Lesson 6 - Jer. 18:1-12, 17 - THE HEAVENLY POTTER
INTRODUCTION: Last week in Jer. 14:7-12, 19-22, at the time when the nation of Judah was in the midst of a severe drought, we heard Jeremiah deliver a lament, a type of liturgical poem that expressed grief over the catastrophe the people were facing. We heard the prophet intercede for the people and beg God to send relief while at the same time, confessing that the people had sinned greatly, i.e. committed gross iniquities (moral depravity) and apostasies (practiced false beliefs and worshipped man-made idols). However, by violating the First and Second Commandments (i.e., no other Gods before Me and no idols (Ex. 20:3-4), God informed the prophet that these people had effectively rejected Him by breaking their long-standing covenant with Him, then God commanded him "Do not pray for the welfare of this people" (14:11). The main point of application we learned from this text is that sometimes, God doesn't come to the rescue of His people. In this case, through their stubborn refusal to repent despite many warnings, the Judahites had allowed things to go too far. The same thing can happen to modern Christians who allow idols-e.g., money, power, material possessions, pleasure, etc.-to become more important than one's relationship with God. When sinners go too far, they reach the point where the Lord will no longer accept intercession for them.
Today, in Jer. 18:1-12, 17, we'll cover one of the most familiar narratives in Jeremiah's book prophecy: the story of the Heavenly Potter. At this point in history, the people of Judah had allowed themselves to believe that the promises granted by their covenant relationship with YHWH assured their continued survival. But they had forgotten that their covenant was a two-way proposition: If they were not unfaithful, God was under no obligation to take care of them. Our text is a word picture consisting of three things that reveal the lesson's spiritual truth: A potter, clay, and a wheel.
Read Jer. 18:1-4 - I WENT DOWN TO THE POTTER'S HOUSE
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying, 2 "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you." 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
v. 1: "The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying," - Before anything else, we must recognize the infinite creative power of God's "word." His word spoke the entire universe into existence; it created the earth, the sky, the water, all the plants and animals, and it formed human life from the dust of the ground (Gen. 1:3-27). God spoke directly to humans in the beginning, e.g., to Adam (Gen. 3:9); to Noah (Gen. 6:19), to Abram (Gen. 12:1-2), and to Moses (Ex. 3:5); but more often, God has revealed His word through His prophets, who were given the responsibility to proclaim God's word to the people.
v. 2: "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My words to you." -Jeremiah has been on the receiving end of God's word since the beginning of this Book. God has previously revealed His word to him through ordinary things, e.g., the branch of an almond tree and a boiling pot (Jer. 1:11, 13). Now He chooses to reveal His word to Jeremiah through one of the most common objects in those days, a clay pot. In the ancient world, pottery existed everywhere. People used jars for cooking and storage; they used clay bricks in construction; and they used clay tiles on roofs. In fact, the potter was one of the most important artisans in a community. Here, God is preparing Jeremiah for an object lesson using the making of pottery as a metaphor that reveals the truth of God's word. It should also remind people of this truth every time they see a clay pot.
v. 3: "Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel." - A potter's "wheel" is comprised of several components: (1) A smaller upper or 'fast' stone wheel on which the pottery was formed; (2) a much larger and heavier lower or 'slow' stone wheel which was at the potter's feet; and (3) a vertical, wooden shaft that connected the two wheels. The potter would spin the lower wheel with his foot while forming the pot on the upper wheel with his hands. The genius of this ancient system was that the bottom, heavier stone also acted as a flywheel that stabilized the motion of both stones, making it far easier for the potter to form the object on the upper stone.
v. 4: But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make." -As the potter was forming the pot with his hands, something happened that spoiled the form of it, so he stopped the wheel, tore the clay apart and shaped it back into a solid lump, then spun the wheel and started all over again, making it into a new vessel that conformed to his standards of workmanship. Jeremiah doesn't explain the problem that occurred in the potter's first attempt, but whatever it was, it caused the potter to destroy the first imperfect piece and start all over again to remake it into a new, more perfect vessel. It's also important for us to see that the potter didn't simply pitch the imperfect piece into the trash, because the clay was still useable material. So the potter began an work in what initially seemed to be a destructive process but in reality turned out to be a creative process.
