May 1: Numbers 24-26; Psalm 48; Romans 9

Numbers 24-26  The rest of the Balaam story (with some really lovely poetry about the Israelite tribes), and a re-counting of the younger generation of Israelites, as they get ready to take possession of the Promised Land.  God commands Moses to be concerned for justice (26:54) "To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance according to its enrollment."

Psalm 48  I keep noticing how many of the psalms, including this one, have beautiful songs associated with them.    In the more antiquated language of the Anglican psalter comes a choral piece that is associated with Evensong and Lessons and Carols: "We wait for thy lovingkindness, O LORD, in the midst of thy temple."
Romans 9   Paul begins a 3 chapter discourse on the mystery (to him!) of his fellow Jews' failure to see the role of Jesus as Messiah and how it holds together with God's promises and God's faithfulness.  He says of his fellow Israelites in 9:4-5: "To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promise; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever.

Part of how Paul resolves the mystery is to make belonging to Israel metaphorical, so he can write: "Not all Israelites truly belong t Israel, and not all of Abraham's children are his true descendants…it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants" (9:7-8).

He says, whatever conclusions Christians come to, they must not come to the conclusion that God is unjust (that strong negative again!).  It all comes down to God's mercy (v. 18).  Yet it also appears that at times God hardens the hearts of some.  And Paul says that this is essentially something we cannot fully understand:"Who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? (9:20).

He says that the truly lovely mystery is that God has chosen to have mercy on the Gentiles.  And he again draws a contrast between works (which cannot make a person righteous before God) and faith (which makes Jews and Gentiles alike righteous).

Keep reading!  Paul's writing is often maddeningly enigmatic, but taken as a whole he is very caught up in the merciful ways of God.