From Jeremiah 18-22
The LORD leads Jeremiah into a potters house and compares some spoiled clay with Israel. Just as the potter has the power to reshape the clay into something useful. So does the LORD have the authority to do with Israel as he wants. The LORD commands Israel to repent and offers them forgiveness. They reject his offer and seek to persecute Jeremiah. Jeremiah loses his cool and prays for their demise. Jesus on the other hand asks forgiveness for those who made him suffer. How will you pray when persecution comes?
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comment
The prophets occasionally used dramatic examples and everyday illustrations to reinforce their points. In today’s passage Jeremiah is commanded by the LORD to visit a potters house.
18 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. (Jer 18.1-4)
The LORD knows what is happening all around the world. The LORD knew in this instance what the potter was making was going to be spoiled. He sent Jeremiah down there to see what the potter would do with the clay. Desiring to make something useful, the potter reworks the spoiled clay into something beneficial.
If the LORD finds spoiled clay. He will refashion it into something he wants.
The LORD is using the potter and the spoiled clay as a metaphor to represent Israel.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. 9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. 11 Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’ (Jer 18.5-11)
As with the potter and the spoiled clay. The LORD has Israel in his grasp. Israel has become spoiled and the LORD is in control of Israel’s destiny. But there is one difference.
The LORD is giving Israel a chance to turn away from its evil and amend their ways.
The exhortation is obviously useless if the LORD does not believe Israel can turn and amend their ways. The LORD has power to destroy Israel. This is what Jeremiah wants them to know. To realise the consequences of their actions and turn. Like many times before, Jeremiah is giving them a chance to avert impending disaster. The potter will not tolerate spoiled clay.
They don’t react to Jeremiah’s warnings well.
12 “But they say, ‘That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ (Jer 18.12)
Either they don’t believe or they don’t think the LORD has the power to do this. They desire to continue in their own plans and their own evil desires. The LORD responds to their rejection.
13 “Therefore thus says the LORD: Ask among the nations, Who has heard the like of this? The virgin Israel has done a very horrible thing.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon leave the crags of Sirion? Do the mountain waters run dry, the cold flowing streams?
15 But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway,
16 making their land a horror, a thing to be hissed at forever. Everyone who passes by it is horrified and shakes his head.
17 Like the east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. I will show them my back, not my face, in the day of their calamity.” (Jer 18.13-17)
‘Who has heard the like of this?’ People will hear of how they treated the LORD and be shocked they could do so. ‘My people have forgotten me’ They turned away from the LORD. ‘Everyone who passes by the land will be horrified’. The LORD will bring disaster on them. Passers by will be horrified at what remains.
They resisted the command to repent. Now they turn on Jeremiah.
18 Then they said, “Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words.” (Jer 18.18)
They believe the ministry of the priest, the wise and the prophet will continue. The problem with each of these is that they are false and depraved. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t commit evil as they did and reject the LORD as they just have. They ignore Jeremiah.
Dont ignore the the word of the LORD as they did. Pay attention to what God says.
Jeremiah is afraid and angered at their plots against him. He calls on the LORD to judge them.
19 Hear me, O LORD, and listen to the voice of my adversaries.
20 Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for my life. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
21 Therefore deliver up their children to famine; give them over to the power of the sword; let their wives become childless and widowed. May their men meet death by pestilence, their youths be struck down by the sword in battle.
22 May a cry be heard from their houses, when you bring the plunderer suddenly upon them! For they have dug a pit to take me and laid snares for my feet.
23 Yet you, O LORD, know all their plotting to kill me. Forgive not their iniquity, nor blot out their sin from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. (Jer 18.19-23)
Jeremiah believes in his ministry. He has been doing what the LORD has commanded and he knows it was for their good. Like Moses, he has even sought to avert the LORD’s wrath for them. In return they have not respected what he has done for them nor appreciated it was for their benefit.
Jeremiah has had enough. They have pushed him too far.
In a rare moment he calls on the LORD to punish them. Men, women and children. All will be punished. He asks the LORD not to forgive them or blot out their sin. He asks for justice. They should be punished. There is no room for sympathy or forgiveness.
Story of Israel
King David uttered similar prayers himself while he was on the run from his enemies. He was honest with himself and the LORD. He lets his feelings out when he prayed.
The LORD values our honesty when we pray.
Jeremiah’s prayer will be answered by the LORD. Judah and Jerusalem will be conquered and beaten down. Even though they mocked his ministry and sought his life. I suspect Jeremiah would not have enjoyed the suffering and death of his people in the end. Nor would he have enjoyed seeing many taken into exile. Walking in lines, surrounded by armed men. About to go into slavery.
Story of Jesus
Jeremiah was honest in his prayers. He called for justice to be done on his adversaries. Perhaps this has its place at times. There are other things we can pray for when people persecute us. In the gospel, Jesus gives a prime example.
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Lk 23:26–34)
Just punishment and loving forgiveness examples of how people pray for their persecutors in the scriptures.
How will you pray when persecution and suffering comes?
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2015. All Rights Reserved.
