Romans 11:29

Romans 11:29

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

a. NLT: For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

b. NIV: For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

c. YLT: For unrepented of are the gifts and the calling of God;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]

e. Worrell Translation: For the gifts and calling of God are not repented of.

f. Wuest Translation: For the gifts in grace and the calling of God are with respect to a change of mind irrevocable.

1. “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

a. For [Strong: 1063 gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. the gifts [Strong: 5486 charisma khar'-is-mah from 5483; a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion); (specially), a (spiritual) endowment, i.e. (subjectively) religious qualification, or (objectively) miraculous faculty:--(free) gift.]

c. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

d. calling [Strong: 2821 klesis klay'-sis from a shorter form of 2564; an invitation (figuratively):--calling.]

e. of God [Strong: 2316 theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

f. are [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

g. without repentence [Strong: 278 278. ametameletos am-et-am-el'-ay-tos from 1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of 3338; irrevocable:--without repentance, not to be repented of.]

1). In May of 2012 I was doing a study on Joshua 2 & 3, the portion of the book of Joshua that chronicles Israel’s second attempt of entrance into the Promised Land after their wandering 40 years in the wilderness. Most Christians know about Israel’s disobedience and subsequent punishment of not going into the Promised Land and wandering in the desert for 40 years but not many know of a small but profound detail. The forty years began at the point in the Biblical text of Numbers 14:35, the forty years does not include the approximate 1½ years from the night of the Exodus in Exodus 12:37-42 to this point in Numbers 14 which makes what I learned more profound. During the study I learned that the Biblical material of Exodus 12, the night of the Exodus from Egypt to Numbers 13 &14, the sending of the spies and subsequent unbelief and rebellion of Israel comprise a time period of about 1½ years. I also learned that the Biblical material from Numbers 22 to Joshua 3 comprises another time period of about 1½  years, which leaves the 7 chapters of Numbers 15-21 to fit in 38 ½ years. Inside those 7 chapters of Numbers is the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16, the budding of Aaron’s rod in Numbers 17, signifying again that God chose Aaron and his sons in the Priesthood. In Numbers 20 is the disobedience of Moses and Aaron in getting water out of the rock, for which disobedience neither enter into the Promised Land. In Numbers 21 is the episode of Israel’s complaining and the subsequent result of the death of many from serpent bites and the making of the brass serpent by Moses. Finally Numbers 21:20 records Israel getting to the top of Pisgah immediately before the military campaigns against Sihon and Og. These campaigns occurred approximately 1½ years before Israel went into the Promised Land. Other than those few historic Biblical events there is nothing recorded about those 38½ years. NOTHING! That is a very sobering thought to me.

2). In early January of 2013 me and Missy were listening to a series by John Bevere entitled Honors’ Reward . In that series he made the statement that in Numbers 14 when Israel refused to believe God about going into the Promised Land, they lost their calling. On Sunday morning 1/20/13 as I was putting on the finishing touches of my message I was going to teach at church that morning, John Bevere’s statement combined with the awareness of my previous study concerning the brevity of Scripture concerning that generation finally dawned on me. This group of Israelites was called by God to be the people prophesied by the Hebrew fathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses to go into the Promised Land, but because of their unbelief, they were denied by God and sentenced to wander in the desert for forty years. Until everyone in that generation died. They lost their calling. What that means in light of the above text is, the prophecies given to Abraham and the fathers was indeed fulfilled by Israel, but it was not fulfilled by the generation that came out of Egypt.  I am sure that many if not most of them are in heaven because of the mercy and grace of God provided in the Old Covenant. What is even more profound to me is that there is very little written of them and what is written contains nothing good. What a sobering thought. I am reminded of a passage in Exodus concerning Israel’s disobedience at Sinai when Moses was receiving the Law. While Moses was on top of Mt. Sinai Israel was caught up in worshipping a golden calf. The next day Moses returned into the presence of God and the following dialogue was recorded.

a). Exodus 32:31-33 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

b). Because of the mercy and forgiveness of God, many of that generation surely went to paradise when they died, but many didn’t. Tens of thousands died because of subsequent sins and I don’t believe were right with God when they perished. The point I want to make is this, regardless of whether they died righteous or not they not only lost their initial Divine calling, but their history, their deeds, their actions are not recorded and in a sense blotted out of remembrance, no memorial, no remembrance.