WHAT IF GOD, ALTHOUGH WILLING TO DEMONSTRATE HIS WRATH: ei de thelon (PAPMSN) o theos endeixasthai (AMN) ten orgen:  (17; 1:18; 2:4,5; Exodus 9:16; Psalms 90:11; Proverbs 16:4; Revelation 6:16,17)

What if God, although fully intending to show [the awfulness of] His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels (objects) of [His] anger which are ripe for destruction? (Amplified)

"But if, as is the case, God desiring to demonstrate His wrath and to make known His power, endured with much long-suffering instruments of wrath fitted for destruction" (Wuest)

Wrath (3709) (orge from orgaô = to teem, to swell) is God’s settled opposition to and displeasure with sin. As noted orge is derived from orgaô which conveys the idea of a swelling which eventually bursts. God's anger that proceeds from one’s settled nature. Orge is used primarily of God's holy, righteous wrath, His holy hatred of all that is unholy. It is His righteous indignation at everything that is unrighteous.  It is the temper of God towards sin. It is not God's uncontrollable rage, vindictive bitterness or a losing of His temper, but the wrath of righteous reason and holy law.

Paul introduces a statement of fact in the form of a rhetorical question. "Willing" (2309) speaks of divine intention, not passive resignation. God could justifiably destroy sinners the first time they sin. But He patiently endures their rebellion rather than giving them what every sin immediately deserves...death and eternal punishment. His wrath will be clearly demonstrated in the day of judgment at the Great White Throne.

Paul is not teaching that God took vessels and prepared them for destruction. These vessels (from the same lump) were themselves prepared for destruction. For example, as discussed earlier, Pharaoh heard God's Word and clearly saw God's mighty power and yet he steadfastly refused to bow his knee to God, thus "fitting" (preparing) himself for destruction.

Demonstrate (1731) (endeiknumi from en = in, to + deíknumi = make known the character or significance of something by visual, auditory, gestural, or linguistic means) means to show forth, demonstrate or prove, whether by arguments or acts.

AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN ENDURED WITH MUCH PATIENCE: kai gnorisai (AAN) to dunaton autou enegken (3SAAI) en polle makrothumia:(

Longsuffering (3115) (makrothumia from makros = long, distant, far off, large + thumos = temper, passion, emotion or thumoomai = to be furious or burn with intense anger) (Click in depth study) is literally long-temper (as opposed to "short tempered), a long holding out of the mind before it gives room to passion. Makrothumia is often used in the OT to translate the Hebrew phrase ('erekh 'appayim) which is literally “long of nose” (or “breathing”), and, as anger was indicated by rapid, violent breathing through the nostrils, “long of anger,” or “slow to anger.” It reflects an emotional calm in face of provocation or misfortune. Makrothumia is the capacity to be wronged and not retaliate. It is the ability to hold one's feeling in restraint or bear up under the oversights and wrongs afflicted by others without retaliating. It is manifest by  the quality of forbearance under provocation.

We must never think that God enjoyed watching a tyrant like Pharaoh. He endured it. God said to Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people... and have heard their cry... for I know their sorrows” (Ex3:7). The fact that God was long-suffering indicates that He gave Pharaoh opportunities to be saved (see 2Pe3:9).

VESSELS OF WRATH PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION: skeue orges katertismena (RPPNPA) eis apoleian: (21; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Timothy 2:20) (Genesis 15:16; Matthew 23:31-33; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; 1 Peter 2:8; Jude 1:4)

Vessel (4632) (skeuos) is literally a hollow vessel for containing things, such as a potter’s vessel, but figuratively of persons, in a moral respect as those on whom the divine wrath or mercy is to be exercised according to the purpose of the divine potter.

