Page 56 - BACK TO BETHLEHEM

argument with the Lord, not about the end but about the means
to the end. “I want to be conformed to Christ but do I have to
go through bankruptcy?” “I want to be conformed to Christ but
does that mean I have to get cancer?” “Does that mean that my
children must go in a wrong direction?” “Does that mean
divorce will come into my life?” “I like the end but I don’t like
the means.”
Israel reacts to God’s work. The story of the potter is
God reacting to their reaction. With that as background,
Jeremiah 18:1&2, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the
Lord saying, ‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there
I shall announce My words to you.’” God tells the prophet, “Go
to the potter’s house.” At the potter’s house they would hear
the word of God. That’s a strange place to hear the word of
God. I go to church to hear the word of God. I go to Bible
study to hear the word of God. I have a quiet time to hear the
word of God but I don’t go to a potter’s house to hear the word
of God.
When he was to go to the potter’s house, he was to keep
his mouth shut and say nothing; just look. So, Jeremiah went
to the potter’s house. Jeremiah 18:3&4, “Then I went down to
the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the
wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled
in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as
it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came
to me saying, ‘Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this
potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Behold, like the clay in the
potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.’” God
explains that at the potter’s house you will see that My people
are like clay.
I would like to invite you to use your imagination and
to come with me and the prophet to the potter’s house. What
did he see? Jeremiah 18:3, “Then I went down to the potter’s
house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.” The
potter was making something on the wheel. Jeremiah didn’t
know what but the potter knew what he was making. The clay
didn’t know but the potter knew. He was making something on
54