Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

From the moment I surrendered to God’s rule, Christ’s Lordship, I have immersed myself into His Word. Because my early years were not formed in knowing Him and His ways, I had much to learn. He took my dedication to study and changed me in ways I cannot express but give Him all praise in doing so.

I do it daily and have done so faithfully with a few minor exceptions due to serious health issues accompanied by hospitalization. I learned painfully that knowledge puffs up. I often found myself being chastised by God for my attitude.

The most difficult of all lessons learned was what to do and how to act when God went silent. I know that God does all things with purpose. I don’t always know exactly what those purposes are when He goes silent. Being who I am, it was time for a close examination of my heart condition, mental attitude, treatment of others and then finally settling in on my understanding of His Word.

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Sometimes I get presumptuous. Not always, but yes, I sometimes act like a know it all. Rather than listening carefully, I assume meaning without the Holy Spirit’s revelation. The hardest lesson for me has been in being right at the wrong time. God’s will does not rest upon me alone. I have fellowship. When and how to apply that which is revealed in me lacks the element of God’s perfect timing.

Sometimes His silence is nothing more than the example for me to keep my mouth shut. It is difficult for me to accept that because the echoes of my earthly father’s voice are heard there. “Shut up!”

Romans 11:4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

We do not talk about it very much but perhaps we should. Here God makes reference to men that have bent the knee in subjection to His authority, as God and Lord of their lives. Those others have bent the knee to another god. That god is powerless to save them.

God is the God of all creation and all are His whether they know it or not. This violation of the first commandment, thou shall have no gods before me, is rebellion. The other day I said that a remnant is undefined in size but here God has identified the size of this remnant. Seven thousand is the size of this remnant. This is the remnant of the law.

⁵ Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Then there is this “other” remnant. It is of grace and not of the law and it is not defined. These are those that have bent the knee in faith. It is a bending of the knee none the less, just for a different reason.

The seven thousand bent the knee because the law was just. The remnant of grace bent the knee because Christ is just. What Christ did in obedience of faith, to die for our sins, put Him at the right hand throne of God. His rule, His reign, His Lordship, His Kingdom and those who accept Jesus Christ by faith have bent the knee.

He is righteous, merciful, gracious, loving and understanding. All admirable traits of our loving Savior.

If you have bent the knee you are not in rebellion any longer.

Now how do you act considering what it means to bend the knee?