1147AFC112511
Read it online here.
KJV 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.
LXE Isaiah 64:8 – And now, O Lord, thou art our Father, and we are clay, all of us the work of thine hands.
NAB Isaiah 64:7 –Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.
There are a couple of things that come to mind every time I read or hear this passage. The first is that while the clay is on the wheel it does not fight back. It is molded by the potter to his specifications at the moment. S/he can make it into any shape, thickness, whatever. The clay comes from the earth – just like us – and God made the earth in which the clay resides. The potter knows just how wet to clay should be to work it properly. The potter is the one who makes all the conscious decisions about what happens to the clay. Israel viewed its condition at this time in their history as God’s doing. He was reshaping them after they had refused to be molded by him and beginning to recognize that being clay in his hands was better than being broken pottery. When we realize the same thing is happening to us, we can understand how they were feeling.
The second thing that comes to mind is what happed after a pot is completed. Some of you work with clay or ceramics as a hobby or even a career. You know that shaping the pot, forming the greenware, is only the beginning. After some other steps like painting with glazes or sculpting the greenware or drying the clay, then comes the firing. Unfired clay or ceramic vessels aren’t reliable as containers until they are fired. Once the clay dries, whether it is from damp all the way to bone dry, it might still be possible under the right conditions to rework it; but once it’s fired, everything changes. It can’t go back to what it was. The drier it gets before firing the more fragile it gets, and often after it is fired it is stronger. When we realize the same thing has happened to us, we wonder how anyone would think that the clay forms the potter. And yet some earthlings believe that. Some even believe there is no potter but Harry Potter and every pot shapes itself – maybe by The Force? I’ve never understood how that is supposed to work!
Once we are shaped and formed, glazed and fired, we become vessels of clay, or as declared in this passage, “earthen vessels.”
KJV 2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
NAB 2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
The treasure Paul is writing about is Christ – the “surpassing power” of the Light that God made to shine forth from the darkness. People who did not – deliberately would not try to – see that Light were empty earthen vessels compared to the exceeding wealth carried in the earthen vessels who were Believers. Yet even these believers did not shape themselves. They were shaped and glazed and fired by God. Fragile and lowly, they carried the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, and the Savior of all humans in a tiny, fragile, brittle bit of clay. These vessels opened up to hold that treasure, and God poured it into them in excess so that it overflowed – some spilling into other vessels and some spilling out into the World. None of those overflowing vessels said, “You are making a mess, Lord. Don’t get me bent out of shape just to make me hold more. I want to be a dish, not a pitcher. Instead turn that cup into a pitcher and let me be.” There’s a Biblical reason for that. Take a look at another thing God was saying to Israel through Isaiah:
Isaiah 45:9-10 “Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘stop, you are doing it wrong!’? Why did you make me this way?’”
Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? But that was what Israel had done. God said do this, they did the opposite. God said do that, Israel did nothing. God said repent, Israel rebelled. God said ask forgiveness, Israel sinned even greater. God threatened punishment, Israel said, “Nya-nya-nya-nyaah-nyaah! So what?” And every time they did that, God promised to redeem them. Here’s the potter-and-clay image from God’s point of view:
Prophesy of the Potter in Jeremiah 18:1-6 – The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 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. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done?” declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Beloved, we are all clay in the potter’s hands, but remarkably some of us still try to call the shots and shape our own lives in our own image. As it was with Israel, so it is with us. We earthlings find it so difficult to relinquish our will to anyone – or so we think. We let our friends, or family, or peers influence us into doing things that do not honor God. “What do you mean you’re going to church instead of watching the Ostriches versus the Echidnas? What kind of a fan would miss that?” “C’mon. One little toke won’t hurt you!” “If you really loved me, we’d stop wasting time talking about it and just do it.” “Hey, just one more for the road. Drink up! Ya only live once!”
Those comments, that outlook, these distractions will guarantee a shattered future somewhere along the line – perhaps even as far down the line as Death’s Door. We willingly give our bodies, minds, and spirits, even our allegiance, to things that are impermanent; but we will not give an entire day once a week to the God who created us, who sustains us, and who fills us with only the finest things, “gift of finest wheat” (Ps. 81:16, John 6:35), and “treasure worth more than gold.” If you spend 1 hour at church, you have invested 0.6% of one week in paying attention to God. Beloved, that is the way to destruction!
