In The Potter's Hands (Jer 18.4)

In the Potter’s Hands

(NKJV) “4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”

This is Jeremiah’s ninth message to the people of Judah.

God already at work

(NKJV) “3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.”

God directed Jeremiah to go down to the Potter’s house for God was going to show Jeremiah how God is the Potter and the nation of Judah is the clay.

So as Jeremiah went to the Potter’s house, the Potter was already working with clay upon the potter’s wheel.

The potter’s wheel is the round table that spins in circles so that you can shape the pottery as the table spins.

I’d like to point out something here. Just as Jeremiah discovered the potter was already at work, so too was God already at work in the Nation of Judah. For 17 chapters in the book of Jeremiah, God was already at work in the lives of His people. For approximately 1500 years since the time that God first spoke with Abraham and established His covenant, God was already at work in the lives of His people.

The Bible says that God is already at work in our lives as well.

(NKJV) “8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

God was at work before the world was formed so that the people He would create would enter into a relationship with Him. God made the nation of Israel for a purpose, God made you and I for a purpose and God had established that purpose long before any of us ever came into existence.

(NKJV) “5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.””

God is saying that I had a purpose for you Jeremiah long before you were formed in the womb. I had a purpose to sanctify you, I had a purpose to bring you into this time period and to be a prophet to the nations.

So too does God have a purpose for us.

Long before we were formed in the womb, God designed us for a purpose. That purpose that we would be sanctified to God.

Sanctify - be set apart, consecrated. Means to be holy. God wants us not only to be holy, but wholly dedicated to Him. In other words, from the very beginning of existence, God had you in mind to enter into a personal relationship with Him.

God has a purpose for us. There is a reason we are in existence in this time period today. And I thank God that we live in the point of time where we can enjoy modern luxuries such as air conditioning and clean running water. But more than this, we have a purpose to fill. But I do want to add caution here, it is not the purpose we come up with for our lives, it is the purpose that God has designed for our lives.

Marred Pottery

(NKJV) “4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”

As the potter was making clay, the clay lump became marred in his hands.

Marred = shachat in hebrew meaning ruined or corrupt.

The nation of Judah had become corrupt in refusing to follow God and instead following after the dictates of their evil heart (). They said it was hopeless (). They followed after false gods, they plotted the murder of Jeremiah and even his own family members were involved (). They were lying, murdering, committing idolatry just to name a few. Yes they had become corrupt, but God still had a plan for them.

One of the things that mars pottery is when part of the clay becomes hard.

The same is true for us as well. We have all become corrupt.

(NKJV) “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

But just because we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, doesn’t mean God gives up on us, rather God still has a plan for us.

New Vessel

(NKJV) “4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”

The nation of Judah had no intention of repenting for they followed the dictates of their evil hearts. However, God in his purpose for the nation of Judah would not give up on them, but just follow through with His promise.

As the nation of Israel was crossing over the Jordan to enter the promised land, they came to two mountains. Mount Gerazim & Mount Ebal. It was here that the most beautiful demonstration of God’s relationship with the Israelites was shown. The people were split into two halves. On Mount Gerazim, the blessings of God were pronounced by that half of the congregation and on Mount Ebal, the curses of God were pronounced by that half of the congregation. The message was clear, if you follow God and obey His commandments, you will have blessings in your life. But if you follow after false gods and disobey His commandments, then you will have curses in your life.

This is why the Bible says this...

(NKJV) “5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! 7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8 if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. 9 And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10 if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.”

Nation of Judah, I have created you for a purpose. That purpose is sanctification and a relationship with God. So just as a potter can bring disaster upon the clay that he is forming, so too can God bring disaster upon the nation of Judah that He is shaping if they refuse to follow God’s commands.

What happened to the nation of Judah for their refusal to repent?

(NKJV) “31 Now it came to pass in the thirty-seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.”

God punished the nation just as any parent does for children who disobey.

The vessel God had begun to make was blessing the nation of Judah as they obeyed and followed after God. But it was through their choice, that God had to make a new vessel which would now mean the nation instead of receiving God’s blessings, would now receive punishment and captivity for their rebellion against God.

God also has made a promise with mankind as well. God has made each and every one of us for a purpose. You are not here by accident no matter if your parents told you that you were unplanned, or if someone said you were just an accident. God put you here for a reason, a purpose.

(NKJV) “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We are all marred in God’s hands because we have sinned, but God says, I want to turn you into a new vessel. I want to give you the gift of eternal life. I want the pottery of your life to be something beautiful and not something marred.

(NKJV) “9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””

You will never be put to shame by God when you call upon His name. You were meant for something more than what this life has to offer, you were meant to become part of God’s family and be shaped into the image of Jesus Christ.

Pottery cannot change its own shape. We need a potter, but it is our choice whether allow ourselves to dry out from sin, or to stay pliable in the hands of the Potter.

(NKJV) “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

In the sense of being pottery, don’t let your pottery of life be conformed to the world, but let your pottery of life be transformed through Jesus Christ.

The nation of Judah experienced captivity because they conformed to the world. They didn’t want to be shaped in the image of the Potter, they wanted to be shaped in the image of their surrounding neighbors when instead they could have been so much more. The same is true for us, we can be like everyone else, but judgment is coming for those who have rejected Jesus Christ. However, blessing is coming for those who accept Jesus Christ and want to be transformed into the image of God.