Don’t we say that man is free to choose? Then why are these verses mentioned in the Bible: ” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have po
Yes, the potter has power over the clay to make of it what he desires, a vessel for honour or a vessel of dishonour and the clay cannot say “Why did you make me like this?”.
But the potter also is wise and just.
One of the wonderful explanations that I read about this subject:
That the potter, with all his freedom and authority, wisely looked at the piece of day. If he found it good, soft and smooth, he would make of it a vessel for honour; for its quality qualifies it for that.
It is illogical that a wise potter with a piece of high quality clay, will make of it a vessel of dishonour, that would be carelessness, far be it from God to do so!
If the clay was rough and of poor quality and not fit to be a vessel for honour, the potter, because of the clay condition, would make of it a vessel of dishonour.
With all possibilities, he will try to make of the clay, all the clay in front of him, vessels of honour as far as the quality of the clay allows it.
Then, after all, it depends on the quality of the clay and how good it is, recognising the authority of the potter and his freedom adding to that this wisdom and justice. Therefore God said ” Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! “The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, “if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. “And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, “if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.” (Jer. 18:6-10). Then the clay has the chance to improve or change its fate.
This reminds us of the parable of the sower that went out to sow (Matt. 13:3-8).
The sower is the same as the seeds are the same and the sower wishes all to grow, but according to the nature of the earth on which the seeds fell, was the result, growing or spoiling. The sower did not prepare the seeds to be devoured by birds, or wither away or be choked by the thorns but the nature of the earth controlled that.
Do not say then, “was it my fault that I became a vessel of dishonour?!”
Be a good and soft clay in the hand of the great potter and be assured that He will make of you a vessel of honour, and the matter is still in your hand.
