The Potter’s House
Jeremiah 18:1-10
Rev. Jonathan W. Pannell III
February 18, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Orientation and Context …………………………………………………………………..3
Significance of Text ………………………………………………………………3
Historical and Social Setting …………………………………………………4
Literary Context …………………………………………………………………..4
Presentation of Text …………………………………………………………………………5
Scripture Passage …………………………………………………………………5
Text Critical Notes ………………………………………………………………..6
Outline of Passage …………………………………………………………………7
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord …………………………………………..8
At the potter’s house ……………………………………………………………………………..………8
The Vessel ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….9
The Word of the Lord …………………………………………………………………………………..10
A message of warning ………………………………………………………………………………….10
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Summation ………………………………………………………………………………………11
Application……………………………………………………………………………….……….12
Works Cited …………………………………………………………………………………………………..13
INTRODUCTION
ORIENTATION AND CONTEXT
Significance of Text
Found in Jeremiah 18, Jeremiah receives an object lesson from the Lord as he was instructed to go to a potter’s shed and await further instruction. Through the text Jeremiah obeys the Lord’s instructions and arrives at a potter’s house and observes a potter making a vessel on his wheel. However, as he was making the vessel it became damaged, so he proceeded to form it into another image or vessel. As Jeremiah was observing the potter form the spoiled clay into a new vessel the word of the Lord came to him, saying “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel (RSV). The message of the Lord to Jeremiah was for the nation and emphasized that the Lord had the authority, ability, and right to deal with Judah just as the potter handled and delt with the clay on his potter’s wheel. We gain an insight to the significance to the text by understanding that the message of the Lord demonstrated that the Lord could destroy Judah, however if the people would repent and truly change that the Lord may save them and change his mind on how he would deal with them. It is significant to make note that the character of the clay influenced the decision making of the potter and what the potter would do with the clay. Through this text the Lord revealed to Jeremiah who in turn was tasked with sharing the message with the people that the Lord was planning to bring calamity on them, and they should repent. The Lord in his message to Jeremiah raises a question that in turn reveals significant questions to us as the readers such as “can I not do with you as this potter has done?” (RSV).
Historical and Social Setting
The authorship of Jeremiah was through Jeremiah a Hebrew prophet and is literary in context. Jeremiah who is also categorized as a major prophet. As we know a prophet is a messenger of God who shares the message that the Lord has revealed to them. Historically Jeremiah was called to be a prophet in 627 BC, during the reign of King Josiah where Jeremiah was also able to speak as a prophet on the national and international scene during turbulent times (Hetty 22). During Jeremiah’s time and following the first exile of Judeans, the “Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar made another of Josiah’s sons, Mattaniah, king of Judah and gave him the name Zedekiah” (Hetty 25). We know this new king regularly consulted with the prophet Jeremiah but was too afraid to obey the prophet because of the court officials. It was because of his great fear that he failed to listen to the prophet as Jeremiah urged him to surrender to Babylon to save Jerusalem from obliteration. Through this scene and future events, we know that because of Jeremiah’s message to “surrender” Jeremiah was thrown into prison, then thrown into a pit left to die.
Literary Context
Jeremiah is literary, the literary prophets are those after whom a book in the Bible is named such as Jeremiah. Through the writings of Jeremiah, we gain an understanding that he serves God not only in his words but, just as importantly, in his deeds (Robert 2). The book of Jeremiah is a “long and complex mixture of poetry and prose that, historically speaking, seems to follow no particular order” (Robert 1).
PRESENTATION OF TEXT
Scripture Passage
Jeremiah 18:1-10 (RSV)
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.
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? says 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 repent of the evil 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 repent of the good which I had intended to do to it.
Text Critical Notes
It is significant to note the questions raised from our text as to the change we see in Jeremiah. As we read through the chapters of text Jeremiah’s character, personality, and attitude seems to become affected and changed. As we observe Jeremiah in the Potter’s House, we hear of a prophet of God attentively waiting on the Lord to speak as he obeys His orders. At another moment we read of Jeremiah as he says, “do not become a terror to me; you are my refuge” (v.17). It is significant to consider the pressure that is on Jeremiah found within our text. Jeremiah continues to listen and remain obedient although his words are ignored by the people and at times by God. This raises the question as to why Jeremiah remains dedicated to his faith and to his calling? And what is the message that God is attempting to reveal truly through the illustration of the potter and the clay to Jeremiah?
