“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

2 Chronicles 24:14  (KJV)
14And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. [And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.]

Under the Old Covenant, God used certain material things to represent spiritual things or principles. In the Temple, there were vessels specifically designed and intended for serving and worshipping God. Under the New Covenant, we are the vessels who serve and worship God, anywhere we go. The vessels used in the temple were holy and sanctified. We should be holy and sanctified and we will be – if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Ezra 6:5  (KJV)
5And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.

We, God’s creation, were designed and intended to worship Him, not other gods or the devil. We function at our best in the place that God intended for us. Everything else is frustration and torment.

Romans 9:20-25  (KJV)
20Nay 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? 21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

People use this passage of scripture to say that God ordains our way in a manner that leaves us with no choice. They say that God is the one who sovereignly chooses to use us for good purposes or bad, but that is a misrepresentation of scripture. If you read the entire passage in Romans (we do not have space for the whole chapter here), you will see that God is talking about and defending His mercy – extended toward the Gentiles, the heathen, the ungodly – not just toward the Jew. In verse 22, you will see that God did not desire or plan to have destructive, evil vessels on the earth, but rather He bore their evil doing with patience and long suffering. It is not that God does not have a specific plan for our lives – He does. God has planned for all of us to be vessels of mercy, prepared for glory. We choose whether or not to be what God intends for us to be.

2 Timothy 2:19-22  (KJV)
19Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Being either a mud pot or a fine golden vessel is our choice. We change from the ignoble to the noble as we purge our lives from sin and the crud of the world.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7  (KJV)
6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Our vessel (body) may be made of earth, but as we yield to God and His presence and power in our lives, we shine forth His glory. We are golden vessels when we are yielded vessels.