Clay in the hands of the Potter

Jeremiah 18:1-11 

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 you to hear My words." 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 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.

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.

11 "Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good."'"

The LORD God showed a visual picture of clay formed by a potter as an analogy of Him as the Creator Potter fashioning the clay out of the dust of the earth into Adam as His creation (Genesis 2:7).  God called the prophet to go and observe the potter spinning a pot on the wheel and having to remake it when it was flawed according to His desire and good sovereign purpose of making it as it should be.  Likewise our God can do with us all as He did with Israel when what He created marred itself constantly with sin and rebellion.  He also does this with all the nations of His creation, giving time for repentance and righteousness to turn from evil or face disastrous dissolution for their sinful culture opposed to His desires and design.  He who planted each nation calls for change when they are flawed and bent on the spinning wheel and has the authority and right to stop and flatten the misformed back into a mere lump of dust and water to start over with them.  It is His choice which makes this fair because He owns the created ones of His divine patent and blueprint according to His word.  This also translates to us individually as Romans 9:20-21 tells us, but takes the analogy further to explain how even the choice of what vessels He makes are for Him and which are not destined for His use and glory.  It is clear that some are spun on the Potter’s wheel for destruction and some for glory.  Yes, out of the same lump of man He makes one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use according to His predetermined will and plan for us.  Yet some will say this is unfair, the same ones who fight against following His word and go after worship of other gods.  Who are we to question our Maker as if He were another flawed man among us?  He told Jeremiah that a nation which turns from its evil of disobedience could be spared harsh consequences, and among those purposed by Him for Himself we have the same opportunity for repentance by God given faith to repurpose our flawed vessels to honor Him (2 Timothy 2:20-21).  This is not the same for those like Pharaoh who are made as vessels for destruction (Romans 9:17-18) to display His righteousness and glory through demonstration of the consequences of disobedience of disbelief and rejection of their Creator to warn the good vessels of sin’s consequences.  The call of God through Jeremiah was to repent, to turn away from doing evil and follow the word of the LORD.  It is the same call of the gospel with the rest of the story of grace made clear for forgiveness and reconciliation to eternal life.  The difference we now know is that not all vessels of dust and water spun on the Master Potter’s wheel are able to be remade because some have been purposed for destruction and some for Him from before the world and man was ever made (Ephesians 1:4, Romans 8:28-29).  God’s purpose determines whether repentance leads to life.  Our choice and change depend on His design and our God given response; we are accountable but also accounted as His by His choice and His will, not our own (John 1:13).  May we who are chosen and being sanctified on the Potter’s wheel then allow ourselves to be formed according to His word and will by putting off sin and putting on holiness and righteousness according to His design and image instead of continuing in sin.  Even prepared vessels can face loss of rewards when we fail to glorify God by unclean use as 2 Timothy 2:21 and 1 Corinthians 3:14-15 have told us.  The examples of Israel and the nations throughout time should therefore spur us on to follow accordingly with love and good works as purposed vessels put to good use for His glory.  We are after all clay in the hands of our good Potter, but clay remade of redeemed dust mixed with the blood of Christ into holy mud on the wheel of His predetermined eternal purpose.  Yes, God can do with us as He pleases, even remaking us when we mar His image in us.  Yet He first waits for us to choose His paths that were given from the beginning so that we stop giving up to our own evil heart desires.  Then he remakes us, from salvation in a new life to daily turning back when we stray afterwards.  It is never hopeless in the Potter's hands.  When others speak evil of me after I speak truth to them in love for their good and with compassion (not condemning), then I need to hand them over to God.  Unlike Jeremiah the prophet who prayed for God's harsh judgment on those against him, I must follow Jesus and the examples of the apostles to pray for them that God would give them a chance, and not simply smite them.  Nonetheless, it is God who judges and deals with those who oppose Him in His way.  I must forgive, beware, and follow my Lord and my God.