I can remember the congregation signing a hymn in four-part harmony at Corona Presbyterian church in Denver, Colorado. Here is the refrain from that hymn, plus a link to listen to it ( now would be a good time to click on that link!)
Have Thine Own Way, Lord | Adelaide A. Pollard
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
When I think of that hymn from so long ago, I also remember something more contemporary. Here is the refrain from that hymn:
In Earthen Vessels ( This is a good link to use, too!)
We hold a treasure not made of gold
In earthen vessels wealth untold
One treasure only the Lord the Christ
In earthen vessels
Beloved, this week we have taken time to get together with families and friends, or to go to a “soup-kitchen” to feed the hungry, maybe we worked in a food-pantry for the poor, or distributed Thanksgiving Day meals to shut-ins. Maybe we extended hospitality to others and watched a couple of games (or more) on TV and rooted for our favorite teams. Some probably said heart-felt prayers of true thanksgiving for God’s generosity, kindness, and undeniable love. When we are open to be filled with these gifts – opportunities for the stewardship of service, that is when we are open to the shape God intends for us. Wherever we acknowledge his mastery over our lives, that is where we flourish best. Give God primacy in all things, and all things will be excellent. Be the clay. Everything else just cracks up and falls apart.
__________
Share-A-Prayer
• For the people in Texas, and throughout the Southwest region, gripped by terrible drought and on the brink of actually having no water at all …
• For CN, JR, TO, PB, and so many others caught up in addiction – drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and more … And for the family and friends who suffer through that with them …
• For FO, C&GW, TJC, JM, S&CC, and scores more who ask for our prayers as they fight for their very lives against cancer …
• For KP, BC, DP, KP, DC, and all the missionaries of all denominations who have gone out into all the world to share Christ – grant them security, safety, and success …
• Let us thank and praise our God for all the gifts he has given us for the enrichment of his Kingdom. We ask for the wisdom, counsel, perseverance, and determination to be good stewards who share and invest these gifts for the benefit of all people.
Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. I received no suggestions from MBN members for a series, and no leading from the Spirit to think one up, so we will continue to look at excerpts for the weekly readings in the Liturgy of the Word.
Beloved, I will be thanking the Lord for you during this advent season. Please remember to thank him for one another, and then follow up by improving the life of at least one person who doesn’t even know you.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
chick
1147AFC112511
Read it online here.
KJV 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.
LXE Isaiah 64:8 – And now, O Lord, thou art our Father, and we are clay, all of us the work of thine hands.
NAB Isaiah 64:7 –Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.
There are a couple of things that come to mind every time I read or hear this passage. The first is that while the clay is on the wheel it does not fight back. It is molded by the potter to his specifications at the moment. S/he can make it into any shape, thickness, whatever. The clay comes from the earth – just like us – and God made the earth in which the clay resides. The potter knows just how wet to clay should be to work it properly. The potter is the one who makes all the conscious decisions about what happens to the clay. Israel viewed its condition at this time in their history as God’s doing. He was reshaping them after they had refused to be molded by him and beginning to recognize that being clay in his hands was better than being broken pottery. When we realize the same thing is happening to us, we can understand how they were feeling.
The second thing that comes to mind is what happed after a pot is completed. Some of you work with clay or ceramics as a hobby or even a career. You know that shaping the pot, forming the greenware, is only the beginning. After some other steps like painting with glazes or sculpting the greenware or drying the clay, then comes the firing. Unfired clay or ceramic vessels aren’t reliable as containers until they are fired. Once the clay dries, whether it is from damp all the way to bone dry, it might still be possible under the right conditions to rework it; but once it’s fired, everything changes. It can’t go back to what it was. The drier it gets before firing the more fragile it gets, and often after it is fired it is stronger. When we realize the same thing has happened to us, we wonder how anyone would think that the clay forms the potter. And yet some earthlings believe that. Some even believe there is no potter but Harry Potter and every pot shapes itself – maybe by The Force? I’ve never understood how that is supposed to work!
Once we are shaped and formed, glazed and fired, we become vessels of clay, or as declared in this passage, “earthen vessels.”
