What are the vessels of honor and dishonor in Romans 9:21?

The vessels of honour and the vessels of dishonour had been alike as vessels marred in the hand of the Potter, ruined by sin and rebellion against God, but those who repented and turned to God, in His rich mercy He formed to be vessels for the display of His glory in the coming day, the rich glory of His grace, as giving them to share His own Son's place before His face, and also in the day of His glory.

Sinful men thus living in enmity against God are here styled "vessels of wrath," on the one hand; as those who believe are designated "vessels of mercy" on the other. They are objects respectively of wrath and of mercy, and are figuratively supposed to contain each that quality which will issue in destruction or in glory.

But there is a shade of difference as distinct as it is refined and profoundly true which no reader should overlook. The vessels of wrath are said to be "fitted for destruction." But it is neither said nor implied here, or anywhere else, that God fitted them for it. They were fitted by their sins, and most of all by their unbelief and rebelliousness against God. But when we hear of the faithful, the phrase is altogether different, "vessels of mercy which he before prepared for glory." The evil is man's, and in no case is it of God; the good is His and not our own. Not the saints, but God prepared the vessels of mercy for glory. More strictly He prepared them beforehand with a view to glory. That is, it was not their preparation while on earth, His only when the glory arrives. The apostle affirms here that God prepared them before unto glory. It was His doing. None doubts that they became by grace obedient, holy, and thus morally conformed to His nature; but it seemed good to the Holy Spirit to dwell here only on God's preparation of the vessels of mercy beforehand for glory. Thus the riches of His glory are made known upon the vessels of mercy, for so they are called, not vessels filled with these or those spiritual qualities, however true this might be, but vessels of mercy.

Vessels of gold and silver are the vessels proper to the service of the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar had once taken the vessels of gold and silver from the temple at Jerusalem and carried them to Babylon (Dan. 5:2, 3). Vessels of wood and earth ought not to be in the house of God. From Romans 9:21-23 we learn that vessels to dishonor are "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" and vessels of honor are "vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory." Thus, generally speaking, vessels of gold and of silver would represent true Christians; they are vessels to honor-"vessels of mercy," while vessels of wood and of earth would symbolize unconverted professors in the church-vessels to dishonor and of wrath.

However, a golden vessel of honor may be used to dishonor, as Belshazzar did when he used the sacred vessels of the temple at his idolatrous feast. Likewise in the great house of Christendom, where the vessels represent persons, a real believer in the Lord may do something dishonoring to the Lord or be associated with vessels to dishonor and thus become a vessel of dishonor. The Lord cannot approve of the service of one associated with evil, therefore the condition of separation from vessels to dishonor is laid down in verse 21 as a necessity for being a vessel unto honor.

Rom. 9:21, and 2 Tim. 2:20. Vessels to dishonour are the reprobate in both scriptures. But in Romans it is in the general sphere of the wicked; in 2 Timothy, in the narrower one of those who, while nominally Christians, have no conscience toward God, and defile or destroy His house; whom God will destroy.

In Jeremiah 18 we have seen God's ways with the nations, but in Romans 9 we learn something of God's ways with individuals. Romans 9:21 brings in the illustration of Jeremiah, where the Spirit of God says, "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" Every individual, like every nation, is a marred vessel in the hand of the Potter, for we have all become marred by sin, and in taking our own evil way. There are those who, like Israel, will not listen to the word of God by His servants, the word of mercy that is proclaimed in the Gospel, and God has the power to make these marred vessels, vessels of wrath. Again, there are those who, like the Ninevites, listen to the message of God, and turn from their evil ways to God, and God makes them vessels of mercy. No man can escape from the hand of God, and God in His sovereign power can do as He will with the vessels of clay that are marred in His hand. Those that reject His mercy come in for judgment, and those who listen to Him He brings into blessing.

