Consignment

I was reading the Bible and came across this statement:

Romans 11:32

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

God's desire is to have mercy. He enjoys it. The verse above states specifically that He desires to have mercy on all. In order to do this, He consigns all of them to disobedience.

"No one's perfect after all."
"Everyone makes mistakes."

These maxims are true. No one of us is perfect. We all do fall short. But that is not a license to aim for imperfection and strive to mistake.

God does not love our disobedience, but perhaps it is good that it exists in that it provides the opportunity for Him to provide mercy. This is not me saying that evil is good or even implying it. Evil is not good. Whatever God desires and designs is good. We do not get to determine good and then hold God to it. God does what He wants and what He wants is good (even if it offends our better judgments).

From Barnes' notes on the Bible:

"The word translated here "consigned" sunekleise, is rendered in the margin "shut them all up together." It is properly used in reference to those who are shut up in prison, or to those in a city who are shut up by a besieging army."

We are all imprisoned because of our disbelief. In the words of "And Can It Be That I Should Gain."

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

God is a God of mercy because we are a people who deserve imprisonment. It is not God's desire that we be imprisoned, but it is His love and justice to imprison rebels and then in mercy, show them grace.