God the Potter

Chapter 9, and we're going to try to get through 14 down through verse 24. It's an interesting, tough passage. It's not real easy material to cover. Sovereignty of God here coming out in the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. So you guys have probably looked at that before, so that's what we're going to be talking about today. So I want to start in verse 6. I know it's kind of a lengthy section here, but just kind of read down through verse 24 to get the context and the flow of what's going on here. But it is not so. It is not as though the Word of God has failed.

So what was happening is that the Israelites were wondering, well what about us? Because up in 4 and 5 there it says Israel to them belongs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the temple service, the promises, the fathers, the patriarchs, and the Christ. So they're saying, boy, all these things have been promised to us, but they weren't seeing them come true. So they're saying, boy, is God really faithful? Has His word failed? What's happened here? So that's what verse 6 is saying. It's not as though the word of God has failed.

For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel, neither are they all children, because they are Abraham's descendants. But through Isaac your descendants will be named. That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of promise are regarded as descendants. For this is a word of promise. At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son. Not only this, but there was Rebekah also, and she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac.

For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad in order that God's promise, according to His choice, might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls. And it is said to her, The older will serve the younger, just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May never be.

For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the scriptures say to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raise you up to demonstrate my power in you. and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth. So then he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires. You will say to me, then, why does he still find fault? For who resists his will? On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me like this, will it?

Or does not the potter have the right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel of honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And he did so in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory. Even us, whom he also called not from among the Jews only, but also from among the Gentiles."

OK. Can we make it through that? I don't know. OK. Review. The Israelites are expecting promises to them because of the Abrahamic covenant. Okay? And so they're wondering where are the promises? What's happened to these promises? They're not seeing them fulfilled. That's why we already mentioned there in verse 6, they said what they did. And so we pose this question, didn't the Word of God fail since the Israelites are not now in possession of their Messiah Christ and all the associated promised blessings? And the bottom line answer is absolutely not. The Word of God can never fail. What God says always comes true. God is faithful. It's His essence. It's His character.

So God chose some. We covered this last week. God chose some from national Israel to be part of spiritual Israel. We looked at that specifically in verse 11 there. The choosing was the picking out, the selecting of some. And this choosing was not based on works, but it was based on God who calls. God sovereignly is free. to choose and to pick out who he wants, and he chose, he picked out from national Israel, some to be part of spiritual Israel. We'll get to that in detail.

So, the natural response of the Jews is, boy, this isn't fair. What's going on? How can this be that God does this? And so that's where we jump into this thing in verse 14. And then just a little bit of a foreshadowing here, God is in His sovereign freedom, is totally free to do what He wants.

So we're going to see some examples. He gives them examples that they would know through the Jews. He gives them examples from the Old Testament that they would be very familiar with to try to help them understand this point regarding Him choosing some from the from national Israel to be part of spiritualism. He uses the example of Moses, and we'll look at that. He uses the example of Pharaoh, we'll look at that, and the example of the potter and the clay. and ultimately he does what he wants so that he can be glorified as we know that is God's ultimate purpose.

So verse 14, is there injustice or I think the KJV uses this word unrighteousness with God. Verse 14, what shall we say then? Is there no injustice with God? There is no injustice with God, is there? And then he says, may it never be. So because God is operating this way in His sovereignty, doesn't this make Him unjust?

That's what their thinking was. This doesn't, this isn't fair. This doesn't make sense, that some would be chosen to be part of spiritual Israel, and some are not chosen to be part of spiritual Israel. That's their thinking. Paul anticipates their thinking, poses the question, and then answers the question. We've seen that all the way through what Paul has written.

If this were true, this goes directly against the character of God. God cannot be unjust. He is a righteous God. He is a just God. Let's look at a couple of these, because I think It's important, of course, as we go through this passage that it's a little bit difficult for us in our finite minds to understand. We need to maintain a proper perspective and understanding of the character and the nature and the essence of God. That's going to help us to get through this passage. Let's look at Deuteronomy 32. Okay, if someone would read that out for us. Deuteronomy 32 and verses 1, 2, 3, and 4. and hear, O earth, the words in my mouth. My doctrines will drop as the rain, and my speech shall be still as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass, because I will publish the name of the Lord, the scribe, and the witness unto our God.