Outline of Passage
- The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord (vs. 1-2)
- Communication with the Lord
- The Potter’s House
- At the potter’s house (vs.3)
- Potter working at his wheel
- Vessel made of clay
- The Vessel (vs.4)
- Vessel was spoiled in the potter’s hand
- Reworking the clay
- The Word of the Lord (vs.5-6)
- O house of Israel
- Like clay on the potter’s hand, so are you (vs.6)
- A message of warning (vs.7-8)
- Destruction and Repentance
- The intentions of the Lord
THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAH FROM THE LORD
In the beginning of Jeremiah chapter 18 we gather an understanding of a word from the Lord to Jeremiah instructing him to go to “the potters house” and await a message or further instruction. From this introduction narrative we are able to gain an understanding of how the Hebrew word or term dabar occurs throughout this passage and is translated in various ways such as “word” in verse one; “message” in verse two; “word” again in verse five; “announce” in verse seven; and “spoke in verse right. Another significant term found within the first two verses of Jeremiah is the noun “potter”. The word “potter” is from a verb meaning “to form” or “to make” and thus the noun literally means “the one who forms / makes (pots)” (Hays p.125).
We can find that this information is significant seeing that God in a manner of wordplay will use the same verb in Jeremiah 18:11 saying, “I am preparing a disaster for you” in an essence saying that in the same way that the potter forms and makes the pottery from the clay that God is forming or making the coming judgment on Judah.
This introductory verse not only provides us as readers to the intended message that God has for Jeremiah, but also severity of the judgment God had intended for Judah. It is captivating to note that God instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter’s workshop and there Jeremiah observes what the potter is doing, while he hears the words spoken to him by Yahweh. In this text we see how Jeremiah was obedient by obeying God’s direction and found the potter working at his wheel.
AT THE POTTER’S HOUSE
In Jeremiah’s obedience we find him at the potter’s workshop where Jeremiah finds the potter sitting at his wheel working. The potter’s wheel literally can be read, “at the two stones” (Hays p.125). Which can be understood as possibly a “lower round stone worked by the potter’s foot while the upper round stone held and spun the clay” (Hays p.125). Jeremiah has an observation of clay that is on the potter’s wheel, clay which is referenced to as a “vessel”. Pottery is a valuable instrument in helping archaeologists date historical events as well as archaeological discoveries. Vessels or pottery is important in many fashions, today we enjoy pottery as artwork in our homes, see pottery pieces in businesses and restaurants and more. The kind of clay, the shape, decoration, kinds of handles, and colors are all used to “develop a chronology and dating system” (Voth).
In a general understanding of the potter’s house, we understand that the potter’s house must have been a rather large space. At the potter’s house or even possibly referred to as a workshop the potter would need a place to store supplies, a kiln, a location to store vessels, a place to dump discarded pottery, a source of water, and of course the potter’s wheel.
THE VESSEL
The vessel as described in verse four plays a very important role in God’s illustration to Jeremiah. Wessel in At the potter’s Workshop. Jeremiah 18:1–12: A Narrative that Reveals More than Meets the Eye states that the verse starts with a waw consecutive and the Ni form of the verb שחת [to be marred] (Wessel p.2). The gives us an understanding of the emphasis of the vessel in understanding that the object the potter was making was spoiled. The clay for the vessel was being worked by the potter’s hands when the clay spoiled. This clay spoiling in the potter’s hands gives us an understanding that the clay was not necessarily poor in quality but yet that the potter had an intended shape or outcome in mind and the vessel did not meet the specifications that the potter had intended, so the potter in-turn desired to re-work the vessel to his liking. It is significant to note that although the clay vessel was flawed or damaged the potter saw fit not to discard the clay however desired to re-work it into something new.
THE WORD OF THE LORD
In Jeremiah 18:6 we read, “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (RSV). In verse six we are able to gain an understanding of Yahweh the God of Israel comparing Himself to the potter and the house of Israel to the clay in the hands of the potter. Through this verse we see how Yahweh announces to Israel that he has the freedom to reshape Israel according to his sovereign will. According to Daniel Powers in the book Jeremiah 1-25 “just as the potter has reworked the clay that thwarted his plans into another vessel, Yahweh plans to rework and reshape Israel, who frustrated his plans for that nation” (Powers p.235) This insight demonstrates to us that Israel’s future is now in the hands of Yahweh and that he has the sovereign freedom to do whatever he wishes to do with it. God is the creator, from our passage we understand that God says, can I not do with you as this potter has done?” (RSV). The potter was forming the clay as it spoiled in his hands, the word “formed” the verb form here is ya ̄s·ar, the same verb from which potter or yôs·e ̄ris derived from (Powers p.235).
