Jeremiah 18: 3-4,6-8

Jeremiah 18 contains two parts really. The first is the story and dialogue of another sign or symbol that God gives Jeremiah of His coming judgment on the people of Israel. Remember the first was the sign of the linen sash (which Jeremiah wore then buried in dirt, causing it to be worthless). On this occasion, God asks him to go down to the potter’s house, where he would hear the words of God:

‘Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.’ (Jeremiah 18:3-4)

We can already see what God is going to say. God is the potter, and Israel are the clay. He may do with the clay as He pleases, and if that clay does not work into the right shape, the potter will push it all back into a ball and start again. Before you start thinking ‘but God isn’t like that! He loves us and won’t break us down if we do something wrong’, just remember who God is. Remember who you are. We are nothing. Truly, we are like clay in the hands of God, hands that can cover the universe and still wobble the smallest atom at His precise will. He does love us, but not because we are loveable. His love for us is like the potter’s love for the clay itself, which will form and reform it until it is perfect in the image that he wants it to be. That is God’s love for us. That is God’s love for Israel at this time.

‘ “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.’ (Jeremiah 18:6-8)

The LORD has complete power. Let us not bring Him down to our realm. He has absolute and complete power, and will use it. The mightiest nation is plucked up instantly at His word. And yet He rewards our repentance. For if the clay is deforming and the potter is about to scrap it, but then it stops deforming, yielding to the potter’s hands, the potter need not destroy it, but can work with it to bring it to perfection.

This may make you feel small and insignificant and basically useless, this potter and clay analogy. But that is only because you are small and insignificant. The only strength you and I have is what God does with us. The only use we have is that which God appoints for us. So let’s not think too big of ourselves. Let us humble ourselves before God and let Him do as He wills with us.

The second part of the chapter tells us of a plot to destroy Jeremiah, because the people didn’t like what he said. Jeremiah prays for deliverance for Himself, and judgment on those who would kill him (in quite harsh words – read for yourself!). When God’s truth is spoken, there will be opposition. But remember, this same God who we abase ourselves before, and become like clay to the potter for, this same God holds us against this opposition, and holds us up. It is scary, the realization of our utter incompetence and insignificance. And yet it brings us the highest level of comfort and security because we know God is for us, and so who can be against us?

Jeremiah 13:9-10

The symbol of the linen sash. The first half of chapter 13 tells the story of Jeremiah obeying God’s instructions to wear a linen sash, then after a while to go and hide it in the ground, then a while after that to go dig it up again. Jeremiah found the sash absolutely useless and ruined when he dug it up.

‘ “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.”’ (Jeremiah 13:9-10)

Another reminder to us as Christians to step back and heed God’s word. To humble ourselves and realize that our own thoughts and ideas are bound to be wrong! To accept the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit, rather than follow our own desires. To cast down all our loves in this world, and to sacrifice our lives to the only One worthy of our lives. The consequences are dire. If we do not do this, we will become profitable for nothing. Useless. We need to completely submit to Him.

Isaiah 23:8-9

Isaiah 23 is yet another complex prophecy, this time against Tyre. It seems that they would be judged and made desolate for 70 years then by an act of God, brought back again (only to be as bad as they were before: ' and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face on the earth' (Isaiah 23:17b).

However, i found a very simple message in it, and it is one that has been dealt with extensively thus far in Isaiah. We look to the reason of their downfall.

'Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city,
Whose merchants are princes,
Whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
The LORD of hosts has purposed it,
To bring to dishonour the pride of all glory,
To bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.' (Isaiah 23:8-9)

I like the word 'purposed'. It is like God is sitting there reasoning and thinking. He sees the pride and arrogance of Tyre, which was apparently a very prestigious city in the ancient world. He is sitting there viewing this, and purposes to do something about it. He purposes to bring them low. Because he abhors pride. Which is only logical, since He is so much infinitely greater in every respect than any human being or city. It is sorta like little annoying kids that are really full of themselves and think they could beat you at anything. Doesn't that just annoy you? Well, compared to God, we are not even like little kids, we are infinitely small. So whenever we start thinking we're good at something - think again. Pride is not only evil, it is illogical. God has given us every single thing we have. Who are we to boast about the gifts that we have been given? That shows only immaturity (like little kids bragging about who got the best present at Christmas. Big kids don't do that (do they?)).