And so continuing his picture of God as a potter, Paul refers to those whom God has not chosen for salvation, but rather allowed to incur the just penalty for their sin (God’s wrath). Vessels of wrath are those whose sins make them subject to God’s wrath. They are prepared for destruction by their own sin, disobedience, and rebellion, and not by some arbitrary decree of God. (see below also)

Prepared (2675) ( katartizo from katá =  intensifies meaning + artízo = fit, finish) means to make someone completely adequate or sufficient for something, causing them to be fully qualified, in this case for God's just wrath. The perfect tense emphasizes the state or condition that was the result of their rejection of God's internal and external revelation of His nature. They rejected God at some point in time and they were still in that state. They were ripe (fitted) for destruction because of their own actions of rejecting the truth.

God did not create men for destruction but men because of their sinned fitted themselves for destruction. Cp God not creating hell for man but for the devil & his angels (Mt25:41).

Warren Wiersbe notes that...

The word “fitted” in Romans 9:22 does not suggest that God made Pharaoh a “vessel of wrath.” The verb is in what the Greek grammarians call the middle voice, making it a reflexive action verb. So, it should read: “fitted himself for destruction.” God prepares men for glory (Romans 9:23), but sinners prepare themselves for judgment. In Moses and Israel God revealed the riches of His mercy; in Pharaoh and Egypt He revealed His power and wrath. Since neither deserved any mercy, God cannot be charged with injustice.

MacArthur:

The Greek verb rendered prepared is passive. God is not the subject doing the preparing. There is the very clear sense in this use of the passive voice to relieve God of the responsibility and to put it fully on the shoulders of those who refuse to heed His Word and believe in His Son. They are prepared by their own rejection for a place (hell) prepared by God, not originally for them but “for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41).

Bible Knowledge Commentary:

The perfect participle “prepared” describes past action with a continuing result or state. “Prepared” may be reflexive (“prepared themselves”), but it seems preferable to take it as passive (“were prepared”). The thought is that they have been and are in a state of readiness or ripeness to receive God’s wrath. The objects of God’s wrath are the unsaved (Ro 1:18), who will suffer eternal judgment (Jn 3:36). God has patiently endured their antagonism to Him (cf. Acts 14:16 Ro 3:25), but their judgment is coming. Those who oppose Him and refuse to turn to Him (Mt 23:37) are then “prepared” by Him for condemnation. They are “storing up [God’s] wrath” against themselves (Ro 2:5). In hell they will experience His wrath, and His power will be made known (cf. Ro 9:17). God does not delight in wrath, and He did not choose some people to go to hell. Some are prepared by God for eternal judgment not because He delights to do so, but because of their sin. In view of their sin, which makes them “ripe” for destruction, God is willing to exhibit His wrath, and He will do so at the proper time.

Charles Hodge entitles his comment "Prepared for destruction" and writes that...

Riches (4149) (ploutos from the verb pletho = to fill) means wealth, money, possessions, abundance, richness, valuable bestowment. Here ploutos is used to describe the abundance of God's grace to sinners, so that vessels of mercy become receptacles of His rich mercy, kindness, grace and forgiveness.  God gives us from the "riches of His glory" and so does not give us subsistence (or "minimum wage") forgiveness that barely covers our sins!

God endured these Vessels of Wrath and did not destroy them immediately. Why has God endured them with much patience all these years? He had a purpose -- in order to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy. We fail to view the truths about God's sovereignty in salvation from His perspective but usually choose to view it from man's vantage point presupposing that we have rights, and forgetting that God can do as He pleases and be justified no matter what He does.

When God looks down on mankind, He sees all men under sin (Ro5:12 all are in Adam and in desperate condition & need for His mercy & compassion). In view of that truth what does He have the right to do? Obviously as the Sovereign Creator He has the justifiable right to condemn all mankind to an eternal hell because all are sinners. If you think that this would make God an unfair Judge, then think back for a moment to what Paul taught in Romans 1.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (See notes on Romans 1:18-19, Romans 1:20-21, Romans 1:22-23, Romans 1:24-25)

God has given every man a chance to know Him. But rebellious mankind although knowing about God through His natural revelation, made a deliberate, conscious choice not to honor Him as God or give thanks. The upshot is that all like sheep have gone astray from their Creator and all are without excuse. But here in Romans 9 Paul explaining that even though we are all sinners deserving eternal death, God in His mercy, in His love, in His sovereignty has condescended to choose some and has prepared (aorist tense = a definite event & active voice = He did this independent of the creatures, especially independent of any merit they might think they have) them beforehand for glory.

