VESSELS OF MERCY

In Romans chapters 9 and 10 we have two great truths which in the mind of God lie comfortably together yet in the minds of men are incapable of reconciliation, namely, divine election and human freewill. Chapter 9 details the former without apology while chapter 10, equally strongly, sets out the latter. Both are divine principles and while we may not be able to understand them we should accept them by faith. In the early part of this chapter there are two illustrations of divine sovereignty: 1) the choosing of Isaac as the son of promise against the rejection of Ishmael who was the result of fleshly activity - here we have two sons and two mothers - one son chosen and one rejected; 2) then, we have two sons of one mother. Rebecca bore twins and the younger was chosen for blessing over against the elder.

Next, we see God’s dealings with a sinful Pharaoh in harden­ing his already self-hardened heart to show His wrath and His power. Someone may say, ‘If God arbitrarily chooses like this don’t blame me for being unrepentant - it is not my fault!’ Paul then demonstrates the sovereignty of God using the illustration of the potter, as also did Isaiah and Jeremiah in their prophecies. The potter may decide to make from one piece of clay two rather different vessels; one fine and beautiful and the other basic and practical. Similarly, God in dealing with sinful men decides to show mercy by being longsuffering and patient with them but they respond in deliberate, unceasing rejection of His laws and His Son. Such individuals are referred to as ‘vessels of wrath’, i.e. vessels preparing themselves for wrath. God makes known through them, as He did through Pharaoh, His desire to mani­fest His wrath against sin. Conversely, God also shows mercy, a much used word in chapters 9-11, to others whom He has prepared beforehand as ‘vessels of mercy’. This is because He desires to make known and display the riches of His glory. We, believers, are vessels of mercy.

These ‘vessels of mercy’ are prepared and called from among both Jews and Gentiles and the latter, once afar off, are now brought nigh by the blood of Christ. This is not a matter for anal­ysis and debate but a means whereby God may be glorified.