He is the rock, his work is perfect, Good. So the focus here is on verse 4. He's described as the rock. His work is perfect. And so we're seeing here God's work. God's work in relation to the nation of Israel and to the Jews. So God's work is perfect. And they're having a hard time grasping that despite God is doing this, that His work is perfect. But God's work is perfect even though He's doing this. And to try to get their minds around that is very difficult.

For all of His ways are just, a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous, and upright is he. There's these huge characteristics of God coming out here. We'll get over to Job in chapter 8. Anybody can just read it when you find it. Job chapter 8 and verse 3. Okay, so there we have a question which obviously is not true. Does God pervert justice? Absolutely not. Does the Almighty pervert what is right? Absolutely not, because God is right, as we saw back in the previous verse.

A couple pages over there, Psalm 92. Psalm 92, verse 15. Good. Driving home the same point there. The Lord is upright. There is no unrighteousness in Him. And that's what's being challenged in this scripture in Romans 9. And then one more. Keep going. There to chapter 145. And read for us verse 17.

Exactly. He's righteous in all his ways, holy in all of his works, the NAFs are each kind in all of his deeds. So let's remember what the scripture says in describing God as we proceed into these difficult passages, that God is kind in all of His deeds, despite choosing some to be part of spiritual Israel and not choosing some to be part of spiritual Israel, He's still kind in all of His deeds.

And that's what the Jews were having a hard time understanding that Paul is writing to. Okay, back to Romans 9. So the answer is, to this question, may never be. God forbid. And we've seen this expression used a lot in our study of Romans so far. 3.31, chapter 6, verse 2, verse 15, chapter 7, verse 7, and also in verse 13 of chapter 7. This expression strongly This expression here, may it never be, or God forbid, strongly denies the false conclusion. So the false conclusion would be, yeah, God is. And they're like, no, may it never be. God forbid, he's not. Unjust. So, we continue on to verse 15. I kind of got these lumped together here in verse 15 through verse 18.

For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the scripture says of Pharaoh, to demonstrate for this very purpose I raise you up to demonstrate my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth. So God has mercy on whom he wants and he hardens whomever he wants.

So let's go back to Exodus chapter 33. We'll get a context of what's going on here. This is specifically with Moses. Exodus 33, I think. Okay, yeah, 18 through 23. So then, Moses said, I pray thee, and he's talking to God, show me your glory, show me thy glory.

And he said, God said, I myself will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. So there's what's being quoted here in Romans 9, right there in verse 19. I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion and I will show Be gracious to whom I will be gracious and he said to you said to him You cannot see my face for no man can see me and live then the Lord said behold there's a place by me and you shall stand there on the rock and it will come about as While my glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and cover you with my hand until I pass by. And then I will take my hand away, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen." Because if he were to see his face, he wouldn't be able to live.

This is where Paul is bringing in this story here of Moses' interaction with the Lord. He's quoting this in Romans 9, verse 15. Now the Jews, who he's writing to, they would be very familiar with this story. So he's bringing in context that they would understand from reading of the Old Testament, that they would be familiar with.

That God is going to be gracious to who he wants to be gracious to, and is going to show compassion on whom he wants to show compassion to. The idea here is, I will have mercy, and I will have compassion, These are future active indicative, and on whom I have mercy, on whom I have compassion. These are actually present active subjunctive. So one is in the future and one is in the present, is what we're wanting to point out there. So the second usage of each word shows the outward manifestation because of the determination of an inward decision.

See, God says, I am going to be gracious on whom I will be gracious, and I'm going to show compassion to whom I want to show compassion. So there's an inward decision that he makes, and then there's an outward manifestation of the inward decision that God made.

That's what's coming across here. God determined to not give people what they deserve, mercy, And then by giving them mercy, that puts the decision into action. And the same thing comes across with compassion. Does that make sense? So, we used to put it this way, I will have mercy or compassion on anyone, whoever he is, that I will show mercy, compassion to in the future.

And this brings out the sovereignty of God. Who's making the decision? God. God's saying, I'm going to show mercy to that person. And then there comes a time where there is an outward manifestation of the mercy which God predetermined to have on that person. And the same thing comes across with His compassion. I'm going to have compassion to that person. And then there comes a time, point in time, where there is an outward manifestation of the compassion which He predetermined to have towards that person. God is sovereignly doing what it is that He wants to do. And that's really the whole thrust of this whole section of scripture that we're talking about.

