1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realised in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory."
Ephesians 3:1-13
What was said at the end of yesterday's Note serves to explain something that we see in Genesis 10 for example. Here is a long chapter, containing a seemingly boring genealogy, but in fact it is a highly significant statement, listing the sons of Noah, and linking them with the patriarch Abraham. Up to this point in the book, Genesis has been concerned with mankind as a whole; but from this point onwards that is no longer the central theme, the emphasis passing now to the Semite line, in the family of Shem. Adolf Saphir, the noted Jewish Christian commentator, says in his book 'The Divine Unity of Scripture', 'The tenth chapter of Genesis is a very remarkable chapter. Before God leaves, as it were, the nations to themselves and begins to deal with Israel, His chosen people from Abraham downward, He takes a loving farewell of all the nations of the earth, as much as to say, "I am going to leave you for a while, but I love you. I have created you: I have ordered all your future"; and their different genealogies are traced'. This does much to explain to us God's seemingly arbitrary choice of one nation rather than another. Sometimes we ask, 'Is it fair of God to set aside all the other nations, to concentrate on one only?' But we see here that it is the underlying purpose of it all that explains it. This was the way - the only way (and this is the mystery Paul has in mind) - for God to deal with the problem of sin. He could not help but set aside the others, to take up one, for it is through the taking up of one rather than all that all would eventually be given the opportunity of blessing. This is borne out in the wonderful picture in Revelation of 'All nations and kindred, and peoples, and tongues' gathered round the throne of God, worshipping the Lamb that was slain for their redemption. Thus, the 'narrowing down' in Genesis 10 is but a stage in the whole divine plan of the ages. Well might we exclaim with Paul '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!'