By Eugene Garner

JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 18

LEARNING THE SECRETS OF DIVINE GOVERNMENT

    Chapters 18-20, like the four that precede them, are concerned with the judgment decreed against God's own people because of their sin. Midst the anguish of imminent peril, Jeremiah has envisioned the place of true sanctuary as the glorious throne of God. Here the sovereignty of God is recognized and interpreted. By the sign of the Potter's House, Jeremiah is instructed into the secret of divine government. For the benefit of the people, he is given the sign of the marred bottle, which the potter rejected and crushed. But, the clay is not discarded; it is redesigned into a vessel of lesser glory than that originally purposed.

    The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

    1. Jeremiah is commanded to go down to the house of the local potter - where God will instruct his heart through the use of visual aids, (vs. 1-2; 19:1-2; comp. 23:22).
    2. There he finds the potter at work on the wheel, (vs. 3-4).
      a. As Jeremiah watches the operation, the vessel of clay, on which the potter is working, is marred in the hands of the potter.
      b. Though, obviously, disappointed by its failure to properly respond to his hands, the potter does not abandon the clay; instead, he fashions it into another KIND of vessel - one for which his skillful hand knows it to be best suited.

    5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. 11 Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. 12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

    1. A balanced view of this lesson requires the recognition of three basic things:
      a. THE PRINCIPLE INVOLVED: that of Divine Sovereignty the absolute RIGHT of God to do what He will with his human clay.
      b. THE DEFINITE PURPOSE in the mind of the Divine Potter - the intent and design which lies behind the divine action.
      c. THE PERSON OF THE DIVINE POTTER: This can never be grasped apart from an experiential knowledge of the Son of Man Who is: loving, compassionate, tender, patient, merciful and kind.
    2. Does not God have a SOVEREIGN RIGHT to do with Israel as the potter has done with his clay? (vs. 5-6; Isa. 45:9; Rom. 9:20-21).
      a. As the clay in the hands of the potter, so is Israel in the hands of her God.
      b. And this is equally true of ALL MEN, and ALL NATIONS; God has a RIGHT to do with us as He sees fit!
    3. Men must be very careful (especially theologians) not to lay down carnal rules to govern the exercise of DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY! (vs. 7-10).
      a. God is not arbitrary in the exercise of His sovereignty; His action toward men is ALWAYS in accord with men's behavior TOWARD HIM!
      b. Though He declares His intention to pluck up, break down and destroy a nation because of its sins, He will SUSPEND and TURN FROM the purposed judgment if the threat of His outstretched hand causes the people to turn from their sin! (vs. 7-8; 7:3-7; 12:16-17; comp. Ezek. 18:21-23; Hos. 11:8-9; Joel 2:12-14).
      c. And, though God declares His INTENTION "to build and to plant" (either a kingdom or nation), He will TURN FROM His purposed course if, in rebellion and disobedience, their hearts are turned away from Him! (vs. 9-10; 31:27-30; comp. 1 Sam. 2:30; 13:13-14; Ezek. 18:24; Heb. 10:30-31).
      d. While such mercy and flexibility may tend to drive dogmatic theologians mad, it is not at all out of harmony with the divine character of Him Who is ABSOLUTE holiness, faithfulness and truth!
    4. Having revealed to His servant this PRINCIPLE OF DIVINE ACTION, God sends Jeremiah to announce impending judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem unless they repent and turn from their evil way, (vs. 11; 11:11; 2 Kings 17:13-18; Isa. 1:16-19).
    5. In essence, they tell the prophet that he might as well SAVE HIS BREATH! They will stubbornly follow the devices of their own evil hearts! (vs. 12; 2:25; Isa. 57:10; Jer. 7:24; 16:12; Deut. 29:19-21).

    13 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing. 14 Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? 15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; 16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. 17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

    1. Jeremiah often protests the UNNATURALNESS of Judah's attitude toward the Lord, (2:11, 32; 5:22-23; 8:7).
    2. The horrible things that have become the habitual practice of "the virgin of Israel" is UNPRECEDENTED AMONG THE NATIONS! (vs. 13; comp. 5:30; 23:14; Hosea 6:10).
    3. While the course of nature moves, from age to age, according to unchanging principles, the actions of this people have become both inconsistent and IRRATIONAL! (vs. 14).
    4. In their transgression, they have utterly forsaken the ancient path and the covenant wherein they once enjoyed the fellowship of Jehovah their God - forgetting the true and living God, that they may burn incense before stocks and stones! (vs. 15a; 2:32; 3:21: 6:16; 44:16-17).
    5. What may they, then, expect, but that the curses of a broken covenant shall fall upon them? (vs. 15b-17; Isa 65:6-7).
      a. Having stumbled, they no longer follow the highway of holiness, but rush headlong down the path that leads to destruction, (vs. 15a).
      b. The covenant LAND also suffers, in consequence of Judah's sin; such is her desolation that those who pass through shake their heads, in astonishment, at the stupidity of a people who would forfeit so much to lavish their affections upon that which is NO-GOD! (vs. 16; 25:9; comp. 50:13; contrast: Isaiah 37:21-22).
      c. The Sirocco (a hot, dry, scorching, suffocating and destructive east wind) symbolizes the nature of their scattering before the enemy, (vs. 17; 13:24-25; 2:27; 32:23; comp. Prov. 1:24-31).

    8 Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. 20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. 21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. 22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. 23 Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.

    1. Weary of having their sins so persistently exposed, the rebels of Judah determine on such a conspiracy as will silence the voice of this faithful prophet, (vs. 18, 11; 11:19).
      a. They can conceive of no possible circumstance in which the nation would be left without guidance; they had capable leaders, without having to listen to such a disturbing voice as that of this FANATICAL PROPHET! (vs. 18b; comp. 2:8; 8:8-9; 5:12-13; Mal. 2:7).
      b. Thus, they agreed to LAY THEIR TONGUES AGAINST THIS MAN - evidently bringing some serious political accusation (perhaps a charge of outright treason) against him, (20:10; Psa. 52:2-5).
      c. They even schemed to find some way whereby they might SLAY him. (vs. 23a).
      d. Whatever else might develop, they would NOT HEED his words! (comp. 43:1-3).
    2. No wonder Jeremiah is so concerned that the Lord hear what they are plotting against him! (vs. 19).
      a. His faithful warnings have been recompensed with evil; they have dug a pit for his very life! (vs. 20, 22; comp. Psa. 35:7; 57:5-6).
      b. He has often stood before the Lord to plead their defence - to turn away the Lord's anger from them, (comp. Psa. 106:23).
    3. At last he sees the absolute necessity of divine judgment. (11:21-23; 14:16-17; comp. Psa. 109:9-20).
    4. More important than a call for personal vindication, Jeremiah's concern is for the maintenance of the divine cause, as set forth in the principles to which the nation had pledged itself at Mt. Sinai.
    5. Thus, he not only ASSENTS TO DIVINE JUDGMENT, but URGES the manifestation of righteous indignation against the adversaries of Jehovah, his God! (comp. Psa. 137:9).
    6. And we need to understand that indignation and anger with sin is NOT INCONSISTENT with the Christian responsibility TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES! (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:20; Eph. 4:16); to ignore sin is the first step toward accepting it!
    May the Lord grant to His people hearts that desire to FLEE from the very APPEARANCE OF EVIL - while finding their greatest joy in yielding themselves fully to the rightful sovereignty of God over every area of their lives!