God has purposed to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. For all the earth is cursed, and the world is in direct opposition to God. Therefore, anyone honorable only by earth's measure is nowhere on God's measure. But we have been given God's righteousness. The gift of salvation. And though we be contemptable on earth, we will have our reward in heaven!

'I will not boast in anything
no gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and Resurrection.' (How Deep the Father's Love)

Isaiah 8:9, Ephesians 6:14a

The continuing story of Isaiah moves to the impending destruction of Israel by the hand of Assyria. Isaiah has a child named ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’ which means ‘Speed the spoil, Hasten the Booty’. God tells him that the child will not be old enough to say ‘Mummy’ or ‘Daddy’ before Assyria will come to conquer the land. God talks to Isaiah and tells why Israel will be conquered, and also says this:

‘Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces!
Give ear, all you from far countries.
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.’ (Isaiah 8:9)

I find it interesting that that last phrase was used twice in a row, unchanged. This obviously renders importance in God’s mind. It is like a preacher repeating a line for the sake of emphasis.

It has a fairly obvious meaning in the historical context. God tells the nations (namely Assyria) to gird themselves, or get ready for battle. But be broken in pieces – in other words, ‘don’t think you have anything to do with the outcome’. The Assyrians will get ready for battle, come and conquer Israel and think they are mighty and powerful because they have done so. I reality, we know from chapter 5 and 7 that it is God who has called them (like puppies, remember?), and God that has given them victory. Here he commands them: ‘Gird yourselves! But be humble, because it is only for my purposes that you succeed.’

In a more applicational sense, this phrase can be directly applied to us. God tells us to gird ourselves, but be broken in pieces. In other words: ‘do what I command, do your best in everything, but never be proud of it, for it is only I that does it’. More specifically, it is in Ephesians 6 that we are told to ‘gird ourselves’ – ‘Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth’ (Ephesians 6:14a). This is a command, that we might be effective for God. This girding is to go into spiritual warfare. But even so, we are to be ‘broken in pieces’ for it is only God who conquers. It is only God’s will that is done. In fact, in the spiritual war, counter-intuitively, the less we are ‘broken in pieces’ in our heart, the less effective we are.

Let us all seek today to be broken before our God and King, but gird ourselves in readiness for obedience to Him.

Isaiah 6:5,8

Isaiah 6 contains the account of how Isaiah was given his mission as a prophet of the Lord (probably before the previous chapters’ prophecies, in the last year of king Uzziah’s reign). It is very reminiscent of the Revelation account of John. Isaiah sees the Lord ‘sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.’

After Isaiah sees the Lord and the seraphim standing above the throne, who cried out to each other praising God ‘And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.’ So, the posts were shaken and smoke filled the house (temple) because of the voice of God’s servants! Let alone God Himself!

So what is Isaiah the soon-to-be prophet of the Lord’s response? (verse 5)

‘So I said:

Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.’

If Isaiah is a man of unclean lips, how much more are we!? Unclean lips means an unclean heart. The point is: however clean and pure and righteous we are, when we see the Lord, when we view Him in His true light, then we can do nought but say ‘woe to me, for I am undone!’ with Isaiah. For He is holy (as the seraphim say three times). But we know we are clean by Jesus’ blood. Likewise, the seraphim takes up a burning coal and touches Isaiah’s lips with it, saying ‘Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is purged’. This seems to have an effect on Isaiah, because in the next verse, although plagued by his uncleanness, he obviously trusts the Lord when He says he is clean.

‘Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Although Isaiah sees himself for what he is, unclean and impure, when God pronounces him clean (not of his own works but of God’s grace), he is immediately ready to go and speak for the Lord. Should this not be a type for all of our own responses? When God pronounces us clean, washed in the blood of Jesus, should we not be immediately ready to go into the world and tell God’s word to everyone we meet. Should we not be immediately ready to obey Him? And Isaiah’s mission was not an easy one: as a prophet he was constantly ridiculed and eventually sawn in two. As a part of being a Christian, we ourselves are called to ‘carry our cross’.

Let us all seek God in His true glory and majesty. Let us seek Him in truth. Only from a vision of His glory and a burning love for Him will we be ready to say ‘Here am I! Send me.’