Questions? I see a few little scrunched up brows, like, what's going on? Confusing? Speak forward, speak up. I have to say this. Last week, I always get Rachel's notes and she helps to correct and proofread. Last week, you guys probably remember this, I had on my notes that Esau was chosen by God. And nobody raised their head and said, wasn't it Jacob that was, and not Esau? So anyways, nobody corrected my notes, so please feel free to speak up anytime you see a mistake. You know, what's going on with that? Yeah, yeah. I saw, I said, boy, nobody even pointed that out. Wowee.

Okay. alright so because all this rests on the sovereignty of God his decision and action is not dependent on man's action but on God's choice we saw that last week if you go back up to verse 11 before the twins were born and they hadn't done anything good or bad in order that God's purpose is according to his choice my sin not because of works but because of Him who calls. And so look at verse 16, it's the same thing.

So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. God says, I'm going to have mercy on this person, then He's going to show it to them. I'm going to have compassion on this person, and then He shows them that compassion. Not because of the man who wills, not because of the man who runs, but because of God. who has mercy because of God, who makes the choice to interact and deal with people the way He wants. Human effort is not the source of God's mercy and compassion. It's God. It's what's coming out of this passage. It's God and His sovereignty shows His mercy and His compassion, not based on human effort.

So, again, we come back to these examples that the Jews would know quite well, God's sovereignty is shown with Moses and with Pharaoh. We read it already, back in God's conversation there with Moses, and we're also going to see here how God's sovereignty is shown with Pharaoh. verse 17 and verse 18 we read that for this purpose I raised you up God summoned you to Pharaoh it brings out three things God raised him up or he hardened his heart in order to demonstrate his power meaning God's power in Pharaoh or through Pharaoh and to proclaim his name throughout all the earth okay that's what's happening here when we look at verse 17 in particular.

So let's look back at Exodus 14. Again, we can get a feel for the context of what Paul is referring back to here for this story that will be clearly understood by the Jews that he's speaking to now. Okay, I'm going to read a larger section again, but I think by reading this section it's going to help us to get a feel for what's going on. I'm going to pick it up in 14, verse 22.

And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them in their right hand and on their left. Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and Pharaoh's horses and his chariots and the horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. And it came about at the morning watch that the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and the cloud, and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. And he caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and he made them drive with difficulty. So the Egyptians said, Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians." What is that showing right there to the Egyptians?

God's power. Something's happening here. God is interacting and He is fighting on behalf of the Israelites. Go up to verse 13. Moses said to the people, Do not fear. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which He has accomplished for you today. For the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again. For the Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Isn't that incredible? The power of God on behalf of the Israelites? That's a wonderful passage right there. Back to verse 25.

So he caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and he made them drive with difficulty. So the Egyptians said, Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians. Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen. So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it. And then the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen. Even Pharaoh's entire army that had gone into the sea after them, not even one of them remained. But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. And when Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.

Go back to Romans 9, verse 17. The scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raise you up to demonstrate my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth. Do you think that happened? God's power was seen right there. And do you think that this event was known widely and all over the place? of what God had done on behalf of Israel, and how he freed them, and how he killed the Egyptians in the army.

Yeah, absolutely. Again, God is the one who is in control here. His sovereignty is being brought out through this passage. Okay. For this purpose, I raised you up to demonstrate. So the idea is that God brought Pharaoh forward on the event stage of what's being talked about here to demonstrate his power and that the name of the Lord would be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.

We've read a good bit of that section there already, but we won't read it again. Okay, let's move into now this idea of a hardened heart. Three words in the Hebrew are used to describe the hardness of Pharaoh's heart. The one One used the most literally means to be or to become strong and figuratively to be strong in will, to be fixed in will.