If now it be objected that if God shows mercy where He wills, and where He wills He hardens, He cannot rightly censure men, the apostle rebukes it as arrogance. Men should remember that it is unseemly to argue with God. Furthermore, it is His right of the same lump of fallen, sinful humanity to make one a vessel to honor, and another a vessel to dishonor. It is His sovereign prerogative to find delight in the part of the lump that submits to His grace, and to be displeased with the part that resists it. Those who reject the Ideal after which His grace would form them are surely vessels quite fit for judgment. God's long-suffering and patience with them make this manifest. On the other hand, those who yield to the formative power of His grace are suited vessels to display the riches of His glory; and this, too, whether such vessels are found among Jews or Gentiles. That such are to be found among the Gentiles the quotations from Hosea 2:23 and Hosea 1:10 fully show (vers. 19-26).

Rom. 9:19-29. But man does complain, and a second objection is: Since the sovereign God decides everything, why does He any longer find fault? For who has resisted His purpose? And what I am, I am: I can only be what He pleases. Nay, but thou, man, says the apostle, who art thou that answerest again to God? Does the creature of the dust dare to judge the Creator? God does what He will, and renders account of His acts to none. Thus man complains of God's righteousness when it touches himself, as he dislikes the grace which justifies others freely and absolutely. And to this indeed the question will be found to come: Is God to judge man? or is man to judge God? In the entire answer there are three propositions. First, as we have seen, the apostle maintains, in all its strength, the right of the sovereign God — the authority that He has to do just as He will with His creatures. Has not the potter power over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honour and another for dishonour? Next, he comes to the facts, and sets before us, that God, even when minded to show his wrath and make His power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction — vessels which He did not fit, but had long endured. Thirdly, there is the revelation that He had afore prepared for glory vessels of mercy. The vessels of wrath were fitted by themselves — by their sins — for wrath; but the vessels of mercy were prepared of God, for in truth no man is prepared of himself for glory: grace alone effects His work in favour of the elect. The passage is written, if we may so say, carefully, by the Spirit, that we should not impute the fitting of the wicked to God. His title to act sovereignly is asserted as a general and abstract truth in Rom. 9:21. But when we come to the facts as they are, Paul declares that it is not by God's act that they are fitted to destruction. On the other hand, it is expressly said that God endured vessels of wrath, (Rom. 9:22) and that he prepared vessels of mercy. Such are the cases supposed. Who or what, then, prepared those vessels of wrath? Sin, without doubt. Nevertheless, the word on this point preserves silence. What profound revelations result from the existence of sin — from God's way for us and for His own glory in respect of it! God alone suffices to Himself, and His power is necessary to the maintenance of everything, as it was needed to create all. The creature can only fall, if it be not sustained. The moment it seeks an independent existence it is fallen, and that even before committing a positive act of sin.

Lower down in chapter 9 we read of the power of the potter over the clay to make vessels to honour and dishonour; but while it speaks of God’s long-suffering with vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction, it never says God fitted them for destruction, but that He endured them with much long-suffering; but in the next verse, where it speaks of vessels of mercy, it distinctly says that God afore prepared them for glory.

An illustration serves to show how futile and senseless such an attitude is. The potter is entitled to make of the clay whatever he will: vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour (v. 21). And the clay does not have a view on what the potter does, or how he does it. So, who can accuse God if He wishes to show His mercy toward vessels of mercy, even if there are others who have become vessels of wrath? No one whatsoever.

Let us take note of an important nuance of expression in verses 22 and 23. Of the vessels of mercy it is stated clearly that it is God who has ‘prepared’ them for glory (v. 23). But of the vessels of wrath it does not say that God prepared them, or fitted them, for destruction, but simply that they are ‘fitted for destruction’ (v. 22). Pharaoh, unbelieving Israel, and all who refuse to believe have fitted themselves for destruction. But this does not stop God from showing His abundant mercy, making ‘known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, … us, whom he has also called, not only from amongst the Jews, but also from amongst the nations’ (vs. 23–24).

Verse 20. God has His own rights. Though the Jew might say, "You are to blame: you have made us like this," God replies that "the potter has the right to make of the clay, one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour" (see verse 21).

Verse 22. What then if God exercises His right to execute judgment where it was deserved? In the exercise of His wrath He makes His power known. How does He do so? HE "endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." How, or by whom, had they been fitted? By their sins. At the same time He makes known "The riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory." Vessels of wrath have fitted themselves for wrath, while vessels of mercy will forever be indebted to Him for preparing them for glory, in spite of the fact that this epistle elsewhere says, Rom. 3:22-23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."