And so you reason that if He has chosen some for glory, then He had to also have chosen others for hell. Is that what Paul has taught. No. Then don't put words in God's mouth. Don't say what God's word does not say. Bow your knee. Thank Him that you are made a vessel of mercy. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We need to bow before His throne of grace and mercy in humble adoration and thanksgiving.

WHICH HE PREPARED BEFOREHAND (“He made ready beforehand”) FOR GLORY: a proetoimasen (3SAAI) eis doxan: (1 Chronicles 29:18; Luke 1:17; Ephesians 2:3-5; Colossians 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14; 2 Timothy 2:21; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:2-5)

Prepared beforehand (4282) (proetoimazo from pró = before + hetoimazo = to make ready...carries idea of willingness and eagerness as well as of readiness) means literally to prepare beforehand, make fit in advance, ordain before, "predestinate" or appoint before/ The only two times this verb is used in the NT, it is used of God's foreordaining for good, referring to glory and to good works.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10; see sermon notes)

How did He make them ready beforehand? By bestowing salvation. When did He do this? Paul writes that...

He chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. (Ephesians 1:4); see sermon Chosen in Christ)

And so we learn that before God ever created the heavens and the earth, He prepared some men and women for glory, choosing them in Christ before the foundation of the world. He was not obligated to choose any in Christ!

In mystery of mysteries, God caused us to be created by natural birth and then in His perfect timing He opened our eyes to see the glorious gospel and be re-created by a supernatural birth (in a sense the first was also "supernatural").

Paul alludes to this in his letter to the Galatians writing...

But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood (Galatians1:15-16)

There Paul describes the day it pleased God to reveal His Son in him and he turned from darkness to light, from Satan to God. Salvation is of the Lord. Paul (and you and I) came to Him because He chose to have mercy on some. He is God. We cannot dispute His right to do this. We cannot judge Him as unjust. We are to simply bow to this truth about the sovereignty of God in salvation.

What some people try to do to justify God's sovereignty in salvation and say that God knew that someday I would be saved and so He predestined me to be saved. If that is true than the "control" for salvation rests in man not God and He orders the events based on what I will do. This faulty reasoning stems from trying to rationalize God's sovereignty and man's free will. Don't go there beloved! It is holy ground!

Called (2564)  (Click note on "the called") in this context refers to what theologians refer to as God's "effectual (producing or able to produce a desired effect) call" of the elect or those who had been chosen. That is the call equates with or results in the leading of a person by the Holy Spirit to repentance, faith, and salvation.

Easton's Dictionary has a succinct discussion of effectual call as opposed to a "universal call" (eg, many are called but few are chosen Matthew 22:14...this call in Matthew is distinct from the "call" described in other uses in the NT - see below to help understand this somewhat confusing distinction):

God calls with respect to men when he designates them to some special office (Exodus 31:2; Isaiah 22:20; Acts 13:2), and when he invites them to accept his offered grace (Matthew 9:13; 11:28; 22:4).

In the message of the gospel his call is addressed to all men, to Jews and Gentiles alike (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Romans 9:24,25). But this universal call is not inseparably connected with salvation, although it leaves all to whom it comes inexcusable if they reject it (John 3:14-19; Matthew 22:14).

An effectual call is something more than the outward message of the Word of God to men. It is internal, and is the result of the enlightening and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit (John 16:14; Acts 26:: 18; John 6:44), effectually drawing men to Christ, and disposing and enabling them to receive the truth (John 6:45; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 1:17)