KJV 2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
NAB 2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
The treasure Paul is writing about is Christ – the “surpassing power” of the Light that God made to shine forth from the darkness. People who did not – deliberately would not try to – see that Light were empty earthen vessels compared to the exceeding wealth carried in the earthen vessels who were Believers. Yet even these believers did not shape themselves. They were shaped and glazed and fired by God. Fragile and lowly, they carried the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, and the Savior of all humans in a tiny, fragile, brittle bit of clay. These vessels opened up to hold that treasure, and God poured it into them in excess so that it overflowed – some spilling into other vessels and some spilling out into the World. None of those overflowing vessels said, “You are making a mess, Lord. Don’t get me bent out of shape just to make me hold more. I want to be a dish, not a pitcher. Instead turn that cup into a pitcher and let me be.” There’s a Biblical reason for that. Take a look at another thing God was saying to Israel through Isaiah:
Isaiah 45:9-10 “Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘stop, you are doing it wrong!’? Why did you make me this way?’”
Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? But that was what Israel had done. God said do this, they did the opposite. God said do that, Israel did nothing. God said repent, Israel rebelled. God said ask forgiveness, Israel sinned even greater. God threatened punishment, Israel said, “Nya-nya-nya-nyaah-nyaah! So what?” And every time they did that, God promised to redeem them. Here’s the potter-and-clay image from God’s point of view:
Prophesy of the Potter in Jeremiah 18:1-6 – The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 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. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done?” declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Beloved, we are all clay in the potter’s hands, but remarkably some of us still try to call the shots and shape our own lives in our own image. As it was with Israel, so it is with us. We earthlings find it so difficult to relinquish our will to anyone – or so we think. We let our friends, or family, or peers influence us into doing things that do not honor God. “What do you mean you’re going to church instead of watching the Ostriches versus the Echidnas? What kind of a fan would miss that?” “C’mon. One little toke won’t hurt you!” “If you really loved me, we’d stop wasting time talking about it and just do it.” “Hey, just one more for the road. Drink up! Ya only live once!”
Those comments, that outlook, these distractions will guarantee a shattered future somewhere along the line – perhaps even as far down the line as Death’s Door. We willingly give our bodies, minds, and spirits, even our allegiance, to things that are impermanent; but we will not give an entire day once a week to the God who created us, who sustains us, and who fills us with only the finest things, “gift of finest wheat” (Ps. 81:16, John 6:35), and “treasure worth more than gold.” If you spend 1 hour at church, you have invested 0.6% of one week in paying attention to God. Beloved, that is the way to destruction!
I can remember the congregation signing a hymn in four-part harmony at Corona Presbyterian church in Denver, Colorado. Here is the refrain from that hymn, plus a link to listen to it ( now would be a good time to click on that link!)
Have Thine Own Way, Lord | Adelaide A. Pollard
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
When I think of that hymn from so long ago, I also remember something more contemporary. Here is the refrain from that hymn:
In Earthen Vessels ( This is a good link to use, too!)
We hold a treasure not made of gold
In earthen vessels wealth untold
One treasure only the Lord the Christ
In earthen vessels
Beloved, this week we have taken time to get together with families and friends, or to go to a “soup-kitchen” to feed the hungry, maybe we worked in a food-pantry for the poor, or distributed Thanksgiving Day meals to shut-ins. Maybe we extended hospitality to others and watched a couple of games (or more) on TV and rooted for our favorite teams. Some probably said heart-felt prayers of true thanksgiving for God’s generosity, kindness, and undeniable love. When we are open to be filled with these gifts – opportunities for the stewardship of service, that is when we are open to the shape God intends for us. Wherever we acknowledge his mastery over our lives, that is where we flourish best. Give God primacy in all things, and all things will be excellent. Be the clay. Everything else just cracks up and falls apart.
__________
Share-A-Prayer
• For the people in Texas, and throughout the Southwest region, gripped by terrible drought and on the brink of actually having no water at all …
• For CN, JR, TO, PB, and so many others caught up in addiction – drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and more … And for the family and friends who suffer through that with them …
• For FO, C&GW, TJC, JM, S&CC, and scores more who ask for our prayers as they fight for their very lives against cancer …
• For KP, BC, DP, KP, DC, and all the missionaries of all denominations who have gone out into all the world to share Christ – grant them security, safety, and success …
• Let us thank and praise our God for all the gifts he has given us for the enrichment of his Kingdom. We ask for the wisdom, counsel, perseverance, and determination to be good stewards who share and invest these gifts for the benefit of all people.
Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. I received no suggestions from MBN members for a series, and no leading from the Spirit to think one up, so we will continue to look at excerpts for the weekly readings in the Liturgy of the Word.
Beloved, I will be thanking the Lord for you during this advent season. Please remember to thank him for one another, and then follow up by improving the life of at least one person who doesn’t even know you.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved.
chick
