Tag: God the Potter
Thankful for a Wise Potter!
Scripture reading for August 23rd: Jeremiah 18-22
Key Scriptures: Jeremiah 18:3-6 “So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the Word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.”
Jeremiah was sent by God to the potters house for an object lesson. As he watched the potter work with the clay, the marred clay made a vessel that was not acceptable. The potter then reformed the clay into another pot and tried to work the marred spot out. God said that Israel and His people were like the clay in His hands. He would do with them as He alone knew best!
Thankful for a Wise Potter: “But Bod, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2nd Corinthians 4:6-7)
Foolish argument!
Scripture reading for August 8th: Jeremiah 16-20
“Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” Jeremiah 18:5-6
An experienced potter would moisten the clay and work it to make it pliable. It was placed on the wheel and spun as he applied pressure with his fingers on the outside surface and then thrust them inside to form the vessel. Sometimes the clay was flawed and needed to be reworked and the potter would smash it down and start over again!
God sent Jeremiah down to the potter’s house and had him watch the potter working on his wheel. As the potter was working, his pot was flawed, and he formed it into another pot, as it suited him. (Jeremiah 18:1-2) God then spoke to Jeremiah about his people being like the clay in the hand of the potter. God was in charge of the clay and the shaping of the vessel that was formed! If the flaws that were in the clay were not eliminated by repentance, then the potter would have to reshape the pot!
After Jeremiah preached this message, the people plotted against him. (Jeremiah 18:18) They had viewed his message as evil when God had meant it for good! (Jeremiah 18:19-20) They plotted to kill the prophet and do away with him. Jeremiah was angry and asked God to not forgive them! (Jeremiah 18:23)
In response to all of this, God gave Jeremiah another object lesson. He was to buy a pot and take it to the valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Ben Hinnom was the city garbage dump where there were fires burning all the time. It was a reminder of punishment for the wicked. Jeremiah was to tell the people about how they had resisted the hand of their Potter and angered Him. Then he was to smash the pot as an example of what would happen to them if they failed to respond. (Jeremiah 19:1-10) In the end, a useless vessel ends up in the valley of Ben Hinnom! God wants none to end up there!