and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
Truth to Learn
God chose some to know the glory of heaven for eternity.
Behind the Words
“Riches” is from the Greek word ploutos which refers to “fullness or abundance.” It is often associated with possessions or money and is thus often translated as “wealth” or “riches.”
The expression “had prepared beforehand” is translated from the Greek word proetoimadzō, which is composed of pro, meaning “before, in time or place” and hetoimadzō, meaning “to prepare” or “to make ready.” Hence, proetoimadzō means “to prepare beforehand” or “to predestinate.” It is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action that was done at a point in time in the past (a single action, not a process).
Meaning Explained
In the previous verse we talked about one class of people, namely those who are sinners whom God has prepared for damnation. In the current verse Paul talks about the other class of people. This class of people also includes sinful people, but God has chosen them and has declared them to be righteous.
According to Paul, the reason that God did this is so that He might make known “the riches of His glory.” This is a Hebrew expression meaning the abundance or fullness of His glory. But what does this term “glory” refer to? It often refers to the glorious manifestation of his presence (called the shekinah glory). The use of the word in today’s verse, however, refers to the eternal state in the presence of Almighty God. This eternal state blends together everything that constitutes honor, dignity, purity, love, and happiness. All these attributes are in various places attached to the word “glory,” and all mingle in the eternal state of the righteous.
In the previous verse we noted that the “vessels of wrath” were “prepared for destruction.” The word “prepared” is translated from a form of the Greek word katartidzō, which means “to establish, arrange, or prepare.” In the current verse Paul says that the “vessels of mercy” (the saved elect) were “prepared beforehand for glory.” So we see that the Potter prepared the vessels of wrath for the damnation that they will receive as a result of God’s righteous judgment, but the vessels of mercy were prepared beforehand (before time) to be recipients of His gracious gift of salvation. The opening verses of Ephesians also speak of this preparation before time began:
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as his sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (Ephesians 1:3-5)
That should be enough to make any born again Christian fall to his or her knees and thank our heavenly Father for choosing us and granting us His salvation, not because we deserved it or earned it, but because He chose to do it!
Application
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you for choosing me in spite of the fact that I am an undeserving sinner. I don’t know why you chose me of all people, but I praise you for it! You deserve all the praise and all the glory!
In God's service, for His glory,
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