OVERVIEW:
God’s lesson to Jeremiah at the potter’s house (18:1–10); Jeremiah’s message to Judah based on the lessons from the potter (18:11–17); Israel’s opposition to Jeremiah (18:18–23); Jeremiah fights his calling (19:1–20:18); Jeremiah’s message of opposition to kings (21:1–22:30).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
God is most certainly the Master Illustrator! He has masterful ways of using things in His physical creation to teach us spiritual truth, just as Romans 1:20 says He does. As we move into chapter 18, God is employing this teaching technique in the ministry of Jeremiah, just as He had, in the two previous occasions, in 13:1–7 and 16:1–9. This time, God takes Jeremiah on a little “field trip” to the potter’s house to make His point. God shows Jeremiah that He (God) is as the Potter, and Israel is as the clay, and He can do with them whatever He jolly-well wants! The real point He wants Jeremiah to see, is that if Israel would repent, He would instantaneously fashion them into a beautiful and usable vessel, but if they chose to remain rebellious and obstinate, He could mar them in an instant, right in His powerful hands, and as the Potter, it would be perfectly within His right to so!
Based on what God showed Jeremiah in His object lesson in 18:1–10, He then tells him to get out there and call the nation to repentance. (18:11) Obviously, knowing and understanding God’s sovereignty (“as seemed good to the potter to make it” — 18:4) and God’s omnipotence (“as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand” — 18:6) puts a whole different “umph!” behind a preacher’s message! As is evident in 18:18, the “umph!” of the message wasn’t well received, and as it has consistently done throughout Jeremiah’s ministry, it only brought more hatred and opposition from the people to whom he ministered. As chapter 18 concludes, it becomes obvious that Jeremiah has gotten fed up with the people and calls upon God to just go ahead and give them what they deserve.
In chapter 19, God wants to use another object lesson, in making a point to the people, that was like the one He used to make His point to Jeremiah in 18:1–10. He tells Jeremiah to a take “a potter’s earthen bottle” and to go preach to Judah’s king and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He was to preach a strong message about God’s judgment that would come upon them because of their idolatry and rebellion. In effect, Jeremiah said, “You are kind of like this jar,” and then he smashed it to smithereens right in their face! (19:10–12) Jeremiah continued on, “And God is going to smash you into a million tiny pieces, just like that, and you won’t be able to glue yourself back together!”
Well, needless to say, the message didn’t go over really well with the supposed religious leaders, much less the people in general! In chapter 20, Pashur, “the chief governor in the house of the Lord”, smacks Jeremiah right in his face and slams him into the stocks in the city jail. Jeremiah tells him, “Just for that, God has changed your name from Pashur (meaning “freedom”) to Magormissabib” (meaning “terror on every side”).” Jeremiah prophesied the “terror” (20:4) that would soon come upon Pashur, and all those who believed his lies. (20:6)
But once again, the opposition of the people was wearing on Jeremiah. He registers his complaint against God for calling him to such a long, difficult, and painful ministry. He even communicates that he felt as if God had deceived him. In effect, he tells God, “You may be able to take this because You are stronger than me, but I just can’t take it anymore!” (20:7–8) He even vows that he’s never going to preach again, and never even mention the name of the Lord to anybody. (20:9) But what Jeremiah found was that God’s word was so deeply embedded in him, that it burned like a fire in his bones, and that the only way to find relief was through preaching! Would to God that His word would be that deeply embedded in us!
So, Jeremiah preached on. He had come to grips with the fact that it was the right thing to do, recognizing that just because it was right, didn’t make it easy. In fact, biblically, it might be better stated, “If it’s right it won’t be easy!” Paul, most certainly, could vouch for that! (2nd Corinthians 11:24–28)
As we move into chapters 21 and 22, in today’s reading, it becomes apparent that Jeremiah had nailed some things in his relationship with God, and the ministry to which he had been called. It is evident that he has matured as a believer and a prophet. Just as God had told Jeremiah back in 1:17–19, that he would be called to preach to and receive opposition from kings, princes, priests, and the people of the land, in this next section (chapters 21–29), Jeremiah preaches to each of these groups of people, likewise, receiving the retaliation God had prophesied from each. Each time, however, the more seasoned and mature Jeremiah hands the opposition over to God, rather than blame Him for it.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As the one who pronounces judgment upon those who refuse to obey His word — Jeremiah 19:15 (John 5:22)