But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, (ESV)

“Because I said so!” As a kid, this statement felt like a lame excuse parents made to avoid giving a “real reason” why their answer did not align with what I wanted. While there’s likely some truth to this, since, as a parent, I always seem to make this statement after a round of whiney whys, I now understand that my parents were likely exhausted by push-back on their parental decisions.  

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As we age, most of us never outgrow the “why” questions. We may not voice them quite so frequently or incessantly as children do, but we do question.  Why did you create us, God? Why did you allow this person to be so rebellious? Why do some die tragically young, while others live to an old age? Why won’t you answer this prayer? Why do some people seem to get everything they want, yet you told me no? We have all likely had something we have asked God on occasion, and the lack of a satisfying answer may drive some away from God. Has this ever been your story?

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Throughout this difficult passage, Paul is hashing out the reality that God is sovereign and his choices are good, even when we do not understand them. In this passage, Paul is speaking of those who are Israelites by birth but do not belong to God’s chosen people, “Israel,” simply because God declared it. The idea of sovereignty makes our brains hurt. This is likely due, at least in part, to our only earthly context for sovereignty being kings or queens of nations. Even if they are wonderful leaders, they are still operating from a human perspective and will make mistakes. Any human is a poor comparison to God’s sovereignty; but when that’s what we have for reference, God’s sovereignty can seem scary or unfair.  

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The word sovereign simply means “above” or “supreme power and authority.” By itself, it sounds terrifying from the perspective of earthly authority. This is why we must know God’s character. If someone told my kids, “Your mom hates you,” every one of them could immediately deny those allegations, because they know me. They know, without a doubt, they are loved. Likewise, we know from many examples, from all throughout Scripture, who God is. We know he is kind, gentle, loving, and good (See Titus 3: 3-7, 1 John 4:8-10 for a few examples). The problem comes when our human brains get caught up on the earthly version of God’s characteristics.  We cheapen the meaning of what love looks like and what goodness is. Then, we question: how could ALL God’s choices be good?

A mother was talking to her small child, who was also asking the many why questions we all have. She said, “You just have a small brain. You may understand more someday, but for now, your brain is small and cannot understand.” We each have a small piece of a puzzle, but God has the box with the whole picture. We try to tell God what piece goes where, based on our perception of the piece we can see. Trying to do a puzzle this way may yield some progress, but it would likely result in much frustration.  

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The “because I said so” answer, or the “small brain” reasoning, may feel like an insult to our intelligence or a cop out to the “real” answer; but the reality is, some things just are, “because God said so” and “you have a small brain,” unable to fully comprehend God’s ways. In other words, God is God, and we are not. These answers can feel a little harsh, until you dive into God’s character, and suddenly his sovereignty feels much more like a relief than an injustice. When we KNOW God to be good and loving, we can trust that the things we perceive to not be good, will be. Conversely, we can rest assured that we are not in control, and that is a good thing.  

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So, what do you do when you don’t like the “because I said so” answer? Are you indignant that you would make a better God than God? Do you get in a huff and reject his sovereignty over the situation you’re questioning? Do you grapple with his character and try to make the circumstances match what you know about God with your single piece of the puzzle? Or do you lean into who you know God to be and try to trust his character and his sovereignty? While I do not wish to make light of a weighty subject, as I know we have all dealt with circumstances that hurt and make us question God’s goodness, I also want to encourage you today to pick a characteristic of God and find all the Scripture you can to back up the claim that God is ______. When you know who God is, it is easier to trust his sovereignty in all things.

God, thank you for being our Sovereign God. Thank you for loving us with our small brains and our many why questions. Help us to see you for who you are and trust your plan, even when we don’t understand. Amen.