Now there's some supplemental handouts in the back of your packet of paper. Just look back there if you would. I appreciate Sue. Sue is one that helped us to have all these. Thanks for putting all these together. Okay, so if you go to the first handout there, you see the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, and the events line there across the top. And I went ahead and penciled in all the references to where these fall in Exodus. It's Exodus 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and chapter 14. Those are the events, and then you have God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart, the next line there, and then you have Pharaoh hardens his heart, and then you have the condition of Pharaoh's heart. I'm going to leave this with you to go through in detail, but I think it's very helpful when we look at the idea of this hardening of Pharaoh's heart. We don't have time in the class today to go into it to this depth, but you can, on your own, do that studying.

As you do, and if you have questions, please call me or email me. I'd be happy to interact with you all over that some. So, if you go to the next page, the next page of the supplemental handouts here. The Hardeen of Pharaoh's Heart, it says at the top there are three different Hebrew words in the Exodus account for the word hardened. There are the specifics and the details there laid out for you. Again, I'm not going to take the time to go into it because we don't have that time this morning. Go back to where we are in your other handouts. I thought this was really helpful when I think what the notes there that Hal put together brings out the same point.

Vincent says this, in Exodus the hardening is represented as self-produced and as produced by God. And Paul here in Romans is choosing the latter representation where it is produced by God. Let's look at these. I think it's well worth our time to be familiar and comfortable with what's being talked about here. So let's go back to Exodus. Let's go back to Exodus 8. The hardening is represented in two different ways. It's represented as being self-produced, and it's also represented as being produced by God. First of all, let's look at how it is self-produced. We see that in Exodus 8.

Let's look at the first verse here in verse 15. verse 15 but when Pharaoh saw that there was that there was relief he hardened his heart and did not listen to them as the Lord said so there is implied that Pharaoh hardened his heart okay it's very clear he hardened his heart chapter 8 as well over in verse 32 but Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also he did not let the people go again self-produced hardening of his heart chapter 9 over in verse No, that's a typo there.

It shouldn't. Forty-three, make that thirty-four. It'll mix up. Thirty-four. Nine thirty-four. that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart and his servants." Verse 35, "...and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses."

If you go through this section, starting in chapter 8, you'll see this This idea here, the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, mentioned a lot of times, much more than is on this slide, in how's notes brings it out in its completeness. So, you can refer back to those. But as I look through it, it is all over the place, this idea here of Pharaoh's hardened heart.

Self-produced, produced by God. So, go back to chapter 4, Exodus 4, verse 21. The Lord said to Moses, when you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." So, here we see the Lord says, I'm going to harden his heart. But before we saw that Pharaoh was hardening his heart, here we see the Lord saying, I'm going to harden his heart. Chapter 7 and verse 3. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that I may multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt."

Now that refers back to what we're talking about in Romans 9. The word says, I will harden who I choose, so that my power will be known, that my name will be proclaimed. And so here we see this happening. I'm going to harden his heart, so that my signs, so that my wonders will be known in the land of Egypt. Chapter 9. Go over to chapter 9 in verse 12, "...and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses." So there again, the hardened heart produced by God.

For sake of time, I'll let you look up 1020 in verse 27, and then 1110 on your own. And again, there's more references to this than just on this point here. You can study this out in a little more detail on your own. Tough. How do you resolve this? I want to look at some facts regarding what's happening here.

God did not force Pharaoh to resist Him. I think we have to acknowledge that. God did not force Pharaoh to resist God. God does not cause mankind to do evil. That goes against the nature, the character, and the essence of God. He can't do that. We saw that in some of the verses previously that we looked at, and we're going to see it again as we look at a couple more verses regarding the character and essence of God's future as well. Sin of mankind comes from the sin nature. God can't be blamed for Pharaoh's hardened heart. Who's to blame for Pharaoh's hardened heart? He is. Pharaoh is. It's because of his sin nature. He has the hardened heart. Pharaoh's rebellion against God came because of his depravity, not because of God.

It's just putting the previous point in different words so that we can get a better understanding of what's going on here. When God demanded Pharaoh to release the Israelites, it enraged Pharaoh's already hardened heart. This is a sentence in which God hardened his heart. I think this is what's going on here.

He hardened his heart by putting a demand on his already hard heart that he would not want to meet. Does that make sense? When God says that God hardened his heart, he put before Pharaoh, who already had a hardened heart, he put before Pharaoh a demand that Pharaoh was not going to want to meet. So what did that do?