Read Jer. 18:5-6 - CAN I NOT DEAL WITH YOU AS THIS POTTER DOES?
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, 6 "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
v. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me saying," -This and the next verse introduce the second part of God's object lesson: the practical application or the reality of God's plans. Just as the potter has turned an imperfect vessel into a lump of clay and began to re-fashion it into a useable vessel, the Lord, as the heavenly potter, will do the same with Israel, by this time just the nation of Judah. It will be like clay in His hands with no ability to resist.
v. 6: "Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel." -This is one of those Good New/Bad News messages. The bad news is that Judah is about to go through what appears to be a destructive process. However, the good news is that in the Lord's hands the process will ultimately become a creative process. God will create a new and faithful people out of the remnant of the old and sinful people. And in the end, this will be a message of hope to people who see themselves in a hopeless situation.
Read Jer. 18:7-10 - I MIGHT SPEAK CONCERNING A NATION
7 At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9 Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.
v. 7: "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;" - In the previous verse, God was speaking specifically about Israel (Judah), but this verse and the verses that follow it broaden the potter/pot metaphor to apply to any nation. This is indicative of the spiritual principle that God is sovereign over all nations, whether they acknowledge His Lordship or not. Like the potter's power to destroy and remake, God has the power to lift up or tear down nations without any respect to their historical borders. God has already torn down Israel from the original 12 tribes to the two tribes of Judah. Now they are in jeopardy.
v. 8: "if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it." -If a nation turns from its evil (i.e., repents), the Lord might change His mind in how He plans to deal with them. As an object lesson, you might remember the story when the prophet Jonah finally went to the evil city of Nineveh as commanded and proclaimed that God was preparing to judge them, the Ninevites, all the way up to the king, repented, and God held back His judgment at that time (Jonah 4:3-9). God waited another 150+ years to destroy them.
v. 9: "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;" - This section of verses offer a combination of both hope (vv. 7-8) and warning (vv. 9-10). The destiny of no nation is set in stone, not matter how long it has existed. Even if God plans initially to bless a nation and built it up, He can change His mind if it begins doing evil. In this case, it means that God is giving Judah (and indeed, all of us in the U.S.A.) a great deal of power to determine out national destiny in the future. This ought to cause us some real concern about the present course of the United States, where Christians are fast becoming a minority. The politicians can't stop this trend-it's up to the churches of America. Only we can reverse it, and the first people who need to repent are believing Christians. Do you agree?
v. 10: "if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it." - Conversely, if God purposes to bless a nation, and it turns to evil and does not obey Him, He will change His mind and not bless it. It's like the potter taking a critical eye toward a vessel he's just made to determine whether he wants to preserve it as is, or tear it apart and start all over again. The character of the vessel-good, bad, or somewhere in between-is the criteria. In Judah's case, it was people who broke their covenant and rejected God's sovereignty over them. They had to be torn apart and re-made into something new...something that could accomplish God's purposes. Understanding the potter/jar metaphor is vital to our understanding of prophecy. We need to remove it from the realm of fatalism, because God's predictions are always subject to revision. In the U.S.A., we need a nationwide revival. Where does that start? With me and you.
Read Jer. 18:11-12 - OH TURN BACK
11 So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds."' 12 But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'
v. 11: "So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds."' - In vv. 7-10 the Lord made it crystal clear that our actions influence our decisions. In this verse, He tells Jeremiah to warn the people that He is "fashioning calamity"-preparing judgment-against them. But he further tells Jeremiah that they have a choice-to repent and "reform [their] evil ways and deeds" before it's too late, and the clock is ticking, and only God know when the time is up. So, to use a tennis metaphor, God has just served the ball into their court. It's up to them.
