A Day At The Potter’s House
Text: Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Text: Jeremiah 18:1-6
Intro:
The Potter: The potters art has been practiced since ancient times. The Egyptian monuments give evidence that it was known in Egypt before the entrance of the Hebrews into that country.
Pottery is the number one most popular find of Archaeologists who study the Ancient World. They have found the remains of potter’s shops at Lachish 1200B.C. and Megiddo, Gezer, Hazor. The remains included nearby clay fields, potter’s wheels and kilns, and the dump for unusable pottery.
Trans:
I would like to begin by taking you with me to the Potter’s House tonight.
The day begins early, leaving the house about first light with bags in hand we head to the fields and the hills to gather clay.
Today I want to point out 6 "obervations" from this visit to the Potter’s House. First let us observe that He (God):
I. He Put His Thoughts On You
1. Before you came forth from the womb He knew you! Jer. 1
2. Like Joseph, God thought of him, and even though if was a hardship on Joseph, (the pit, the separation, the accusations, the prison). But God put His thoughts on him and saved all of Israel.
3. Like Moses, who God used to deliver Israel from Egypt.
4. Like He thought of Samuel when the lamp of God went out in the temple. (God was already thinking of a young boy that He would raise up to be the Prophet of God unto Israel)
5. John the Baptist, God as far back as Isaiah we hear God thinking of him.
Isaiah 40:3
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Trans: When He looked on you and thought of you, He could not use you as you were. You were lumpy, rocky, stiff-necked, you had hard spots in you. You did not have consistency. So He took you down and:
II. He Put His Eyes on You
1. He began to look at you without seeing you for what you are, but for what He knows you can be!
2. Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
3. Psalm 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
III. He Put His Feet On You
1. Clay in its natural state was seldom fit for use. Several stages of preparation were usually necessary.
2. The Clay must be softened before it can be fashioned.
3. The clay was mixed with water and sifted to remove any stones or foreign objects that did not need to be there. There were several settling basins where the sifting took place, each basin with smaller holes than the one before.
This was the process of refining the clay in order to make the very best vessel.
4. Once refined, the potter would place the clay on a clean floor and begin walking on it, back and forth, over and over until all the air pockets were removed.
Trans: Once the right consistency is obtained, He will pick you up off the floor and place you on the potter’s wheel. There He will:
IV. He Will Put His Hands On You
1. While you’re on the wheel, He will begin molding you. This involves applying pressure in certain areas that He needs to change. You may not like these pressures, but understand, He is the one making the vessel, and He knows what is best for you!!
2. He will form you into the vessel that He desires to make.
Romans 9:20
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
3. Once His hands have formed you into the beautiful vessel you are still worthless and without function until He puts you in the fire.
4. There were two ways of doing this: In the old days they would “Sun Dry” the vessels. However, they had limitations, they could only store dry goods, because liquids would break them down. Later the “Kiln Fire” the vessels.
5. A fine vessel that will harden and hold liquids and maintain its shape had to be exposed to a minimum temperature of 500 degrees.
· The beauty of properly fire clay is that it will not breakdown and disintegrate, even if buried for thousands of years. Metal or wood would have long since disappeared.
· Fire Time was also very crucial; it had to stay in the fire long enough for the chemical process in the clay to start working.
6. Once removed from the fire the vessel must be scoured and scrubbed to remove any lingering signs of air bubbles that surfaced in the fire. The nicks and bumps had to be smoothed out.
7. Once the smoothing process has been accomplished, you are now ready to be painted, glazed. These words and synonymous with the word anointed.
· A vessel that has not been glazed could only be used once, because of bacteria and fungi being able to hide in its pours. However, when a glazed vessel is washed with soap and water you can use it over and over again, because the bugs have no place to hide.
V. He Will Put His Anointing On You
1. This is the painting of the vessel
2. The Glazing of the vessel
3. This is what makes the vessel attractive
VI. Finally He Will Put His Name On You
1. Every good artist puts his name on his work
· Rev. 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
2. The quality must go in, before the name goes on.
Conclusion:
· In the process of the clay our Master has made some beautiful vessels. Taking the time to think about us, look upon us, sift us, walk on us, knead us, place His hand upon us, lead us through the fire, glaze us with His anointing, and finally place His Name on us.
· What wonderful vessels have been made for the glory of God!
· On the other hand there are stubborn vessels that won’t accept the hand of the potter, and the pressure applied by Him.
· Illustrate the relentless work for the stubborn vessel, and finally, its being thrown away in to the potter’s field.
