Tuesday, January 3rd

Tuesday

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 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 18:1-6

God uses many images to describe His relationship to His people.  He speaks of the shepherd and sheep relationship, the bride and the bride-groom, a Father and His children, just to name a few.  All of these are wonderful and teach us many valuable lessons about life, our Lord and ourselves.  However, while we like sheep are protected and provided for by the shepherd; and as a bride, we are loved without condition by the bride-groom; and like children we are constantly under the Father’s loving watch care; there is another aspect of our lives that needs to be factored into the equation.   We are not only loved by God, but we are also designed by Him to used for His glory.  One of the greatest portraits of God and His people to be found in the entire Bible, related to this aspect of service, is this picture of the Potter and the Clay.  In these brief verses, we can see the plan of the Heavenly Potter on display.  Let’s take a few minutes today and look into these verses together and we consider what God wants to teach us through this image of the Potter and the clay.

The Potter’s Ingredients - In order to accomplish His goal, the Potter must work with materials that are rough and hard.  Clay as it is found in the ground is not suitable for use. It is dug out of the ground and brought to the pottery and allowed to weather for weeks. The dry material is then dumped into a tank or wooden trough and covered with water. When the lumps have softened they are stirred in the water until all have disintegrated and a thin slimy mud or "slip" has been formed.  The slip is drawn off into settling tanks. All stones and lumps remain behind. When the clay has settled, the water is drawn off and the plastic-like material is worked by treading with the feet. The prepared clay is finally packed away and allowed to stand another six months before using, during which time the quality, especially the plasticity, is believed to improve.  In other words, the clay, as it is taken from the ground, is worthless.  It must be transformed into a useable state and this is a process that takes time and energy on the part of the Potter.

This is a perfect portrait of us before Christ.  We are don’t look like much in our natural sinful condition.  However, He is able to see the beautiful vessels that we can become.  He begins the process that will bring us to a place of usefulness.  He digs us out, washes us clean and prepares us for His purposes!

The Potter’s Intentions - The Potter always has a singular purpose.  He plans to take clay and from that clay produce vessels.  Vessels designed for specific purposes and vessels crafted with great beauty. This is always God’s intention too, He excels in taking old worthless clay and transforming it by His grace into vessels of His purpose and glory. Vessels to be used for His purpose and filled with His glory.  The image of a hand crafted clay pot is a profound one for us.  A  pot can be both useful and beautiful at the same time.  It is useful in that it can carry water, store food, be used for cooking, etc.  It is beautiful because it was crafted by the hand of a master, and it was envisioned in his mind when it was still just a lump of useless clay!


Jeff Frazier