Lessons in a potters House
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Setting: God Instructs Jeremiah to go to an artisan’s workshop in ancient Judah.
Context: This continues in the spiritual decline of Judah is eminent, the nation still resists the prophetic warnings and clings to the idolatry.
Theme: Sovereignty, repentance and rebellion. The central image of the potter and clay will illustrate God’s right to shape nations and individuals according to His purposes. He can build up or tear down depending on their moral choices.
Though judgment looms, it is unavoidable, the possibility of repentance and restoration remains. The potter doesn’t discard the clay; he reshapes it. This hints at God’s enduring desire for restoration.
As I was reading in different commentaries etc., in preparation I came to this, “God declares that He can uproot evil nations that repent or withdraw blessings from those that turn to wickedness. Applying this to Judah, God urges the people to turn from their evil ways, but they defiantly insist on following their own stubborn plans. The chapter condemns Israel’s idolatry, foretells the desolation of their land as result, and reveals plots against Jeremiah by his enemies. It concludes with Jeremiah’s impassioned prayer to God to judge those who seek to harm him, underscoring the tension between prophetic faithfulness and societal opposition” (College press)
Our Passage
Our Passage
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.
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.
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.
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.’
13 “Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘Ask now among the nations, Who ever heard the like of this? The virgin of Israel Has done a most appalling thing. 14 ‘Does the snow of Lebanon forsake the rock of the open country? Or is the cold flowing water from a foreign land ever snatched away?
15 ‘For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway, 16 To make their land a desolation, An object of perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head.
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.’ ” 18 Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the sage, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.”
19 Do give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to what my opponents are saying! 20 Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good on their behalf, So as to turn away Your wrath from them.
21 Therefore, give their children over to famine And deliver them up to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be smitten to death, Their young men struck down by the sword in battle. 22 May an outcry be heard from their houses, When You suddenly bring raiders upon them; For they have dug a pit to capture me And hidden snares for my feet.
23 Yet You, O Lord, know All their deadly designs against me; Do not forgive their iniquity Or blot out their sin from Your sight. But may they be overthrown before You; Deal with them in the time of Your anger!
Is there anything in particular that stands out to you in this passage?
Any general observations you want to note down?
Outline Jeremiah 18
Outline Jeremiah 18
The Potter’s Lesson (Jer18:1-6)
Observation: God sends Jeremiah to the potter’s house to observe the potter.
Illustration: The clay is marred, but the potter reshapes it into another vessel.
Lesson: God is the Potter; Israel (and really all the nations) are the clay.
Key truth: God has the right and the power to reshape His people. God is hands on with His creation.
The principle of Divine Sovereignty and Man’s responsibility (Jer18:7-10)
God’s conditional Decrees: His plans for blessing or judgment depend on the people’s response. God is not rigid, but responsive to human actions, emphasizing repentance as a pathway to mercy and obedience as essential for prosperity.
If a nation repents — God will relent from judgment.
If a nation turns to evil — God will withhold blessing.
Key truth: God’s sovereignty does not cancel man’s responsibility; it calls for repentance and humility.
The People’s Stubborn Rebellion (Jeremiah 18:11-17)
Jeremiah’s warning: God urges (laments) them to turn from their evil ways via Jeremiah (v.11).
Their response: “It’s hopeless! We will follow our own plans.” (v.12).
Result: God declares that disaster will come upon them because they have forsaken Him. God predicts their land will become a horror, scattered like by an east wind in the day of calamity.
Illustration: Israel is compared to people who have forgotten the ancient paths of righteousness.
Key truth: Hard hearts reject the Potter’s shaping hands.
The Plot Against Jeremiah (Jer18:18-23)
The People’s Plan: They conspire against Jeremiah, claiming they don’t need his message.
Jeremiah’s prayer: He calls on God for justice against his persecutors.
Key truth: Faithful servants suffer for speaking truth, but God vindicates His messengers.
Time for discussion?
Time for discussion?
What does it mean to be “marred in the hand of the potter”?
How have you experienced God reshaping your life after failure?
How do we balance God’s sovereignty with our responsibility?
Application
Application
Know that God is always actively shaping our lives, are we pliable or resistant?
Repentance is always possible, but never guaranteed— respond while the invitation stands.
Don’t admire the metaphor and miss the message: God wants transformation, not just inspiration.
Faithfulness may invite opposition — Jeremiah’s experience reminds us to persevere.
