Making a Mess of It Jeremiah 18:1-11
Making a Mess Of It Jeremiah 18:1-11
God is in control, right? But how much is you, and how much is God? In everything. We know He is in complete control. We know that being God, He has power, authority and the ability to do whatever he desires. But we also know that we reap what we sow; that there are consequences for our actions. What about accidents, bad luck, situations where it is indiscriminate?
This passage is one of those in scripture that sheds some light on things, but might also ask more questions than it answers.
1. God is in control – he is the Potter and we are the pots. If a pot is not coming out the right way, he can dispense with that pot and make another one. That is the broad understanding of our passage.
2. God made Israel. Israel was the pot in the Lord’s hand that He had made. So how much authority and therefore blame does the pot, in this case Israel, have over whether they do the right thing or not?
3. These pots are not inanimate. These pots have both a will and an opinion and have the ability to act one way or another.
What was happening? You might know the situation. Jeremiah had had a hard time of telling his countrymen of Judah that time was up. After decades of preaching to them, to repent, trust in the Lord, not idols, the time was drawing close when the Babylonians would finally be on their doorstep.
Hence, he said in verse 11, “Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you.”
But it wasn’t a disaster all at once. The Lord was actually quite merciful. He sent warning shots in 605BC, then in 597BC when the Babylonians came and took away wealth and captives, but did not destroy the city. Jeremiah said this next time disaster is planned for the city. This was not God’s original intent.
The original intent by the Potter is to what? Make a pot, make something of use, possibly make it beautiful to look at as well. Israel, the objects within His hands, desired to turn against the Potter’s wishes. No-one starts a work only to have it rebel against them.
Romans 9 must be mentioned here. Romans 9, of course, is a passage that has brought much debate, but it is certainly a reference passage when dealing with this morning’s readings. In it, the Apostle Paul like Jeremiah, also referred to the Lord as the Potter and us as pots created for His glory.
However, Paul said that some pots are created for glory and some for destruction. Those pots for destruction have no desire to know the Potter and hence their destiny is set. But even Paul said this in Romans 9:22, 23, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory---” Note: He endured, with much patience, the vessels of wrath. That shows the mercy and the perseverance of God towards these rebels.
Israel is actually an object of mercy as a nation but, as Paul said, the much patience with Israel was running out and hence they were to be remade. The initial effort, the pot formed by the potter wasn’t working out, because they did not want to function in the way the Potter had originally intended.
I am assuming most people here want to honour the Lord. You love Jesus, you know the great sacrifice He has given to you via the cross. You don’t want to make a mess of things.
The Bible is pretty clear on what to do: simply love and obey the revealed will of the Lord. The Apostle John said to those who say they love they Lord, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) Loving and obeying God is not a chore, but a joy.
This is what it is to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. You read His word (the truth) and the Spirit gives you understanding of it, then a desire to carry it and be blessed by it.
This is the point – God wants to make a beautiful pot for His use and His glory – as Paul said vessels of mercy – prepared beforehand for glory.
The pot, as a result, gets the blessing of being filled up, of being blessed. Like we said last week He desires healing, salvation for us and hence for us to say that He is our Praise!
Maybe you are here and don’t feel whole or complete, as a jar or a pot of clay you have some cracks; whether ill health has given you that, maybe financially at the moment as a pot you’re feeling a little empty, maybe relationally things are tough for you, or perhaps you think a little differently than others, maybe your mental health is not what some call standard or normal. The Apostle Paul said that’s ok, because you have treasure in there in your brokenness that others need to see. He said, “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) He went on to say, “do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)
Broken to be remade.
This was not the end of the story for Israel. Yes, they were broken as a nation in the Potter’s hands through their rebellion and their experience with Babylon, but the clay was still there. The remnant survived and the Jewish people survived, in fact they thrived as they do today. We know the Lord has even greater things for Israel in the future…as He does for us.
You might feel a bit broken at the moment, but the Lord is in the re-creating business. In fact, as a believer in Christ, you have been born again, you are a new creation. In fact, you are going from glory to glory, being knit together in Christ for His glory.
You know ultimately this clay pot, this body, will put off the temporal and will be replaced by the immortal, a new body that will radiate the Lord’s glory, strength, grace and peace for eternity.
A final point with regard to the Lord’s sovereignty over his pots. Even accidents, bad luck: faith says even in these things, “All things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) The vessels of mercy. But you might struggle with some of the things you have said or done in the past. We have a forgiving God; we are objects of His mercy.