A MESSAGE OF WARNING
Jeremiah reveals to us that what is said by God in relation to Israel is a direct reflection of His actions intended towards this nation. The Hebrew word “rega’ means in a moment or suddenly” which illustrates the direct and immediate action or response needed from the people (Powers p.235). As Yahweh gives word and illustration through Jeremiah concerning judgment to the nation, we understand that God has left his pending action in the hands of the people of the nation. If the nation “repents of its evil” then the passage reveals that Yahweh says that he will then repent of the evil he had planned against them. This is a warning to the nation of pending judgment and a call to action from the nation to be obedient to the word of the Lord heeding His warning. This message from God is a word of repentance and of salvation to the nation. The following actions based on God’s word is shaped by the obedient and faithful response of that nation.
CONCLUSION
Summation
Jeremiah’s prophetic activity appears to address the time period from King Josiah until the exilic period which was about 45 years of ministry. We gain an understanding through the book of Jeremiah that he initially appears to object to his call from the Lord however God does not accept his objection and in return gives promises of divine presence and protection for Jeremiah (1:6-8). From our text passage we are able to receive an account of Jeremiah’s visit to a potter’s workshop where Jeremiah receives a word from the Lord. Through this divine message we understand that God “Yahweh” is sovereign and reserves the right to mold and remake the clay “vessel” as he sees fit.
The illustration and divine message that was delivered to Jeremiah was for the nation of Israel. This message was clear and presents the clear understanding of warning that just as the potter forms and reforms the clay, God can form the house of Israel. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (v.6). This message is a warning of pending judgment against the nation of Israel. This affirmation of God’s sovereign right over the people he has formed is followed “by the two-way formulation of God’s dealings with any nation” (Dearman). God has given them the opportunity to repent and be obedient to His warning, as the passage reveals if the nation is obedient God promises to withhold the punishment, He has pending against them.
Application
Jeremiah is known as the “weeping prophet” and in turn has authored the longest book in the Bible apart from the Psalms. It is fascinating to note that Jeremiah is the first of three biblical writes who were depicted as “eating” the Word of God. Jeremiah in his journey both lashed out against and also wept bitterly over the sins of his people, before, during and after the Babylonian invasion. Through Jeremiah we find an autobiography of the most persecuted prophet in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah in his calling has his mouth touched by God (Jeremiah 1:9) and is commissioned to speak judgment according to God’s direction. In chapter 18, we see how God leads Jeremiah to the potter’s house for a divine message in presenting an illustration for Jeremiah to share a warning to the nation. This message of warning and pending judgment calls for the people to turn from evil and turn to God who has the power and ability to re-form the nation to His liking and specifications. And it did, Israel fell to the Assyrians in about 721 B.C. and Judah fell to Babylon with the people being taken into captivity.
As God’s children and believers, we are called to be obedient to the direction of the Lord. It is significant to note that the potter did not discard the clay but worked to reform and reshape it. Just like the potter God can do a redemptive work taking the clay and remaking it and remolding it into a brand-new vessel. In our lives God can do the same thing in our lives we have to learn to listen to Him, follow His direction, abide by His word, and trust His plan.
WORKS CITED
Allen, Leslie C., and Jennifer K. Cox. Jeremiah : A Commentary. Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 2008. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=849341&site=ehost-live.
Daniel Powers. NBBC, Jeremiah 1-25. Nazarene Publishing House, 2008. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=2328589&site=ehost-live.
Elmer A. Martens. Jeremiah : Believers Church Bible Commentary. Herald Press, 1986. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=28449&site=ehost-live.
Hays, J.Daniel. Jeremiah and Lamentations. Baker Books, 2016. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1287263&site=ehost-live.
Hetty Lalleman. Jeremiah and Lamentations : An Introduction and Commentary. IVP Academic, 2013. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=991906&site=ehost-live.
J. Andrew Dearman. Jeremiah, Lamentations. Zondervan Academic, 2002. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1524771&site=ehost-live.
Robert Laha. Jeremiah. Vol. First edition, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=668534&site=ehost-live
Steven M. Voth, and Paul W. Ferris. Jeremiah and Lamentations. Zondervan Academic, 2016. EBSCOhost, proxy.dcourseweb.com:2094/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1815454&site=ehost-live.
Wessels, Wilhelm J. “At the potter’s Workshop. Jeremiah 18:1–12: A Narrative that Reveals More than Meets the Eye.” Hervormde Teologiese Studies 76.4 (2020)ProQuest. Web. 8 Feb. 2022.
Rev. Jonathan W. Pannell III 