The Potter's Clay! What Christian truths are symbolized?
What crucial truths are
taught from these verses and the symbolism found there? (See Gen.
2:7.)
Jer. 18:1-10
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 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. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 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. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
We are like the clay in the potter’s hand, even though we are “marred”, God can make us perfect if we have faith in Him.
Isa. 29:16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or, shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Isaiah is showing the right that God has to do with his creatures what he thinks is right. We have no right to complain because, like the potter He is our Creator. It is absurd for us to complain to God as if He has no intelligence, and no right to make us as He does. It would be absurd for the piece of pottery to complain of the potter as if he had no skill as it is equally absurd for us to complain to God as if He did not have any wisdom.
Isa. 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Potsherd means broken piece of pottery, representing fallen man. The scripture is saying that we should let the people who are broken, struggle, with the others that are similarly broken here on earth, we are not to fight and argue with them. We are supposed to go to God for understanding, but when God does give us an answer we are not to question the answer.
Isa. 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Their condition then had been produced by God as clay is molded by the potter, and they would be returned and restored entirely by Him – We have no power to restore ourselves than the clay had to the power to reshape itself. We are totally in his hand and at his disposal the being that transforms us. Go has the power to mold us as the potter has the power to mold the clay.
Whatever other truths are found in the image of the potter and the clay, it does teach us the ultimate sovereignty of God. That is, however hopeless the situation might seem to be, the symbolism of the potter and the clay shows us that ultimately, despite the wrong or even willfully wrong decisions that people make, the Lord is in control of the world, regardless of appearances now.
Jer. 18:1-10
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 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. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 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. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
We are like the clay in the potter’s hand, even though we are “marred”, God can make us perfect if we have faith in Him.
Isa. 29:16
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or, shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
They had no just views of truth. They deemed mere formality
to be all that was required. They attempted to conceal their plans even from
God; and everything in the opinions and practice of the nation had become
perverted and erroneous.
Their perverseness was as if God should be respected as much
as we are, that is, as if God was no more qualified to do anything than we are.Isaiah is showing the right that God has to do with his creatures what he thinks is right. We have no right to complain because, like the potter He is our Creator. It is absurd for us to complain to God as if He has no intelligence, and no right to make us as He does. It would be absurd for the piece of pottery to complain of the potter as if he had no skill as it is equally absurd for us to complain to God as if He did not have any wisdom.
Isa. 45:9
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
Potsherd means broken piece of pottery, representing fallen man. The scripture is saying that we should let the people who are broken, struggle, with the others that are similarly broken here on earth, we are not to fight and argue with them. We are supposed to go to God for understanding, but when God does give us an answer we are not to question the answer.
Isa. 64:8
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Their condition then had been produced by God as clay is molded by the potter, and they would be returned and restored entirely by Him – We have no power to restore ourselves than the clay had to the power to reshape itself. We are totally in his hand and at his disposal the being that transforms us. Go has the power to mold us as the potter has the power to mold the clay.
We have been formed by God, and we are
dependent on God to make us what He wants us to be. This whole verse is an
acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God. It expresses the feeling which all
have when under conviction of sin; and when we are sensible that we are exposed
to the divine displeasure for our transgressions. It is then we feel that if we
are to be saved, and it is by the mere sovereignty of God.
Rom.
9:18-21
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou
wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his
will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that
repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why
hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour,
and another unto dishonour?
We can rest assured that, despite the reality of human free
will and free choices, and the often calamitous results of abusing that free
will, in the end, we can hope in the absolute sovereignty of our loving and
self-sacrificing God, whose love is revealed on the cross. Evil won't triumph;
God and His love will. What a hope we have!Whatever other truths are found in the image of the potter and the clay, it does teach us the ultimate sovereignty of God. That is, however hopeless the situation might seem to be, the symbolism of the potter and the clay shows us that ultimately, despite the wrong or even willfully wrong decisions that people make, the Lord is in control of the world, regardless of appearances now.
