Beth-El Baptist Church

06/01/2008

Greg Tomlinson


What does it mean that God made some vessels of mercy and others of wrath?


This passage of scripture is used by some in order to lay claim to the idea that God is active in causing men to go to hell and that they were created just for this purpose from the beginning of time. The sovereign work of God in the lives of people is important to understand so that he receives all of the honor and glory that is appropriate to be shown him.


  1. Where is the passage and what is its context?

Romans 9:8-25 Exodus 7:12-14, 22-23; 8:15-19, 32;

Malachi 1:1-4 9:7, 12, 34-10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8

Genesis 25:23 Daniel 2:21; 4:17


The context of the passage, and the passages that are quoted by Paul are referring to God's sovereign will over the affairs of man. It is God who is the ultimate and final judge and He moves in the lives of men in order to bring about His divine will.


  1. What about the character of God can help us out?

2 Peter 3:9 Ezekiel 33:11-12

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 Lamentations 3:22-23

Habakkuk 1:12-14 1 Samuel 2:25

1 Timothy 2:3-4 Exodus 33:18-34:8

Exodus 20:7 Ezekiel 18:27-32

Proverbs 16:4


God is Holy, just, righteous, and perfect in all His ways. He must judge sin and condemn it. He is also great in mercy and grace. Condemning men to eternal hell is not what God truly desires to do. He desires to see men turned toward Him with a heart of repentance. He is therefore patient and willing to wait upon man to change and seek the mercy and grace of God.


  1. What about the character of man can help us out?

Genesis 6:1-5 Jeremiah 17:9-10

1 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 3:5-7

Isaiah 6:5, 9 Mark 4:11-12

Matthew 13:13-15 Romans 1:20-32


Man natural state is to be evil and wicked. He is self focused and self serving. There is no hope of turning for the natural man. His heart is naturally hardened to the things of God.


  1. Given all of this, what do we do with these vessels of mercy and wrath?

Romans 9:21-24 Jeremiah 18:1-10

Acts 17:30-31 2 Chronicles 30:7-9

Psalm 81:10-13 Acts 7:39-42

Romans 1:22-28


Notice the reference to the potter and to the clay. A lump of clay as a lump of clay does not have an honorable or exquisite use. As a lump of clay, it has no intrinsic value. Its value comes from the hand of the potter. This also follows the logic that the heart of man is, by nature, hard and that God does soften the heart of some as He sees fit. Therefore the vessel is already a 'vessel' of dishonor but God, according to His will and need, makes it into a more dishonorable 'vessel'. The purpose of making the vessels of dishonor is in order to demonstrate the reality of the righteous judgment and wrath of God. As God makes His power, judgment, and wrath known, those who receive mercy rejoice all the more in the mercy they have been shown. Also notice that it is God who 'endured' or put up with the unregenerate awaiting the right time. Those who are unregenerate, God 'fitted' or established, equipped them in order to be destroyed. This is not a reference to His planning from eternity past to condemn them to eternal hell but of His preparatory work as they continued in their life of sin to transfer them to the location of their choosing, hell or the absence of God. Also notice that the only reference of prior preparation for something is in relationship to the honorable 'vessels' who were 'prepared unto glory'. This is yet another indication that the preparatory work for the unbeliever is not an active goal and desire of God but he 'gave them up' to follow their own ways.