Arrogant Pottery

We don't recognize it in ourselves, but we have a tendency to see ourselves as the arbitrators of "good" even when it comes to God. We will see what Scripture says about God and think, "Well, that's not good" and try to figure out why that text doesn't say what it seems to say because we wouldn't see that as good. Sometimes that works well. I mean, if Reference X says "A" about God and Reference Y says "Not A" about God, we'd have a contradiction, and that can't be, so we need to resolve it. And sometimes our understanding is faulty, so it's good to correct that, too. But sometimes it's simply arrogance on our part. And that's not so good.

Solomon wrote something that we find disturbing.

The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. (Prov 16:4)

Well, that's nice -- everything for its purpose ... oh ... wait ... "even the wicked"? The Lord has made the wicked? In this text, Solomon places God as the first cause for the wicked existing for a purpose. Now, mind you, it doesn't say that He made them wicked. That is, He made them -- true -- and they ended up wicked -- true. That is all that is required for that claim that He "made the wicked" to be true. Well, that and the fact that He let it happen. He made them, knowing they'd reject Him and be wicked. Which is the purpose of this text. Yes, He made them and, yes, He knew what they would become and, yes, He let that happen even though He could have stopped it and didn't, but He did it with a purpose. That is, they meant it for evil, but He meant it for good. So, yes, the Lord has made everything for its purpose. He has even made people whom He knew would be wicked. Even that has a purpose. He intended to make His wrath and power known (Rom 9:22) and He uses the wicked to do it. The question is, is that okay with you?

Scripture has a surprising concept using pottery as the imagery. We know that "we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand." (Isa 64:8) So it stands to reason that we would hear odd things from the clay.

Woe to him who strives with Him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to Him who forms it, "What are You making?" or "Your work has no handles"? (Isa 45:9)

The imagery is that of clay talking back to the potter, where "the clay" is humans and "the potter" is God. In Romans Paul uses similar imagery.

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have You made me like this?" Has the Potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (Rom 9:20-21)

Is that a bit jarring to you? Does the claim that God is allowed to make some "vessels" for "dishonorable use" make you uneasy or even upset? It was jarring to the people who were asking, who were answering back to God.

We can be very arrogant. The unbeliever is described as "hostile to God" (Rom 8:7). That's arrogant. But we believers are likely to take offense to that kind of language. No, God must not make vessels for dishonorable use. No, God should not make the wicked for His purposes. This cannot be ascribed to God and if it is, some of us will have a problem with God. Well, it is ... and when we have a problem with God, it is truly a case of arrogant pottery.