Note: People today have become skilled at avoiding responsibility for the effects of their bad moral choices. There is always something or someone else to blame for it. But God knows the truth of it. One commentator said that the task for preachers today is to lead their congregations to accept the moral responsibility for creating the world we live in today. It's also the preacher's job to stand firm in the hope of redemption. Churches still have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of the lost world outside their doors. They have no hope and need it.
v. 12: "But they will say, 'It's hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'" - This is a very sad statement: The people of Judah respond that their repentance would not bring about any positive change. The situation was completely hopeless from their perspective. And in actual fact, they really didn't want to change. What see in these people is a sad reflection of the end result of their evil-doing and habitual breach of their covenant with their Lord God. They have reached a state where all desire and hope of repentance is lost and the people are content to follow the uninhibited desires of their own rebellious and sinful hearts. So, at this point, judgment is virtually inevitable. And sadly, the once mighty Davidic kingdom will see its own end in the near future. A similar defeatist attitude can infect churches today. This happens when the members lose hope and abandon the Great Commission, doing nothing to evangelize the lost or disciple the saved.
Read Jeremiah 18:17 - I WILL SCATTER THEM BEFORE THE ENEMY
17 'Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.'"
v. 17: This is the Lord's pronouncement of judgment. He gave the people a choice to repent and they refused it. They would be scattered like the dust, like tumble weeds blown about by the scorching desert winds (like the Siroccos mentioned earlier in Chapter 4). When the enemy-the Babylonian armies coming from the north-descended upon them, the Lord promised to "show them My back and not My face." They were beyond rescue-no hope. It didn't happen all at once, but by 587 B.C., Judah had been reduced to a wasteland and there was not a stone left standing in Jerusalem. All that was left of God's temple were the foundation stones it once sat on. It's treasures had been stolen and taken away by the invaders. The Lord was silent. This marked the beginning of the first Jewish Diaspora-the scattering. Today, approximately 7 million ethnic Jews live in the modern secular state of Israel, but an estimated 15.3 million are still scattered all over the rest of the world. Their only hope is Jesus Christ, when He comes again to re-gather them (Ezek. 22).
APPLICATION-What Did Jeremiah See (spiritually)?
1. First, Jeremiah saw the clay. As he watched the potter shape and mold the clay, Jeremiah knew that he was looking at a picture of himself, and also of every human being and every nation on earth. We-the entire human race-are the clay. When some imperfection in the clay spoiled the vessel in the potter's hand, the potter crumbled it up into a lump, and re-started the process of shaping it into a vessel that pleased him.
2. Second, Jeremiah saw the Potter. Then he realized that God was the Great Potter, having the absolute right over the clay to make into what he wanted it to be. Using the same analogy, Paul later said this, "One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist His will?" 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?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?" (Rom. 9:19-21).
3. Jeremiah saw the wheel turning constantly. The wheel represented the turning circumstances of our life, under the control of the potter, because it's the potter's foot that moves the wheel. As our life is being shaped and molded by the Great Potter, it is the circumstances of our life, the wheels of circumstance which bring us again and again under the Potter's hand, under the pressure of the molding fingers of the Potter, so that He shapes the vessel according to His sovereign will.
ENDNOTE: From this example, Jeremiah learned that an individual nation is clay in the Great Potter's hands. He has the sovereign right to make it into what He wants it to be. He has the skill and the design capacity to work and shape the clay and bring it to completion. And while making it, if He sees some imperfection in the clay, something that spoils the design, the Great Potter has the right and the power to crush the clay back into a featureless lump and begin again to make it into a vessel that pleases Him. In Jeremiah context, the clay was Israel, and God was preparing to crush it back into a lump and re-shape it into a new vessel that would be useful for His purposes.
