REMADED, RESHAPED, REDEEMED
JEREMIAH 18:1-10
Jer 18:1-10
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil that I intended to do to it. 9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will repent of the good which I had intended to do to it.
RSV
THE LORD IS THE POTTER
WE ARE THE CLAY
THE POTTERS WHEEL IS THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE
THE SPOILING IS SIN
THE REMAKING IS THE MERCY OF GOD
YOU HAVE A DIVINE CALL ON YOUR LIFE
V:1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words
AVAILABLE TO ACT ON GOD’S COMMAND
Jerusalem was on a hill and perhaps the potter’s house was in the valley.
Jesus stepped down out of heaven, put on humility to come dwell with us.
We have to humble ourselves before the Lord and become His workmanship
A VISUAL EXAMPLE OF A SPIRITUAL MESSAGE
Sometimes the simple jobs of life have profound messages. Everything is by God’s design and we would do well to pay attention. Sometimes we have to lower ourselves to the ground to look up and realize God’s work
The potter like God himself was a creator of vessels of different sizes, for different purposes and different uses. It was the potters’ design to create vessels for general use.
Each of us were made by God for different uses to give Him glory. The work of God requires us to move at His command. We see different things in different places. You never know what God is going to reveal to you from day to day. Keep living. Keep serving and you keep gaining insight into the God of creation.
DIVINE WISDOM, FOLLOWING GOD’S COMMAND
V:3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.
Obedience to God’s guidance and direction is important in our lives.
Sometimes God can show us a way we can get a clearer understanding.
The potter was a busy body doing the work assigned to him. In his creative work, the more vessels he made he increased his skill of creativity. The more we serve God the more ways we learn to serve. To learn, God sends us to working people, dedicated to the skill. Like clay, we are in the potter’s hand. Our minds, body and souls are individually shaped by God.
GOD HAS A PLAN, A PURPOSE AND POWER FOR YOUR LIFE
V: 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
After God spoke the world into existence, on the sixth day he took the dust of the earth and made man in His own image and likeness. Some where along the way of life sin was introduced and we became spoiled,
Israel was at the time moving away from God in their constant disobedience to God’s commands. The message is a physical example of God’s sovereignty, power and control.
Wisdom develops through the problems we face in life. There are times we fail at what we do, Sometimes failure is not our fault. We are not told what caused the vessel to be spoiled. What we do know is the potter didn’t give up on the clay, he reshaped it. That’s what God does for us. He will never leave us or forsake us
SIN THE REASON FOR A SPOILED LIFE
What causes life to be spoiled is sin. God does not give up on us. It was the potter who selected the clay. It was the potter’s plan for the clay. It was the potter’s design for the clay, It was to be made into a vessel of use. He restarted the process. Perhaps, the potter inspected the clay and removed the imperfection before the reshaping. In life the reshaping of ourselves to model the perfect model who is Jesus Christ is the goal.
WE SERVE A GOD OF MANY CHANCES
Notice he reshaped it into another vessel. There are cups for drinking, bowls for mixing, plates for eating and pots for cooking. Maybe he changed the design to make a more useful vessel. God gave some for preaching, some for teaching, some for missions, some for encouragement and some for helps.
Any man in Christ is a new creation. We forget about the old and focus on the new. The old experiences in life prepared us with a testimony for a new life in Christ. The potter’s wheel represents the circumstances of change,
Growth, development and the hope for a future.
YOU ARE IN GOD’S HANDS TO DO AS HE PLEASES
V:5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Learning about the Lord never ceases. God used the example of the potter to show what He would do for Israel and us. We are but clay in God’s hands To do as He pleases
What God does is consistent with His nature. He is sovereign, He has the power to change natures as He wills. Our past does not change His plan and purpose for us. He knows our faults but may not judge them but change our minds to reflect His will
Jeremiah was completely aware of the sins of Israel. And may have been
Concerned as to why God had not corrected the nation. God’s timing is not our timing and His ways or not our ways. We have no ability or wisdom to counsel God. We have to accept His way as the best way.
GOD’S PLAN INCLUDES YOUR TESTIMONY
V: 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will repent of the evil that I intended to do to it
God makes judgement on our sins. And can carry it out at His will. We deserve punishment described in His Word. He has the choice to
Defer the Judgement depending on our repentance.
2 Chron 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
THE MERCY OF THE POTTER
God has laid out a judgement for our sins. But because of His great
Love and mercy, He has given us a way out. God is not too quick to
Execute His judgement. He tolerates our sinful behavior because knows what to do to bring us to repentance.
HOPE FOR RESTORATION
God reshaped the clay into a new vessel
The new vessel is better able to serve because it has a history of failure to add to its testimony. Life experience often change one’s perception on God’s Work
GOD’S PLAN INCLUDES YOUR CHOICE
V:9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will repent of the good which I had intended to do to it.
God makes choices concerning us. Salvation or judgement.
We have a choice, to do good or to do evil. We have the choice to accept God’s will for our life or to reject God and suffer the consequences of hell
Where you spend eternity, heaven or hell depends of you. We can claim
Ignorance or lack of knowledge. God makes Himself plain to all man kind
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, (even) his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:
ASV
SUMMARY
Jeremiah served under five Kings. He was directed by God to warm Israel of the impending doom of the city and the people if they did not repent and
Return to God. The did not want to hear the message. He was threatened and imprisoned. He saw no change in the attitude of the people. Yet he had a message of hope for redemption.
The message from God to Jeremiah through eyes of the potter was that
God is in control and He will do as He will to punish and restore Israel
The message to all believers is God is in control of your life. The circumstances of your life does not change God’s plan of redemption for you, GOD GOT THIS. GOD GOT YOU IN THE PLAMS OF HIS HANDS.
