Vessels of Honor and of Dishonor

The Potter and the Vessel

The potter forms the vessels. One for honor, the other for dishonor. And the vessel? It has nothing of itself. It is a product of craftsmanship. Period.

Pharaoh: A Vessel of Dishonor

Take Pharaoh. Paul quotes God’s own words:

“For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
— Romans 9:17

It was therefore God’s intention that Pharaoh would oppose Him, so that in this very resistance He could display His power. God’s word came to him: “Let My people go.” It was precisely there that Pharaoh resisted God’s will. But in that very opposition he fulfilled God’s counsel. He did not serve himself, but God’s plan. Unwittingly, yet unavoidably.

A vessel of honor is one that honors God as Creator of all. Pharaoh did not. He ascribed power to himself and thus was a vessel of dishonor.

Sennacherib: Pride as Ungodliness

Sennacherib in Isaiah 10 does the same. God announces:

“But it shall come to pass… that I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent…”
— Isaiah 10:12–13

He claims autonomy. He sees himself as the actor, not as the instrument. But Isaiah places him where he truly stood: merely a rod in God’s hand (10:5). His pride is nothing but ungodliness.

The Myth of Free Will

And that is precisely the core of the doctrine of “free will.” It sounds devout, but it is a denial of God as GOD. It presupposes that man makes choices independently of his Maker. That is not just a doctrinal misunderstanding. It is unbelief. Pride. The vessel ascribes honor to itself.

All Things Are of Him

But the truth is: all things are of Him, through Him, and to Him (Romans 11:36). A vessel of honor acknowledges this. A vessel of dishonor denies it. But even that denial serves God’s plan. For even the pride of Pharaoh and Sennacherib turned out to be… to the praise of His glory.

The Message for Today

Whoever today proclaims “free will” speaks no differently than Pharaoh and Sennacherib. It is essentially nothing but pride: humanity ascribes to itself what belongs to the Creator alone. Religion that reasons in such a way, in effect, denies that we are but vessels in the hand of the Potter.

Delen: