Jeremiah 18
The Potter and the Clay
-God told Jeremiah to go to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. (a hands on
(lesson)
-Jeremiah obeyed. He found the potter working at his wheel. (God’s perfect timing)
-Jeremiah noticed that the jar being made by the potter didn’t turn out as he had hoped,
so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again. (just as we are
flawed clay in God’s hands…sometimes He has to squash us and start again)
-The Lord gave Jeremiah a message for Israel: O Israel, can I not do to you as this
potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand (moldable), so are you
in my hand. (*note: the same hand that squashes and molds the clay is the hand that
also holds the clay on the wheel)
-When an evil nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.
(mercy)
-When a great nation turns to evil and refuses to obey, I will not bless it as I said I
would. (justice)
-Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Tell them I am planning disaster
against them instead of good. Turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what
is right. (Choose God)
The people reply to God’s warning
-Don’t waste your breath.
-We will continue to live as we want to, following our own evil desires.
God replies
-Has anyone ever heard of such a thing, even among the pagan nations. (hardened
hearts).
-Israel has done something too terrible to understand. (rejecting God is a serious sin)
-My people have deserted me and turned to worthless idols. They have stumbled off the
highways of good and they walk the muddy paths of sin. (The path of righteousness is
narrow, but protected. You either walk in blessing or toward destruction.)
-The desolate land will be a monument to their stupidity. (God is the source of wisdom)
-All who pass will be astonished and shake their heads in amazement at its utter
desolation.
-I will scatter my people before their enemies as the east wind scatters dust. And in all
their trouble, I will turn my back on them and refuse to notice their distress. (out of
fellowship with God)
A plot against Jeremiah
-The people said, “Let’s find a way to stop Jeremiah.” We have our own wise men and
priests. We don’t need him to teach us or advise us. (refusing Godly instruction to rely
on human ignorance) Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.
Jeremiah calls out to God
-Lord, help me! Listen to their evil plans. They have set a trap to kill me, though I
pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger. (just as children plot
against their parents…even as parents are pleading to God for them)
-Lord, you know all their murderous plots against me. Don’t forgive their crimes and
blot out their sins. Let them die before you. Deal with them in your anger.
First
Jeremiah 1-2
Jeremiah 3-4
Jeremiah 5
Jeremiah 6
Jeremiah 7
Jeremiah 8
Jeremiah 9
Jeremiah 10-11
Jeremiah 12-13
Jeremiah 14-15
Jeremiah 16-17
Jeremiah 18
