Setting aside the theology of John MacArthur, on the matter of birth, does one have knowledge, control, or influence whatsoever, concerning it?
Tong
R1085
One of the prophets answered this question concerning pottery and clay.
Now what wasn't talked about in his passage was how a potter made his living.
A potter had to be very fast first off. Clay jars were as valuable as a used mayonnaise jar. It takes a lot of them to have any value enough to make a living on.
Then there's the clay itself.
Some clay is strong enough to get built up high with very thin walls. Pressure with water both from the inside and outside both at the same time just a bit offset from each other.
Tall thin pots that might make a good wine carafe brings more dollars than a chamber pot or crock for water.
At any rate it's up to the quality of the clay that determines the value of the pot.
It's not up to the Potter. He just works with what He has to make the best vessel possible. All vessels have value. All vessels have purpose and function.
A chamber pot vessel might want to be a wine carafe vessel but that really isn't going to work out for anyone. Someone is going to get offended at dinner.
Would you eat chili served out of a heated porcelain toilet bowl?
Nuff said!
God does the best that he can with what He has to work with. Even broken pots have value as they can carve intricate designs and labels in the tall pots.
A potters field is one where all the dirt has been removed to make vessels and pots. All that's left is rock. No chance of anything of value to grow there. Not anything edible at least.
And that's the result of the money Judas made from betrayal. Kinda a stark illustration don't ya think?
Judas of course knew that Jesus was the Messiah and God's son. But he didn't believe that God would allow Jesus to be killed and that God would come and save Jesus and institute his Kingdom here on Earth immediately...and as the treasurer apostle he would of course would benefit greatly when that happened. Trying to force God into something is as disastrous as it can get. That's Calvinism...and why I'm not a subscriber. (False dichotomy of questions to elicit specific answers)