20150910 Thursday, September 10 2015
Jeremiah 18: The Potter's House Prophecy

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words"

Humans, and all other living creatures (see also Amazing Bible Facts About Animals), were created from the Earth - including the "dust" and minerals found in clay (see Adam and Adamah and Dust In The Wind).

"10:9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?" (Job 10:9 KJV)

It is therefore not merely an analogy to refer to the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) as a potter and humans as the clay vessels of His Creation. Notice carefully also that, in the case of humans, the "pottery" is able to make itself of good value, or of no value at all (see also Decadence In History And Prophecy and Iniquity In History And Prophecy).

"29:15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? 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 29:15-16 KJV)

"2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:19-22 KJV)

Jeremiah (see A Faithful Winner Among Unrepentant Losers) was also given a prophecy of how the Kingdom of Judah had made itself a corrupt vessel - so the LORD was goig to rework what it was given to be, and give it to others: "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."

"18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 18:4 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.

18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

18:6 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. 18:7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 18:8 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. 18:9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 18:10 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.

18:11 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. 18:12 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.

18:13 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. 18:14 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? 18:15 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; 18:16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. 18:17 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.

18:18 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.

18:19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. 18:20 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. 18:21 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. 18:22 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. 18:23 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." (Jeremiah 18:1-23 KJV)

Fact Finder: What prophecy about "feet of iron and clay" was given to King Nebuchadnezzar in the time of the prophet Daniel?
See The Prophet Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar's Image