Tuesday, February 08, 2011

I Have Reserved to Myself

Reading in Rom 11.4, this morning. "But what saith the answer of God unto him? 'I have reserved to myself 7000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.'"

The thing that strikes me about this passage is that, from the men who had not bowed the knee's perspective, they had remained faithful to God. From God's perspective, it was God who had "reserved to myself 7000 men." Which statement is true? Had the men remained faithful or had God reserved them faithfully?

Depending on one's perspective, both statements are true. It is true that the men had remained faithful to God. It is also true that the underlying cause for that faithfulness was that God had reserved the men to himself. The men acted faithfully; God kept them faithful.

What comes out of this is our understanding that, even when we stay faithful to God, we have nothing to boast about. All praise and glory for our faithfulness should rightfully go to him.

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