From a letter written by the apostle Paul (Saul)
to believers in Rome:
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?-Romans 9:14-24***Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were Israelites from the tribe of Levi, descended from Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (Israel) and his 1st wife Leah, and Jacob and Leah's 3rd born son Levi. When Moses was 80 years old, and herding sheep in the region of Mount Horeb, Moses saw a fiery sight and heard the voice of the Lord God speaking to him. The Lord God told Moses that he was sending Moses to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and Moses was to bring the Israelites to Canaan, the Promised Land. Moses spoke about his personal inabilities. The Lord God spoke to Moses about Aaron, and the Lord God told Moses that he will harden Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh will not let the Israelites leave, and the Lord God sent Moses and Aaron to speak to the Israelite elders and Pharaoh. After Pharaoh commanded that the work of the Israelites be increased, the Israelites spoke to Moses and Aaron, and Moses spoke to the Lord God. The Lord God spoke to Moses and sent Moses to speak to the Israelites, and Moses spoke to the Israelites and spoke to the Lord God. After the Lord God told Moses that he will harden Pharaoh's heart, the Lord God sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and the Lord God brought the 1st plague upon Egypt. After the Lord God brought the 10th and final plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to get the Israelites and their animals and go serve the Lord God. Moreover, Pharaoh told Moses and Aaron to bless him. Before Moses, Aaron, the Israelites, and those with them, were near the Red Sea, the Lord God told Moses that he will harden Pharaoh's heart and the hearts of the Egyptians and the Egyptians will pursue the Israelites. The divinely inspired Scriiptures of the Holy Bible reveal that Moses and Aaron led the Israelites, and those with them, across the divinely parted Red Sea and into the desert wilderness of Shur. During the 40-year journey to the Promised Land, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died. When Mount went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' aide and successor from the tribe of Ephraim, led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. Sometime thereafter, the Lord God hardened the hearts of the idol worshiping inhabitants who came to battle the Israelites. Over 300 years after 110-year-old Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Saul, from the tribe of Jacob's 12th and last son Benjamin became the 1st king to rule over the Israelites. David, from the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah, was the 2nd king to rule over all of the Israelites. Solomon, the 2nd child born to David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king to reign. Rehoboam, the son born to Solomon and Naamah, was the 4th king to rule over all of the Israelites. After Rehoboam gave a specific answer, the Israelites split into 2 kingdoms, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of Solomon. Israel was the northern nation, Samaria was the final royal city and Jeroboam, the son born to Nebat and Zeruah, was the 1st king to reign. Judah was the nation in the south, Jerusalem was the royal city and Rehoboam was the 1st king to reign. Rehoboam's great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Uzziah (Azariah) was the 9th king to rule Judah. Uzziah's son Jotham was the 10th king. Jotham's son Ahaz was the 11th king to reign, and Ahaz's son Hezekiah was the 12th king to rule Judah. Isaiah was an Israelite and a prophet of the Lord God. During the latter portion of Uzziah's 52-year reign, and throughout the reign of Jotham's 16-year reign, and Ahaz's 16-year reign, and Hezekiah's 29-year reign, Isaiah proclaimed the words of the Lord God to the Israelites, and saw visions and received messages from the Lord God, including revelations of potters and clay. While Ahaz was ruling Judah, the Assyrians invaded the northern nation of Israel and King Tiglath-pileser, ruler of Assyria, began taking Israelites captive. During the 6th year of Hezekiah's reign, which was the 9th year of the reign of King Hoshea, the 19th king to rule over all of the Israelites in the northern nation of Israel, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Less than 125 years after Samaria was conquered, Hezekiah's great-great-grandson Jehoiakim (Eliakim) became the 17th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiakim's 11-year reign, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) invaded Judah and Jerusalem and King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, began looting the temple of the Lord. Jehoiachin (Jeconiah/Coniah), the son born to Jehoiakim and Nehushta, was the 18th king to rule Judah. During Jehoiachin's 3-month reign, the Babylonians took more prominent Israelites, including Jehoiachin, his wives and mother, to Babylon. During the 11th year of the reign of Jehoiakim's brother King Zedekiah (Mattaniah), the 19th king to rule Judah, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. Over 500 years after Israelites began returning to Judah and Jerusalem, John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, were born. John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and his wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). Jesus the Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Judah's kings, to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and testified that Jesus is the Son of God. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites, the treasured and chosen people of the Lord God. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot the disciple and apostle, and Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven. Paul (Saul) was from the tribe of Benjamin and did not believe Jesus to be the Christ. Throughout Jerusalem, Paul persecuted and imprisoned Israelites who believed Jesus to be the Christ of God. When Paul was journeying to the synagogues in Damascus, Syria, to find, bind and take to Jerusalem any Israelite believers he found, Paul and those with him saw a light from heaven flash around them. Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Paul spoke to Jesus, and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus Paul was baptized. From thenceforward, Paul the apostle journeyed and wrote divinely inspired letters, teaching Israelites and Gentiles, people not born into the Israelite tribes, the good news of Jesus the Christ, and everlasting life, and the relationship of the Lord God with the Israelites and Gentiles.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-30, 32:44-52, 34:1-12, Joshua, Judges 1:1-2:23, 1 Samuel 1:1-3:21, 8:1-31:13, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 7:20-29, 10:1-29:30, Isaiah 1:1-31, 29:1-30:33, 41:1-29, 45:1-25, 64:1-12, Jeremiah 39:1-18, 52:1-34, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26, Romans
Reference Information:
fitted = katertismena = prepared, adjusted
vessels = skeue/skeuos = container, instrument, object
Reference Scriptures:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.-Genesis 1:27
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.-Genesis 2:7
And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.-Exodus 9:13...And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.-Exodus 9:16
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