59_Vessels of wrath or Vessels of mercy Ex 9:15-17 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. Rom 9: 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory? Both diamonds and coal are formed from carbon, but their outcomes are determined by the difference in pressure and time. Pharaoh, like coal, chose the path that was easier for his flesh. He resisted repentance and remained in his natural state—hardened, fuel for the fire. In contrast, Moses submitted his dearest dreams of being Israel’s deliverer to God, and remained a humble and unknown shepherd in the back of the desert for forty long years. He came out as a raw diamond. Truly, those who submit to God's refining process, like carbon under intense pressure, are his chosen vessels of mercy. They are precious and become radiant jewels for God’s glory. The parable of carbon shows that the very same material is transformed into very different forms depending on the process it undergoes. The story of Pharaoh, as recounted in Exodus 7–10, serves as a sobering example of a vessel of wrath, a man who deliberately chose not to submit to God’s known will and express commandment. Ultimately, he became an example of God’s judgment to the world, like one set apart to demonstrate His power and justice. The question that many people ask at once is: If God hardens the hearts of some, how can they be held accountable? How can He justly condemn them? Against the context of God’s goodness and love, already set forth plainly in the previous chapters, Romans 9:18-21 asserts God's sovereign right to do as he wishes, as long as he does no injustice. “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?” God cannot do anything unjust or wrong. The right of the just and good Creator to create everything according to his plan is indisputable, and to be reverently acknowledged by all creation without murmuring and rebellion. It is crucial to note the distinction between the preparation of vessels for wrath and vessels for mercy. In Romans 9:22, the phrase "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction" is in the passive voice, implying that these vessels are prepared for destruction, not directly by God, but through their own choices and actions. In contrast, Romans 9:23 speaks of "vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory," using the active voice, where God is the one actively working. While God is sovereign,