JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 18 - THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

Jeremiah 18

Taught by:  Carolyn Sissom

October 28, 2008

The Potter’s wheel is another picture of God’s Grace.

Here we see that man is a work that God the potter is making on the wheels of good and evil.  The Potter’s workshop is the arena in which the Potter does His work.  It could speak of one’s heart, or one’s home and family, one’s local church or planet earth. A deeper word study reveals that the work on the wheels is a Son in the making!  The interplay of good and evil, life and death is creating a messenger of God.

This chapter teaches the lesson of God’s sovereign molding of His people.  It is Jeremiah’s Seventh message from the Lord.  18:1 “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying.”  Read Jeremiah 18: 1-11)

Romans 9: 20-24: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope.  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God; for we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.  Not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.  For we are saved by hope: and hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he then yet hope for?”

Design for evil could be substituted for design for good if His people repented.

The Prophet was instructed to go to a potter’s house and watch him at work on a piece of clay as it yielded to every touch of the master-hand while it spun on the potter’s wheel.  There was skill as the deft hands moved, but while Jeremiah watched, a calamity took place as the vessel became misshapen.  There was a blemish in the clay, a foreign body.  The potter did not become angry because all that skill of his had been seemingly wasted.  Removing the foreign boy, he kneaded the lump together again and soon began to refashion it into another vessel.  “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter…?”   But instead of accepting the new life that God was offering the people sought to take the prophet’s life.

18:18:  “Then say them, “Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet.  Come and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to hand of his words.”

Jeremiah has subtle opponents who either seek to entrap him with his own words. 

Mark 12:13 “They sent unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.”

Jeremiah spoke openly against priests, wise men and prophets, (4:9; 8: 8-9) yet they were confident that the old established order would remain.  They would use Jeremiah’s words as a basis of a charge of treason against him for undermining the morale of the people.

I have met and overcome that crowd.  I left them behind in the dust.  Get ready, prophetic people.  If the Lord sends you forth with a Word of Repentance, these  pharisical and Herodian devils are still alive and well.  Don’t give them place.  Don’t fight with them.  Just keep walking through the Open Door set before you. 

We can compare the parable in this chapter with Jeremiah’s commission in Jer. 1:10 “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

Matthew 28: 18-20:  And Jesus came and spoke unto them saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, a and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

There God bruised the Lamb and then bruised the man. (Hos. 6: 1-3) “Come and let us return unto the Lord: for “he has torn, and he will heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up.  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight?  Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

On the wheels of good and evil, the pot was marred in the Potter’s hand.  It was recreated in a new form and fashion---a new image!

1 Cor. 15: 44-49:  “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  The first man is of the earth, earthly; the second man is the Lord from heave.  As is the earth, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

Col. 3: 1-3; Rom. 8:29; 11 Cor. 3; 17-18; Eph. 2:10) “Another Vessel” speaks the word “Another” provides some interesting characteristics of this New Covenant.  (Heb. 8)

The whole scene at the potter’s house was “as it seemed good to the potter.” (Eph. 1)

Like the clay, Jeremiah could only stand and behold the wisdom and skill of the master.  Jeremiah was watching a picture of his own life and ministry, as well as the foreordained destiny of Judah, the church, and the creation!

God wanted His people to see that He is sovereign and therefore can do as He pleases. (Rev. 4:11_”You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.”

In Chapter 8, verse 11, the Lord called Judah to submit to His Sovereignty in order to avoid judgment.  But their reply was that there was no use in asking them to change their ways, for they would continue to do as they pleased.

18: 12:  “And they said, there is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.”

Their brazen unrepentance was commented on by the Lord. (13-17)

After the warning, the people reacted by scheming against Jeremiah, mocking and ridiculing him, smiting him with the tongue, and by being determined to ignore his message.\

The man of God interceded for them to turn away the wrath of God while the ungodly rebels turned their wrath on him.

Lamented by the prophet’s imprecatory prayer.  (19-23)

God thus declared His absolute supremacy before the Fall of Jerusalem, His power was manifest in His manipulation of the clay, and His pity in His making of the marred vessel.  The people could not possibly escape His Hand!  The delivery of the truths of this message stirred up fresh opposition.  The traditions of their priests and prophets mean more to them.

God will complete his vessel!  Phil 1:6:  “Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

The open hand of God’s goodness was sending Judah into Babylon, so that they might be delivered from idolatry.   A large number of the people in the United States of America have been given over to a spirit of idolatry.  The past eight years, this nation has been under seige witht he spirit of Babylon.  Our army is fighting in Babylon and this spirit has attacked our President, our energy sources, our financial systems and banking systems.  We have had reverse after reverse as a nation.  Unless the church brings down the spirit of Babylon, we will see this spirit totally come under captivity by this foreign power and principality.  We are now face to face with the spirit of anti-christ.  We have not withstood the spiritual attack against this nation of Babylon because this nation has not repented of idolatry.  

 Whether we look at this verse historically, or in a number of other applications, such s the making of a Ministry, or in a larger sense the Plan of God in the Making a man who will rule the earth and the universe with Him, all of it is as he sees it!  When He is finished with His creative hand, He will be satisfied and everything will be straight!  He will have His Son in the Ark walking forth, and the earth will shake! (Eph. 4:9-11)  “But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of god, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage?  You observe days, and months, and times and years.  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.”

God has his Hand on the inside of the vessel (Rom 8:14) and a hand on the outside of the vessel (Eph. 4:11).   Putting balanced pressure on the formation. (Rom 12:2)   The Lord will have his perfect work and plan not only for us as individuals, but for us as a nation.

  1. Deut. 6:25 – the covenant was marred (Jer. 31:32) and made again (Heb. 8)
  2. Isa. 1 – the Ordinances were marred and made again (Heb. 10; Gal. 4; Col. 2)
  3. The Priesthood was marred (Mal. 1) and made again Heb. 7).
  4. The King was marred (11 Sam. 12) and made again (Lk. 1)
  5. The man was marred (
    Gen. 3) and made again (Jn. 3:1-8)
  6. The Body was marred (Rom 6:23) and made again.
  7. The Heaven and earth were marred (Gen. 3) and made again (11 Pet. 3)
  8. The church was marred (Mk. 7:13) and made again (Acts. 3:21)

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateminsitries.com

Scripture from KJV and study notes from Principles of Present Truth from Jeremiah by:  Kelley Varner.

Comments are my own

Connect with us