18:1 The Lord said to Jeremiah:
This next object lesson was not Jeremiah’s creation. The object lesson came from the mind of God.
18:2 “Go down at once to the potter’s house. I will speak to you further there.”
The “potter’s house” was an ancient business where a potter would make pottery out of clay. Clay pottery were very important in the ancient world, because there were no glass or plastic containers. Food, water, and other substances could be stored in these clay pots.
18:3 So I went down to the potter’s house and found him working at his wheel.
The potter’s tool was two circular stones connected by a vertical shaft. The lower wheel was turned by the feet, causing the upper wheel to rotate in a circular motion.
18:4 Now and then there would be something wrong with the pot he was molding from the clay with his hands. So he would rework the clay into another kind of pot as he saw fit.
Sometimes the clay was too brittle. If so, then the clay pot would have to be shattered. Israel was brittle clay and she needed to be shattered. The potter needed to start over with Israel and began with a new lump of softer clay.
18:5 Then the Lord said to me,
This was not Jeremiah’s personal opinion. He wrote down exactly what Jehovah said to him.
18:6 “I, the Lord, say: ‘O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter’s hand.’
The potter can destroy any pot that is hard and brittle. If Israel is hard and brittle, then Jehovah can shatter the pot and start over.
18:7 There are times, Jeremiah, when I threaten to uproot, tear down, and destroy a nation or kingdom.
Sometimes, a potter must destroy a hard and brittle pot. Sometimes, God must threaten , uproot, tear down, and/or destroy a hard and brittle nation or kingdom.
18:8 But if that nation I threatened stops doing wrong, I will cancel the destruction I intended to do to it.
If a nation changes its attitude toward God, then God will treat the nation differently.
18:9 And there are times when I promise to build up and establish a nation or kingdom.
Sometimes, a potter may want to make a different kind of pot for a different purpose. Sometimes, God may want to build up a kingdom for a different purpose.
18:10 But if that nation does what displeases me and does not obey me, then I will cancel the good I promised to do to it.
Sometimes, a pot may be marred, so the potter remakes or destroys the marred pot. Sometimes, a nation may be marred, so God may cancel the good that He desired to do for that nation. The rebellion of that nation is all part of God’s sovereign plan to accomplish the divine purpose of God.
For example, Jonah rebelled against God, took off on a ship to Tarshish (which was the opposite direction of Nineveh), but his rebellion caused a whole shipload of Gentiles to be saved. God knew that Jonah would use his free will to rebel, but God used this rebellion for good.
18:11 So now, tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem this: The Lord says, ‘I am preparing to bring disaster on you! I am making plans to punish you. So, every one of you, stop the evil things you have been doing. Correct the way you have been living and do what is right.’
This is a conditional decree. God has planned disaster upon Judah. However, if they repent, then God will delay or abandon the judgment. Nineveh was given a conditional decree which resulted in their repentance. Judah is more stubborn than Nineveh.
18:12 But they just keep saying, ‘We do not care what you say! We will do whatever we want to do! We will continue to behave wickedly and stubbornly!’ ”
Judah was not interested in God’s decree. When a man is totally depraved and evil, he can think and do only evil.
18:13 Therefore, the Lord says, “Ask the people of other nations whether
they have heard of anything like this. Israel should have been like a virgin. But she has done something utterly revolting!
Out of all of the nations of the world, the virgin Israel was chosen by God to become His wife. Israel responded by becoming a spiritual adulteress.
18:14 Does the snow ever completely vanish from the rocky slopes of Lebanon? Do the cool waters from those distant mountains ever cease to flow?
The snow on Mount Lebanon never completely vanished. The cool waters continually ceased from the distant mountains. Both of these examples from nature were consistent, in that they continually followed their God-given purpose. Israel was never consistent in following her God-given purpose. She was too fickle and unresponsive.
18:15 Yet my people have forgotten me and offered sacrifices to worthless idols! This makes them stumble along in the way they live and leave the old reliable path of their fathers. They have left them to walk in bypaths, in roads that are not smooth and level.
Israel has forgotten Jehovah. She has offered sacrifices to demonic idols. These idols caused Israel to stumble and fall down. There is a straight and clear path which leads to God, but Israel chose the rocky and crooked path which leads to demonism. They were not following the reliable paths that their fathers established for them.
18:16 So their land will become an object of horror. People will forever hiss out their scorn over it. All who pass that way will be filled with horror and will shake their heads in derision.
Israel was once lush with vegetation. After the Babylonian Captivity, she became a barren desert land. The land of Israel is still this way today. People will look at this land and be reminded that the sin of Israel caused this land to dry up and become unproductive.
18:17 I will scatter them before their enemies like dust blowing in front of a burning east wind. I will turn my back on them and not look favorably on them when disaster strikes them.”
The judgment of God scattered the Jews all over the world. Jews can be found on every continent in the world. This worldwide dispersion is evidence that God exists and He has judged Israel.
18:18 Then some people said, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
Jeremiah did not tickle the ears of his congregation. They wanted to bring up false charges against him and fire him. Many modern preachers preach to the highest bidder, but God’s prophets are not for sale.
18:19 Then I said, “Lord, pay attention to me. Listen to what my enemies are saying.
In chapter one, Jehovah had promised to protect Jeremiah from his enemies. If a man teaches the Word of God, then Satan will bring up others to accuse him of false charges.
18:20 Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they are virtually digging a pit to kill me. Just remember how I stood before you pleading on their behalf to keep you from venting your anger on them.
Jeremiah’s message was so painful to Judah, that she wanted to bury him in a pit. This is how much animosity one receives when one faithfully teaches the written Word of God. Many modern preachers will tickle the ears of their congregation, because they do not want to be buried in the pit. They would rather make everyone happy and receive a nice, big, fat raise.
18:21 So let their children die of starvation. Let them be cut down by the sword. Let their wives lose their husbands and children. Let the older men die of disease and the younger men die by the sword in battle.
Jeremiah has changed his attitude about the people. At first, he cried when he was told of their coming judgment. Now, he asked God to punish the people.
The people rejected God and worshiped demons, so they would receive the curses of the Abrahamic Covenant. They would starve to death at the Jerusalem siege. Mothers would eat their own babies. They would be killed by the sword. Wives would lose their husbands and children in battle. The older men would die of disease. The younger men would die by the sword.
18:22 Let cries of terror be heard in their houses when you send bands of raiders unexpectedly to plunder them. For they have virtually dug a pit to capture me and have hidden traps for me to step into.
The bands of raiders are the Babylonian soldiers. When the soldiers arrive, there will be cries of terror from the Jerusalem homes. Jeremiah is saying that Jerusalem deserves these kinds of punishments, because they were attempting to murder a prophet of God.
18:23 But you, Lord, know all their plots to kill me. Do not pardon their crimes! Do not ignore their sins as though you had erased them! Let them be brought down in defeat before you! Deal with them while you are still angry!
Jehovah is omniscient, so He knows about all of the plots to kill Jeremiah. Jeremiah asked God to not pardon their crimes. He asked God not to ignore or erase their sins. Jeremiah asked God to bring down the ones who were attempting to murder him. Jeremiah wanted God to deal with his enemies while God was still angry at them.