It just made him mad. It just enraged him. And so it made his already hard heart even harder. It made him He stiff-armed God even more. He was already stiff-arming God, and it just made him, you know, no. It caused him to manifest. Yeah, that's right. It came out. Manifested even more, yeah.

Pharaoh was, in a sense, already beyond help, and God in His sovereignty chose to use him to proclaim His name throughout the whole earth. Any thoughts about that? You know when I was kind of reading through some different things, there was, I think maybe it was Macaulay, made reference to the fact that God's choosing usually has to do with blessing. And that even in him choosing Pharaoh, it was to the left.

That's right. And I thought that was kind of a cruel alteration. That's right. When you look at ultimately, what was God's ultimate purpose? To manifest His glory. That's right. To manifest His glory so that His name would be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.

So, through God's Pharaoh becomes a vessel of wrath. We'll see that a little further on here. Pharaoh becomes a vessel of wrath, as opposed to a vessel of mercy. But through God, using Pharaoh as a vessel of wrath, it actually shows the mercy of God.

It actually shows the blessing of God, because he's doing that, so that others will know more about himself. That's very good. Yeah, good point, Donna. Everybody catch that? How it works that way? God uses who he wants. That's the bottom line. The sovereignty of God is really the thrust of this passage. He uses who he wants and he does what he wants for his ultimate purpose and his ultimate goal. That he'll be glorified. And we'll get to it in a minute. Who are we, oh little man, to question what it is that God wants to do? So, verse 19, why do we still find fault? Go back to Romans. Go back to chapter 9. So, you will say to me, then, why does he still find fault?

Or, who resists his will? So, what's happening here? If God determines salvation for someone, how can they resist? Again, this is the mindset of the Jews, that Paul is anticipating their questions, and he's trying to answer their questions. If God determines damnation for someone, how can they resist? If God determined that Moses would understand His grace and His compassion, how could Moses have resisted God's grace and His compassion? If God determined that Pharaoh would not, that he would be a vessel of wrath, and that he would not understand His mercy and His compassion, how could Pharaoh have resisted that? And who can resist God, is what the point is coming across here in verse 19.

If God is sovereignly in control of everything, how can he find fault with people? That's really the question that the Jews are posing. If God determines something, who can withstand it? That's what's coming across here. Now, the interesting thing is that God really doesn't give an answer to that question. He leaves it unanswered. And there comes God's character and his essence of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. And Paul didn't try to really work that out. He maintains the track of God's sovereignty here. It goes into the Potter and the Clay where we're going to see it.

We're left with that question that how do these two things interrelate and it's a question of the ages and it's going to continue to be a difficult question and a question of the ages and we can talk to the Lord about it when we're with him and that'll be a great thing. So the Jews are thinking if God determined Pharaoh's heart to be hardened, he must have already decided that they would not be part of spiritual Israel. It's not our fault. We have no choice in the matter. That's what they're thinking. The difficulty is understanding the sovereignty of God.

So on the contrary, verse 20 and 21, who are you to question God? So he doesn't go in to try and answer the question, but he says, who are you to question God and what he does, what he says, and how he acts, and how he responds and interacts with people. Verse 20 and 21. Oh man, who answers back to God?

The thing molded will not say to the molder, why did you make me this way, will it? Or does not the potter have the right over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? So little man, who are you to challenge the almighty God on what he does or on how he does it? That's where Paul goes. He doesn't go to trying to answer their question. Where he goes is who are you to challenge God on what he does who he does it with, and how he does it.

God can do what he wants, making from the same lump of clay some vessels for honor, and some vessels for dishonor. And we see this very clearly here. God in his sovereignty made Moses a vessel of honor, and he made Pharaoh a vessel of dishonor. God did that, and it was God's right, and it was God's choice and his freedom to do that however it is that he wanted to do.

God's purpose is similar in both men. This goes to what you were bringing out Donna. With Moses he shared his glory and made his glory known. With Pharaoh he declared his name throughout the whole earth. So ultimately God's purpose was brought forth through both men. Even though one was made as a vessel of honor and one was made as a vessel of dishonor, God's ultimate purpose was still brought forth. Any thoughts or questions?

