The Potter’s House

“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.”  Jeremiah 18:2

Jeremiah had been chosen by the LORD God to prophesy to the nation of Judah and warn them of judgment that would come upon them unless they repented of their sin.  They had become idolatrous, turning their backs upon their Creator and Sustainer.  The people of Israel and Judah had repeated the cycle of obedience, falling into idolatry, receiving punishment, repenting, and returning to the LORD many times over a span of generations.  However, this time, the people had become extremely insolent and stubborn, and God would bring harsh judgment upon them.  God had spoken numerous times to Jeremiah and had given him examples with which to teach him the need to punish Judah for their disobedience.  In Chapter 13, God instructed Jeremiah to wear a linen girdle for a while and then bury it in the hole of a rock by the Euphrates River.  After some time had passed, Jeremiah retrieved the girdle and found it was deteriorated rendering it useless.  This exercise was to teach Jeremiah the futility of worshipping false gods which are empty and useless, but the people of Judah had become addicted to these idols like a person becomes addicted to drugs and can’t stop.

In the example of Chapter 18, God sent Jeremiah to the local potter’s house where pots and vessels were made.  It was while observing the potter at work that Jeremiah would receive God’s message.  God can use simple examples to teach major truths.  We must have our eyes and ears open to see and hear His message.  Jeremiah obeyed, went to the potter’s house and watched the potter at work shaping the clay on the wheel into a vessel of some sort.  However, something went wrong.  The vessel was not turning out as the potter expected.  As Jeremiah observed the potter, who was dissatisfied with his work, mash the clay back together in a lump and then start over again in order to make a more suitable vessel, one with which he was pleased.  The potter had every right to remake his vessel into that of which he designed.  He had complete control over the clay.  His integrity and reputation prevented him from being satisfied with an inferior product.

The message from the LORD was clear to Jeremiah.  If the prophet had any doubts of God’s intention for His rebellious people of Judah up until now, he certainly would have understood the urgency of his mission to warn Judah.  God is sovereign.  He can do whatever He desires, to whomever He desires, whenever He desires and be perfectly justified in doing so.  He has all authority over both man and nations.  He owes no one anything.  He is accountable to none.  He gives and He takes away (Job 1:21b).  He has the power of life and death in His hand.  No one can harden himself against God and prosper (Job 9:4b).  Therefore, God can remold His people just like the potter reshaped his clay.  The potter’s clay was symbolic of man because God made man from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).  Note one thing:  the potter did not throw out the clay that was marred but used it to remake his vessel.

Sometimes it is necessary to remake something anew rather than just patching the worn parts.  Jesus said in Matthew 9:16-17 that it is useless to put a new patch on worn out fabric or to put new wine into an old, brittle bottle.  Of course, He was referring to the new wine and new patch as symbolic of grace which cannot be mixed with the old system of law as represented by the old bottle and old garment.  However, this same principle can be applied to the futility of allowing a sinful, disobedient people to continue on the path to destruction by the acceptance of a pretense of repentance rather than a thorough purging of rebellion and disobedience in order to bring a true repentance which is manifested in a change of heart and a change of mind.

Like one of my former pastors used to say, “You can’t take a ‘do good pill’ or turn over a new leaf in order to be right with God.  King David wrote in Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”.  To “create” is to “bring into being”.  This psalm was written after David was confronted by Nathan the prophet concerning David’s guilt of adultery and murder by proxy.  He didn’t ask God to “patch” the parts of his heart that carried the burden of his sins with Bathsheba and Uriah, but rather to bring about a new heart, cleansed and ready to serve the LORD.  One of the major points that I make in many of my blogs is that repentance is not just being sorry for one’s sins; it is an “about face”, a turn of 180 degrees from a life of sin to a life lived for Christ in righteousness.  To live for Christ is not an either/or proposition.  He desires your complete loyalty and devotion.  Being a Christian is not a part time job.

Next time: National Repentance