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***Aaron and his brother Moses were Israelites born into 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. While the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and Moses was 80 years old, living freely in Midian, and herding sheep in the region of Mount Horeb, Moses saw a bush afire 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 of his personal inabilities. The Lord God spoke to Moses of Aaron, and the Lord God told Moses that he will harden Pharaoh's heart and Pharaoh will not let the Israelites leave. Moses and Aaron spoke to the Israelite elders and spoke to Pharaoh, and the work of the Israelites was 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. 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 themselves, and the Israelites and their animals and go serve the Lord God. 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. During the 40th year of their journey to the Promised Land, Aaron died and was buried upon Mount Hor and Moses went upon Mount Nebo. The Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and Moses died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' successor, was from the tribe of Ephraim, descended from Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel, their firstborn son Joseph and his wife Asenath, and Joseph and Asenath's 2nd born son Ephraim, whom Jacob proclaimed to be his own son. The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that after Joshua 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, the Lord God hardened the hearts of the idol worshiping inhabitants who came to battle the Israelites. Over 300 years after Joshua died and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, Saul, from the tribe of Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin, became the 1st king to reign over the Israelites. David, from the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah, was the 2nd king to reign over all of the Israelites. Solomon, the 2nd son born to David and Bathsheba, was the 3rd king to reign. Rehoboam, the son born to Solomon and Naamah, was the 4th king to reign 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 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 King Uzziah (Azariah) was the 9th king to rule Judah. Uzziah's son King Jotham was the 10th king to reign. Jotham's son King Ahaz was the 11th king to reign, and Ahaz's son King Hezekiah was the 12th king to rule Judah. Isaiah was an Israelite and a prophet of the Lord God. During the latter part of Uzziah's reign, and throughout the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, 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 to Assyria. During Hezekiah's reign over Judah, the Assyrians conquered Samaria, according to the will of the Lord God, due to the idolatry and other wickedness of the Israelites. During the reign of Hezekiah's great-great-grandson King Zedekiah (Mattaniah), the 19th king to rule Judah, the Babylonians (Chaldeans) conquered Judah, 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, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was born. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Before Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, and after Jesus was betrayed, arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven less than 33 1/2 years after he was born, the Roman Empire was ruling the land whereupon the kingdoms of the Israelites previously stood. Paul (Saul) was from the tribe of Benjamin and did not believe Jesus to be the Christ. Moreover, Paul persecuted and imprisoned any Israelites who called upon the name of Jesus. When Paul was journeying to the synagogues in Damascus in 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 Gentiles and the Israelites, his treasured and chosen people.-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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