So, in the remaining couple of verses here, God goes from the specific, where he was talking about Moses and Pharaoh, to the more general. And he goes into verses 22 through 24. So what if God, verse 22, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And he did so in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand from glory, even us, whom he called not from among the Jews only, but also from among the Gentiles. So, what if God Again, this is bringing out the supreme, all-powerful God. He can do what He wants. What if God works this way, and He does? It's that kind of a question.

Willing to publicly show His wrath, to make His power known, deals with people with much patience, vessels of wrath or dishonor, Again, it's not because of God, but it's because of their own sin nature. We can't put the blame on God that someone is a vessel of wrath. We see this. Was God patient with Pharaoh? Yeah. I think he was. He went through all of the ten plagues.

How do you try to reconcile those two things? Pharaoh's heart was hardened, God hardened Pharaoh's heart, yet it seems through the scriptures that God is trying through the plates to get Pharaoh to turn back to himself. How do you tie all those things in together? That's difficult. difficulty to see how the psalm chief God is working there. But yeah, I think God dealt with Pharaoh in a patient way, despite his hardened heart, and despite that God had hardened his heart, and despite that he was a vessel of wrath. Sure. Could it be that the hardening of Pharaoh's heart was a result of Pharaoh's own rejection of God, rather than God actually hardened him? Yes, exactly. Right on. Perfect. Any additions to that? That's well said.

His heart was already hardened because of his sin nature and because of his depravity. In Romans it talks about how God gave him over. to the depravity, I think that's kind of the same idea. In chapter 2 we looked at that, how the sinfulness of man, that eventually God just gave him over. And they continued to stiff arm God, and stiff arm God, and reject God, and God gave him over. Does God not love those people? Does God not desire that they turn to Him? That they be saved? No, God loves them. He wants them to turn to Him. He desires that they be saved. But there did come a point in time where He just kind of gave them over.

I think the same thing is similar with the idea of Pharaoh. Thanks Art. So, fitting and prepared, this happens because of chapter 2, 2-4. Okay, there we have it. What happens, they despise the goodness and forbearance and the long-suffering of God. So, that's what's recorded. Because they despise the goodness and forbearance and long-suffering of God, God gave them over. Same thing with Pharaoh. He was despising the patience of God, the goodness of God, the long-suffering of God. Therefore, God gave him over or he hardened his heart.

Okay, so he did this so that those who he would show his honor to are those who he chose as vessels of mercy. Okay, so he chose some as vessels of mercy or vessels of honor so that those who he chose are those who he chose his mercy to are those who he chose as vessels of mercy. Does that make sense? Okay.

So Romans 9.29, except the Lord of the Sabbath has left us to posterity, we would have become as Sodom and would have resembled Gomorrah. We're going to get into this in a couple more weeks, but this is what except the Lord intervened. We would have ended up, we would have become as Sodom and we would have resembled Gomorrah. But what happened?

God intervened and God decided to choose some and to show his mercy to some, therefore choosing some to be vessels of honor as opposed to vessels of dishonor showing vessels of wrath. When talking of vessels of wrath, only his wrath and power are brought out. But when talking of vessels of mercy, God's love and His glory are brought out. I think it's interesting to point out, when we're talking about vessels of wrath, we don't see His glory being brought out. It's His power that's being brought out. But when we're talking about vessels of mercy, or vessels for good use, there we see His love and His glory being brought out. Look at Ephesians. Go over a couple of books here to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2, look at verses 4-7. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, He made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved.

So, vessel of mercy, vessel of honor, because God is rich in His mercy, vessels of mercy. He decided to show His mercy upon us, with which great love, with which He loved us. Verse 6, He's raised us up with Him, seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Look at verse 23 back in Romans 9, the similarity of this. He did this. He decided to show his mercy to some, so that they would be vessels of mercy, in order that he would make known the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory. Very similar about God's purpose and God's plan for those who he is going to show his mercy to, for those who are going to be vessels of mercy. God's love for all people. I think it's important that we look at this again. Go back to Ezekiel. Ezekiel 33. Ezekiel 33, verse 11. Ezekiel 33, verse 11. As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back. Turn back from your evil ways.

Why then will you die, O house of Israel? Do you see the heart of God there? I think we have to really keep this before us. heart of God and the compassion of God and the love of God and the care and the concern of God for all mankind, despite some are described here as vessels of wrath, despite not everyone is chosen to be part of spiritual Israel. We have to remember that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from His way and live. That's what God wants for everyone.

