Walking With Christ

Jeremiah 18:1-6
(1)The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: (2)“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” (3)So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. (4)And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. (5)Then the word of the Lord came to me: (6)“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.(ESV)

This story is far more important than most people realize. Yes, God was speaking to Jeremiah about the state of Israel at that time, but He was also showing us something else.

The potter worked the clay into the shape he had in mind. When he saw that there was a flaw in the vessel, he returned the clay to the wheel to remake it. The wonderful thing about this is that the potter can do this as many times as needed to be sure the vessel is flawless. The clay only requires a little water to stay pliable and a bit more time in the potter’s hands. At this stage, it’s not too late to fix the problems he sees.

But when is it too late for the potter to fix these problems? It’s too late once the clay has gone through the fire. After the clay has been hardened by the kiln’s heat, the only choice left is to break the vessel. It can no longer be saved.

When Adam and Eve fell to sin in the garden, God knew that there was still work to be done. If they had eaten from the tree of life, they would have been permanently fixed in their sinful state. God, in His wisdom, knew that He could still rework the clay, but only if He removed their ability to eat from the tree of life. So, God had to expel Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden.

The original word for Adam had multiple layers of meaning. Yes, it means “man”, as in mankind. It also means earth, but it specifically refers to the tint or color of the earth: red. Adam, or mankind, was made from the “dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7) or red clay.

While we are still clay in the potter’s hands, we can be shaped and corrected, even if that means starting over from scratch. Don’t fear spending more time in the potter’s hands. He loves each piece he creates and wants them all to be perfect. God is our potter. He can and will reduce us to ash and then restore us to even greater glory than before. It’s all for the glory of His kingdom. If you are still alive, then He is not done working on your vessel. He still has work to do in you or through you.