Lessons from the Potters House

Jeremiah 18:1-6

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Jeremiah 18:1-6

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 cause thee to hear my words.
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

• The Potter has a singular purpose
• He plans to take clay and from that clay produce vessels
• He wants to make vessels that are profitable
• Vessels that are useful
• And most importantly vessels that will bring honor unto him.
• The pieces he manufactures represent Him – Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

• We are clay in the potter’s hands and He is doing a work on us.
• God excels in taking old worthless clay and transforming it by His grace into vessels of honor and glory.
• He takes those things that are the dirty and of little or no use and turns them into vessels of Honor (II Timothy 2:21)
• The potter uses several tools to bring the clay to a place where it is usable.

The Potter’s tools

1. A Shovel

• This is the tool he uses to dig the clay from the earth.
  • This is a picture of the Spirit of God who comes to where we are in sin and speaks to us in convincing and convicting power and draws us to Jesus.

2. The next thing the potter uses is A Mallet

• After the clay has been cleansed and processed, it is placed on a table and beaten with a wooden mallet.
• The Potter does this to remove any air bubbles that might be trapped in the clay.
• If he doesn’t the air bubble will form a pocket that will produce a weak spot and cause the vessel to be fragile and unusable.
• Air pockets can be sin, bad habits or a bad attitude.

3. The Wheels

• There is A large bottom wheel, usually made of stone is mounted upon a shaft that sits in a stone socket.
• Coming out of this large stone is an upright shaft that extends some 3 feet with another, smaller wheel mounted on top.
• The Potter, using his feet, spins the large, lower wheel. As he does, the upper wheel is turned.
• The wheels represent the circumstances of life
• God controls the circumstances (Romans 8:28)

4. The next thing the potter uses are His Hands

• While the clay spins around on the wheels,
• The clay is never out of contact with the Potter’s hands.
• He is in constant contact, molding, shaping and bringing the clay along through His loving guidance.
• He moves
• He plies
• He forms
• He adds a little clay here
• And removes some there
• All the while spinning your life in perfect control.
• The Master is always in touch with the clay

THE POTTER AND HIS MESSAGE

4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

• According to verse 6, the Potter has absolute control over what becomes of the clay.
• It is in His hand and He makes of it what He desires.
• What a message to the people of God!
• He is in control of our lives and He makes of us what He wishes.
• Some are sturdy vessels that are used over and over again.
• Others are very fine and delicate like expensive china. Used only on special occasions, but are glorious to behold at any time.
• Whatever the usage, it is according to the will of the Potter
• And the choice is His
• The potter does not discard marred clay He reuses it
• The clay has no right to question the Potter’s judgment in the matter of what kind of vessel He makes of it
  • Romans 9:20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'"
• The only duty that the clay has to yield to the will of the Potter.

Parting thought.

The clay must always be pliable in order for the Potter to reshape it. If it is hardened, the only solution is to break it.