I’m not sure that many of us particularly like change. We rather prefer to be comfortable and uninterrupted! But change can be exciting as new things unfold. And right now, with shifts taking place in many different spheres, God is in the process of reshaping each of us too. (See previous posts here and here.)
There is an Old Testament story that highlights this from God’s perspective. It reveals just how invested our heavenly Father is in the process of transforming and reshaping each one of us.
The potter and his work
The first thing to note is that Jeremiah 18:1-6 is actually is all about the potter. In this simple passage we see the potter’s active interest in the clay; his focused attention; his readiness to shape and reshape the clay as needed; and his overall care and concern for the best possible outcome for the clay he was working with.
There are two related Hebrew words that bring these ideas together in the passage. The first is word yasar which means to form, fashion or frame something. That’s why it is used of a potter, as one who fashions clay. The other word is asa meaning to fashion, shape or make something. These words are not readily apparent in the English translation but recur over and over again. Together they show how “hands-on” the potter is in shaping the clay, and consequently, how “hands-on” God wants to be in shaping His people.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s [yasar] house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s [yasar] house, and there he was, making [asa] something at the wheel.
Jeremiah 18:1-3 (NKJV)
What Jeremiah was witnessing was not the beginning of the potter working with this clay, but the continuation of something the potter had begun some time before.
Raw clay had to be dug and prepared, often by treading with the potter’s feet in order to soften it enough so it could be worked with. The potter would add water and possibly other material during this process. As these also added air into the mix, and air would cause a vessel to crack when dried, the potter therefore put further effort into kneading and beating out all the air bubbles. Only then was the clay ready for his wheel.
The potter’s care and attention
Having invested so much effort, a potter would not put a worthless piece of clay on his wheel. If anything happened to the clay while it was on the wheel, he would seek to remedy the situation in some way.
And the vessel that he made [asa] of clay was marred in the hand of the potter [yasar]; so he made [asa] it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter [yasar] to make [asa].
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do [asa] with you as this potter [yasar]?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s [yasar] hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
Jeremiah 18:4-6 (NKJV)
Are you beginning to see the depth of the message God was wanting Jeremiah to portray to the nation? God had always been Israel’s faithful and attentive potter. Even though they had turned away from Him and were being resistant in His hand, yet God would not turn away from them. He would continue to be faithful in wanting to shape and reshape them, no matter what.
God as a potter
What’s interesting is that the metaphor of the potter appears to be quite intentional. In fact, the idea first appears way back in Genesis 2. When God first formed human beings, the word yasar [or potter] is used to describe what God did.
And the Lord God formed [yasar] man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed [yasar].
Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
So right from the very beginning, God’s hand formed humanity, like a potter’s hand forms the clay. The prophet Isaiah utilises the same idea when He prays for God to move in the nation again.
But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter [yasar];
And all we are the work [asa] of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV)
The message of the potter
And God the Father has never stopped being our attentive potter. His loving hand has not been taken away. He knows just when and where we need to be shaped and reshaped.
Reshaping may not be comfortable. And sometimes He reshapes us in ways that we don’t comprehend, because it’s for a new season we have not fully come into as yet. As our Maker, He has always been, and will always be our trustworthy Potter. And this is incredibly reassuring, isn’t it?