And then finally, verse 24, and I'm not going to spend a lot of time on 24. Those chosen for honorable use came not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles. And this is the first time in Romans 9-11, this section here, where we see the introduction of the Gentiles. So I'm going to leave it for whoever's next week to get into how the Gentiles are brought into this whole section.

Think back, though, to the Abrahamic covenant. What phrase, what section of the promises to Abraham begin to bring in the Gentiles? Can you remember that? To Abraham, God said, through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed. So when we see that little phrase, through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed, that's where we say, boy, that means that this blessing is going to go beyond just the Jews, beyond just the Israelites. So we see here that verse 24, we begin to bring in this idea of the Gentiles, and we're going to get more into it in chapter 10. and loving how they're grafted in.

Interesting stuff. I have a note here on the side that I wrote, who knows how long somebody was teaching, in regard to this in chapter 9 here, and it says that clay has no volition. So the vessels of clay have no volition, but mankind does. And God works with that. And then I guess, Pharaoh was confirmed. Right. That's right. So his volition was one of rejecting the goodness of God? Sure. Which one are you on? Yeah, where God's sovereignty versus human responsibility on the top. So the potter on the top and it says men have wills, clay does not.

So vessels, Moses, Israelites, Pharaoh, the Egyptians. So what, did everybody hear what she said? So what she brought out was that Pharaoh's volition was already one of rejecting the goodness of God. And so therefore he was, in a sense, fit to be a vessel of wrath. Is that what you're saying?

Where Moses, you know, Moses was a man of faith. Moses was a man who followed after God, despite some of his mistakes. We all make mistakes. So there, in that sense, Moses' volition was one towards God, instead of one of rejecting God. Therefore, he was a vessel of honor in that sense. That helps with understanding it, because it's so easy to just feel like God is willy-nilly choosing who to save and who to save, regardless. Good point, to bring in man's volition. I don't know quite how that all fits, and I'm not going to try to pretend that I do, but it's a very good point, so thanks for bringing that in.

In spite of that, it still wasn't God's will that Pharaoh be a rejecter. I mean, that wasn't ordained by God. It was ordained or came to be by Pharaoh's own collision, like Adonai has brought forth, but this wasn't in the will of God. Yeah, you know, God desires that all men come to repentance. God didn't choose it himself, is what I guess I'm trying to say. Right. That's right. And so when you look at Pharaoh, his volition is one of already rejecting, therefore he's already fit for a vessel of dishonor and wrath. Okay, I had a few closing summary thoughts.

So, God's plan for Israel as well as for the Gentiles, we're going to get into how the Gentiles fit in for this, for being vessels of honor and mercy is compatible with His entire essence, sovereignty, mercy, justice, and righteousness, and is also compatible with human responsibility and volition.

The purpose of the context is not to discuss the doctrine of predestination as it applies to salvation, but to establish the sovereignty of God in His plan for Israel as well as the Gentiles. And I think that we're trying to keep that the focus. We're not trying to have a doctrine class on election or predestination or God's choosing, but how is God sovereignly working in His plan for Israel. And we'll get into it as well with the Gentiles.

And they're having a hard time with it. And that's what Paul is trying to explain to them, God's plan for Israel. An understanding of God's plan and dealings with Israel is necessary and an understanding of God's preservation of a remnant. It's critical that we understand and keep in context the big picture of this whole section of 9 through 11, particularly 9 here, 14 through 24.

And make use of those other handouts, they're very helpful, as you guys have done. Okay, let's pray. Lord, thanks for our time, thanks for the scriptures here that we can read and we can look to, and trust your spirit to lead us and guide us into a fuller understanding and a more complete understanding. Thanks that we see in your sovereignty and we see that you ultimately are in control of all circumstances and in all situations. And I have to pray a prayer of thanksgiving that we're here and that you and your sovereign plan have seen fit that we are enjoying your grace, that we are enjoying your love and your mercy and enjoying being vessels of mercy and vessels of honor here in this room and in this church, in this body this morning. So just thank you for that. That is how things have worked. And I'll just pray for Vern the rest of the morning as he gives the message and the service. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.