Jeremiah 18:1-12 (NLTse)
1 The L ord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
A potter is a craftsman who shapes pottery on a potter’s wheel. He then bakes it. Pottery is a ceramic ware made from clay. So, a potter takes clay, shapes it in a shape of his choice and bakes it. He uses a potter’s wheel to shape the clay. God told Jeremiah to go to the potter’s shop and there God will gve him a message. On arrival, Jeremiah found the potter busy working on his will. Jeremiah noticed that the object that the potter was attempting to create was spoiled or did not turn out as the potter expected. The potter on realizing that, he crushed the clay into a lump and started over again.
5 Then the L ord gave me this message:6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.
Then God gave Jeremiah a message for Israel and said, just like this potter, does God, who is also our creator, does he not have the right to do to us what the potter did to the clay that did not shape out as he wanted. Does God not have the right to destroy that part of his creation that did not turnout as he hoped it would. After all, we as the people are God’s creation and we were created for a purpose. God had a purpose for creating you and me and if we don’t turn out as he hoped, does he not have the right to destroy us just like the potter did with the clay. Of course, God as the creator, has that right. The question you should ask yourself right now is, have you turned out to be what God expected you to be when he was creating you? Are you in the shape that God was intending to produce when he created you? If not, does he not have the right to destroy you?
7 If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8 but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9 And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.
God then told Israel through Jeremiah and said, if I announce that a certain nation or kingdom must be destroyed but, then they repent from their evil ways, God will not destroy them as he planned. If God announces that he will bless a nation and the nation turn to evil ways, God will not bless them. So, if God had planned to destroy you and you repent, you will be saved from destruction but, if God had planned to bless you and you turn to evil ways, God will not bless you. So, the question you should ask yourself is, the way I am currently living my life, have I given God a reason to destroy me or to bless me?
11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the L ord says:I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right. ’”
Based on the fact that God is the creator and God has the right to do with his creation as he wishes. Just the like the potter with his clay, God is not pleased with how Israel turned out and has therefore made plans to destroy and bring them disaster, not good. So, God is urging them to turn form their evil ways and start to do what is right. Likewise, God is planning disaster in your life and not good, since you have turned to evil ways and are not doing what is right in his eyes. Right now if you are a sinner who has not turned away from his evil ways, only disaster and destruction awaits you. God is urging you right now, to turn form your evil ways and do what is right because if you don’t, plans are already in place to bring disaster and destruction in your life.
12 But the people replied, “Don’t waste your breath. We will continue to live as we want to, stubbornly following our own evil desires.”
When Jeremiah told Israel, the message from God, Israel replied and said “God, don’t waste your breath” with these plans you are doing. Don’t waste your breath with these threats of yours. We could not care what plans you have. We could not care what you want to do. We will continue to do what we want and we will stubbornly follow our own desires.
If you are reading this message right now and you are a sinner who has not repented from your evil ways, is this also your answer to God? Are you also telling God that you don’t care what he has planned for you, you don’t care what threats he brings on you, you don’t care whether he destroys you or not, you will continue to live as you want and you will stubbornly follow your own desires. Is this your answer as well? Are you telling God not to waste his breath with his plans since you will live as you want and you will stubbornly follow your own desires?
If this is not your answer then you need to turn from your evil ways. You need to change your life. You need to accept Jesus in your life. Failure to accept Jesus in your life is equivalent to giving the same answer that Israel gave God. If you don’t repent and accept Jesus in your life right now, you are telling God not to waste his breath on you since you will live as you want and you will stubbornly follow your own desires.