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.
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.
7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
8 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.
9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10 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.
11 Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.
12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
13 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.
14 Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?
15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
18 Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23 Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.
Chapter 18 of the Book of Jeremiah is a striking allegory of God’s sovereignty over nations and individuals. This chapter is a vivid portrayal of God as the divine potter and His people as the clay in His hands. The metaphor of the potter's clay is a poignant illustration of how God shapes and molds His people according to His divine will and purpose.
The chapter begins with the word of the Lord coming to Jeremiah, instructing him to go down to the potter's house where he would hear the Lord's words. Jeremiah obeys and goes to the potter's house, and there he sees the potter working at his wheel. The potter was shaping a pot from clay, but the pot he was forming was marred in his hands. So, he formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
The allegory of the potter and the clay is a profound message about God's sovereignty and His absolute authority over His creation. Just as the potter has complete control over the clay, shaping and molding it according to his will, so too does God have complete control over His creation, shaping and molding it according to His divine will.
This allegory underscores the fact that God, as the divine potter, has the power to reshape and remold His people when they become marred by sin and disobedience. Just as the potter does not discard the marred clay but reshapes it into another pot, God does not discard His people when they sin. Instead, He reshapes and remolds them, giving them opportunities to repent and return to Him.
In this chapter, God's message to Israel through Jeremiah is clear: if they persist in their sinful ways, He will reshape them as the potter reshapes the marred clay. This message is not only a warning but also an offer of hope. God is willing to reshape and remold them if they turn from their wicked ways and return to Him.
However, the response of the people is one of stubbornness and rebellion. They refuse to heed Jeremiah's warning and continue in their sinful ways. This response is indicative of the hardness of their hearts, much like the hardened clay in the potter's hands.
As the chapter progresses, we see the consequences of the people's disobedience. God declares that He will scatter them like wind-blown dust and turn their own ways against them. This is a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and disobedience - the wages of sin is death.
Despite this grim warning, the people refuse to repent. Instead, they plot against Jeremiah, seeking to silence him. This response further underscores their hardened hearts and their refusal to heed God's warning. In response, Jeremiah calls upon God to vindicate him and bring justice upon his adversaries.
Despite the people's stubbornness and rebellion, the chapter ends on a hopeful note. God, in His mercy and grace, is willing to reshape and remold His people if they repent and turn back to Him. This is the power of repentance. It is the process by which God reshapes and remolds us, transforming us into vessels of honor for His glory.
In conclusion, Chapter 18 of the Book of Jeremiah is a powerful allegory of God's sovereignty and His authority over His creation. It is a vivid portrayal of God as the divine potter and His people as the clay in His hands. It is a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and disobedience, but also a hopeful message of God's grace and mercy towards those who repent and return to Him.
This chapter, therefore, serves as a wake-up call to all believers. We are reminded that we are the clay in the potter's hands, and God is the potter. He has the power to reshape and remold us according to His divine will and purpose. But we must be willing to submit to His authority and allow Him to shape us according to His will. Only then can we become vessels of honor, fit for the Master's use.
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