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This meditation on Proverbs 16:4 and Romans 9:11–24 wrestles honestly and deeply with some of the most profound theological truths in Scripture—God’s sovereignty, human purpose, and the mystery of divine justice.

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The LORD works out everything to its proper end—even the wicked for a day of disaster.”Proverbs 16:4

All of humanity, from the beginning to the end of time, was crafted by Him. Like a potter makes all vessels from the same clay but designs them differently for different uses, God molds each life uniquely. Not randomly but purposefully—some for noble use, others for common use, as Romans 9 teaches. You are likely—and indeed must be—one of two things: an object of mercy or an object of wrath. Whichever one you are cut out to be, whether good or wicked, He designed you to fulfill His purpose.

Consider Pharaoh: a tyrant in the eyes of history. Did he play a good role in the liberation of Israel? Certainly not. However, as far as God is concerned, Pharaoh fulfilled his life assignment. Repeatedly, God made it clear that Pharaoh played out the exact role why he was raised up—to serve as a vessel through whom to demonstrate God’s power and make His name known throughout the earth. No less.

He was a key player in God’s redemptive plan. God said of him, “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Rom. 9:17). His role, though painful and judged, was purposeful.

So here comes the tension: If God chooses whom He shows mercy to, and hardens whom He will, is it fair to still find fault? Why does God still find fault when someone lives out the very destiny God designed for them? Isn’t God unfair? Is He power-drunk? Is He just out on a display of power as He pleases, while we are mere toys, remote-controlled to act out His will—even when it leads to our own ruin?

Paul anticipates this exact objection in Romans 9:

“But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”(Rom. 9:20).

Some Takeaways to Live With:

1. God is the Potter; we are the clay (Rom. 9:21). He alone determines our form and function. The potter has the right to do with the clay as he wants.
2. God made everything for His own purpose—even the wicked (Prov. 16:4).
3. Mercy is not earned. It is given—sovereignly, freely, and undeservedly (Rom. 9:15–16). He shows mercy to whom he shows mercy and compassion on whom he chose to have compassion.
4. God’s story requires all kinds of roles. Some purposes are fulfilled through kindness; others through resistance, even wickedness.
5. God’s glory is His highest priority. He is not man-centered. He is God-centered—and rightly so. There are certain purposes of God that cannot be fulfilled if every man on earth were good.
6. He decides purpose; we don’t. And every created being serves that purpose, knowingly or unknowingly.
7. Those created in Christ Jesus—the redeemed—are created unto good works, which God prepared in advance for them to walk in (Eph. 2:10).

God’s choices are not based on human merit or action but on His call and mercy. From the womb, before they had done anything right or wrong, God had already chosen Jacob over Esau—so that His purpose according to election might stand.

This might feel unsettling—but it also produces awe, humility, and deep worship. We are not random. We are not orphans of the universe. We are creations—intentional and purposed—by a sovereign God who never makes mistakes.

So we must come to terms with this truth: God is God. He answers to no one. Yet, He remains just, wise, and good in all His ways. And those of us who have found mercy in Christ must walk humbly, worship reverently, and live purposefully—knowing that our lives are designed not for our fame, but for His eternal glory.

Therefore, the question is not “Why did He make me this way?” but “Lord, how can I glorify You in the way You’ve made me?”