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?

Isaiah 18:2,7

Today's chapter I couldn't pick a particular verse out of. It's a fairly short chapter, and reads like a poem. You might just have to read it yourself! It is a proclamation of judgment against Ethiopia this time. It starts out saying

'Woe [to Ethiopia]...Which sends ambassadors by the sea,
Even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying,
"Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin,
To a people terrible from their beginning onward,
A nation powerful and treading down,
Whose land the rivers divide." (Isaiah 18:2)

Apparently, according to Macarthur, he is talking here about Egypt i gather, although it seemed to me initially that it was Assyria he was talking about. Nevertheless, for our own application the nation does not matter. Ethiopia had thought that an alliance would be necessary to survive in the fragile world they then existed in. This was not unlike other nations at the time, including northern Israel. But God's reaction was the same to each desired alliance - destruction would follow it. We have already gathered from previous chapters that God wanted people to rely only on Him rather than earthly methods of security.

This time, God trumpets the impending destruction through Isaiah and specifically calls the world to listen out for what He is going to do. He says He will wait his time, until the time is perfectly right and then destroy both of the nations in the alliance. Macarthur thinks this will be in the millennial kingdom. To me it doesn't make it obvious, but it definitely could be.

The interesting part is that the last verse (verse 7) is nearly exactly the same as the first:

'In that time a present will be brought to the LORD of hosts
From a people tall and smooth of skin,
And from a people terrible from their beginning onward,
A nation powerful and treading down,
Whose land the rivers divide --
To the place of the name of the LORD of hosts
To Mount Zion.' (Isaiah 18:7)

The impact is immediate. Although the Ethiopians originally said this in hopes of doing things their own way, the same people they were referring to will bring the LORD gifts in future times to His holy mountain. Everything comes back to God. God will always have the last laugh. Remember that today. Do God's will and live a righteous life.

Isaiah 10:5-6a, 15

‘Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it?
Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it?
As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up,
Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood!’ (Isaiah 10:15)

The message of this verse is simple and to the point. In the previous verses, God has described Assyria (the new world power, as it were) as:

‘…the rod of My anger,
And the staff in who hand is My indignation,
I will send him…’ (Isaiah 10:5-6a)

As we have discovered in previous chapters, God is using Assyria for His purposes (whistling for them to come), in order to judge Jerusalem. But it seems they have not got the message to ‘gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces’, because they think it is all them that have this power. They boast in their military achievements, with arrogant hearts saying that cities in Israel are the same as cities in Assyria. So God presents us with a simple and profoundly intuitive analogy.

Assyria is but an ax or saw in the hands of the Almighty God. How can an ax boast in what it does without realizing the person who wielded it? It just doesn’t make any sense at all. In fact it is laughable. And yet the Assyrians are doing just that.

Let’s not ourselves fall into the same trap. Without Him we can do nothing. We are but a piece of wood without Him who wields us. This affects every single thing we do. For if it is us that does it, we should rely on our strength, intellect, will, what have you. If indeed it is God that does it, we should rely only on His strength, wisdom and will. In everything you do today (and hopefully every day) reason with yourself that it is God that effects it.

Isaiah 5:26,30

In Isaiah 5, God continues his judgment on Judah and all Israel for their sin. First he tells the story of a man who owned a vineyard which however much he pruned it and watered it and did everything he could to make it better, still brought up ‘wild grapes’. Then he goes on to say that one day all excesses will be judged, and categorizes them into 5 woes to different sins. The judgment will be this:

'He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar,
And will whistle to them from the end of the earth;
Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly.

…

In that day they will roar against them
Like the roaring of the sea.
And if one looks to the land,
Behold, darkness and sorrow;
And the light is darkened by the clouds.' (Isaiah 5: 26,30)

What awesome imagery! What hit me out of this though is the fact of verse 26. This is world history. This is the major plotline of western history. The dominant empires (who you can play as in Age of Empires!) who thought themselves the most mighty and unconquerable. Unquestionable. Non-accountable. And yet, here is history from God’s perspective. He is whistling to them! It’s like they are just his little puppies, doing whatever he wants. Obeying His call (without knowing it, so it doesn’t really get credited to them as obedience). Now, if He is that sovereign and powerful over the mighty powers of world history, then who can doubt His sovereignty and power over our own lives?

It is easy to lose sight of God’s sovereign control over our lives at times, and get all caught up in what we are going to do about such and such a problem, whether it is at school (exams, anyone?), relationships (who knows how to deal with them??), jobs or whatever else we do. Life is tough, life is complicated, and more often than not we don’t know the answers or how to deal with things. Problem is, more often than not, we try anyway. Which is sort of a good thing except that in doing so we forget about God being able to sort it out much easier than us.

Let’s look to God in all things in our life, hard and easy. In the end, we will end up obeying Him whatever we do, but would it not be more beneficial to both God ad us if it were because we wanted to obey Him?