18 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, 2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.” 3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the [a]wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7 At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will [b]relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. 9 Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will [c]think better of the good with which I had promised to [d]bless it. 11 So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and [e]reform your ways and your deeds.”’ 12 But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’
Watching a potter work is a fascinating thing, as their hands glide over the clay. They vary the pressure as they shape the vessel, but as time goes on, every movement must be carefully made. In an instant, the pot can be “spoiled”, but as in this passage, the potter can remake it into something new. That’s a pretty dramatic thing for the vessel, much like what God was about to do with Israel.
There are also times when the shaping process takes an unexpected turn, but it can still be salvaged without breaking down the vessel. The result is different than originally intended, yet while the clay is pliable, the potter can work that into the final product and still produce something useful and/or beautiful.
Unfortunately, as we reach v. 12, we see that the “clay” was no longer pliable and the Potter would break down the vessel and begin anew. And in that statement, we see this strange irony. God gives this beautiful message of hope to Jeremiah, if the people will only turn from evil and reform their ways. Yet the answer is already known, and they will say “It’s hopeless!”
Well, that’s a strange thing to say to a God who can do anything… Why was it hopeless? Not for any lack of ability on God’s part, but because they were going to follow their own plans. No matter how it would turn out, they were determined to see their folly run its proper course. And so indeed, in that course of action, there was no chance for redemption–on their part.
For us also then, no situation is hopeless, that God cannot redeem it–if we are willing to do things His way. It may be quite uncomfortable, much like the potter mashing the partially formed vessel back into a lump of clay. But God is never impotent with a willing vessel, in that life, hope abounds when repentance is found.
The book series I’ve been reading featured a woman who had given up all hope and thought embracing evil was her only escape. In the end, she found otherwise, and her dying breath brought life to those around her as the accepted forgiveness.
In truth, there is always hope, but we must accept it and be willing to change our course. If we cling doggedly to our own way, God will not force anything upon us. Oh, He will still chase us, but we need to turn to God and forsake the way of our flesh. When we embrace God’s plan for our lives, and recognize that He wants what is good for us, we will find hope was never in short supply.
Like the prodigal son that Jesus spoke of in Luke 15, hope was in the hands of our Father all along, waiting for us to return. Instead of hired hands, God wants to make us His children, His very family. God wants to make you into something beautiful, let Him work in your life as you walk in His steps.