses of God, have been heard to say, having passed through bitter triumph, heavy affliction, painful reflection, that they would not have one thing altered.

[25:14] How can they say that? And why do they say that? well, I think one reason must surely be because God has opened their eyes to look at this verse.

[25:30] Oh, how unsearchable are his judgments. hearts. But, I've come long enough in these judgments, one may say, to show how wonderful, to show me how wonderful they are, how perfect they are, enabling me to endorse the scripture truth.

[25:52] as for God, his way is perfect. And we want to get close to those kind of words in the scriptures, and we want to be delivered from a complaining spirit, which we shall be when we see that God's way is perfect.

[26:16] There is no doubt, as Calpa tells us, God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.

[26:31] And then he tells us his purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour. What are you looking for in your life? You will be most profited when you are looking for the development of God's purposes.

[26:51] Now, listen to the words of a man who knew by bitter experience what he was writing about. The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

[27:08] Sweet will be the flower. In the Ecclesiastes, we read that the end of a thing is better than the beginning. And if you think that the beginning of the matter that may be troubling you at the moment is bitter, then remember the end of the thing will be better.

[27:31] These are not my words, but they are the words of the scripture. But in the meanwhile, how uncertain are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

[27:48] What am I? And where am I? Is that a question with you sometimes? Strange myself and powerful peer.

[28:04] But you won't always be so. There will be a time then you will see what the scriptures declare, for we know that all things work together for good.

[28:18] To them that love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. And if you should be ready to say, but all things are not working together for good.

[28:32] Well, now why is that? Why would you say that? Well, if you're God's child, it is because the veil is upon your face.

[28:44] And you cannot perceive the love of God towards your soul. But God will cause you to live long enough in order that you may truly say that all things have worked together for good.

[29:06] Our sights are often very low. And we should not progress very far even in worldly things for the most part if we had the setting of our sights.

[29:23] sights. But we don't have the setting of our sights. God has the setting of our sights. We read promotion cometh not neither from the east or from the west or from the south but God set it up one and put it down another.

[29:44] Have you seen it in your providential life? God set it up one and he put it down another.

[29:58] It may be very palatable to the flesh when God sets you up. But there may be a time when God will put you down.

[30:14] But we are not to understand that this is not good. Maybe some of us would have reason to bless the times when God has put us down.

[30:31] And we have seen it has been so necessary for the brake to be put on. Otherwise we should have fallen over the precipice into destruction because of the pride of our hearts.

[30:46] And though we may not have realized it other people would have had a job to live with us because of the pride of our hearts. However depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments.

[31:07] Now the lives of God's people are to have in them a knowledge of God of his Christ and of what it means to be saved from sin.

[31:27] You know conviction of sin revelation of salvation by grace is not that which is learned outside of the normal curriculum.

[31:41] God comes to people in their ordinary lives. He doesn't take them away and put them into a desert place, bring them into some secluded school.

[31:54] In their experience they may feel to be in a desert place. and we should consider this point that in the scriptures a desert place was sometimes a place of rest but always a place of instruction.

[32:17] We find that Moses was in the backside of the desert and they well have wondered why and in Moses' life we have a very clear example of how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

[32:41] Here we find Moses thinking forty years before the time that God sent him that his brethren would have understood why did he have to flee into the desert?

[32:56] Because he had some intimation that God had appointed him to be a leader of Israel a leader of these afflicted people and so when he sees one of the Egyptians smiting his brother that is a fellow Israelite he takes up the cudgers on his behalf and smites the Egyptian kills him buries him in the sand and the next day he sees two of his brethren striving to gather and he tries to separate them with the result that one of them says to him who may be a judge over us now you see Moses thought Stephen tells us this Moses thought that they would have understood but they didn't understand and the reason they didn't understand was because the time had not come for

[34:05] Moses to become the leader of his people now Moses experience I know to be true because I've gone along that way you see we think that we are ready now and Moses was all ready to go in his own strength and his own pride and his own prowess but forty years elapsed and during that forty years Moses is learning something in the backside of the desert of Midian how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways paths finding out and what is God's purpose and what is God's judgment it is to bring Moses to a right attitude of mind so that in God's view he's a suitable man to lead

[35:10] Israel a suitable man to stand before Pharaoh I think we have the subject before us on the Tuesday evening when instead of Moses thinking that they would understand that he was the right man for this job he now says oh my Lord I'm not eloquent neither heretofore nor since there has spoken unto thy servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue and now you see God's judgments unsearchable have attained their proper end so that Moses feeling his own feeling his own inadequacy is brought to this point where God has to remind him who hath made man's mouth or who maketh a dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind have not either

[36:27] Lord now Moses after forty years in the wilderness was now sitting as it were at the feet of God and as this man was sat at the feet of God then God's unchurchable judgments and his ways which are past finding out being now brought to light he says now therefore go go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou should say before Moses you were going intent on going and depending upon yourself and you would never have been equal to it but now go depending on me depend on me thou canst not fail make all thy wants and we should know if we should feel faint and pursuing yet it is good to be pursuing though we are faint and how do we pursue in the strength of God oh the psalmist says

[37:52] I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of his righteousness of his only not of my righteousness not of my prowess the same teaching is to be found in the life of Paul by the grace of God I am what I am and have we sometimes been brought to places where we've been covered with shame and confusion of face we've been made foolish before other people and what's it all for are we beginning to think that God's ways are wrong are we coming to a conclusion that God's ways are not in our interest let us come to this conclusion how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out to bring us off of ourselves to rest upon himself we are safe when we go forward depending upon

[39:19] God sweet and precious is the word of the scripture though well known and no wonder it is well known because it is so often the experience of the people of God in their time of need I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper the Lord is my helper now everything in which we engage is this this is what we have to acknowledge the Lord is my helper our fallen nature would prefer to dispense with that and say I'm able to manage my own affairs to the people outside of you it may appear that you are managing your own affairs but God knows what's inside of you and how many times you have to acknowledge to him and feel thankful to him that the

[40:29] Lord is my helper hither by thy help I've come and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home can we leave our ways in the hand of God now of course do we think that we shall miss heaven we could well miss heaven if we preferred our own ways to God's divine decrees and purposes but we shall not miss heaven if we rejoice in these words how unsearchable are his judgments and his way is past finding out guide me oh thou great Jehovah pilgrim through this barren land I am weak what an acknowledgement but thou art mighty what an acknowledgement hold me by thy powerful hand the effect of God's divine decrees and purposes working in a person can be found in the 119th psalm where we find the prayer footer hold bell me up and I shall be safe let me never be ashamed of my hope if we are never to be ashamed of our hope it means that God must hold us up and if

[42:12] God holds you up then to what will you attribute that holding up but the unsearchable character of God's judgments the performance of his decrees and purposes bringing forth into your heart that the decrees and purposes of God are decrees and purposes of love says Hezekiah thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from going down into the pit could he trace this to God's wonderful purpose of love and mercy to him could he trace it to the foundation of God's decree it came to pass we read these words a number of times particularly in the Old Testament it came to pass but what went before it it shall come to pass it shall come to pass