Amen... even as Pharaoh in Egypt had already selected his own pathway of destruction before Moses came to him asking that he let the children of Israel go. God then used this "vessel of wrath fitted for destruction" as the "left" hand of God to accomplish His own purposes. God did not need to remake Pharaoh. He simply made use of what was available.
Luke 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That
God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Doesn’t say man is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
(Matthew 3:9).
Why does man need to hold onto man had anything to do with being counted as a vessel of mercy. What is a “hardened heart”? Who is able to raise of “stones” children unto Abraham in “I will give you a New heart.” Ezekiel 11:19 And
I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will
take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
Zechariah 7:12
[12] Yea, they made their hearts as
an adamant stone,
lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets:
therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.
God can raise up children of wrath unto mercy (no longer appointed to wrath) where and whenever He chooses?1 Corinthians 6:8-11 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. [9] Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11]
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
God is able of stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Can man do that? Does it matter what minor part man plays in man’s own salvation? Only if man has to maintain and keep what man had no power of his own to do in the first place. Genesis 50:18-20 And
his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said,
Behold, we be thy servants. [19] And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for
am I in the place of God? [20] But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
“Fear not: for am I in the place of God.” All the provision in the famine to feed them, the store...all prepared to save many alive was the work of God, not Joseph. Fear God. Revelation 22:8-9 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen,
I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. [9] Then saith he unto me,
See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of
thy brethren the prophets, and of
them which keep the sayings of this book:
worship God.
Even the: “
of them which keep of the sayings of this book” Is a Work of God and not man in His Spirit chooses when to reveal, when open, when to shut, when to seal and when to loose. “the sayings of this book” ...worship God.