The Potter and the Clay
by John J. Morey

Ancient Israel first discarded then reformed as Anglo-Saxon Israel

Read Jeremiah 18:1-10 before continuing with this article. This will give you the necessary background for this study.

Jeremiah here describes a very ordinary occurrence and gives it a direct application to the nation of Israel.

This homely parable of the Old Testament is often used by modern preachers to illustrate the great change which comes to a man when his life is taken from the control of Satan and is remoulded by the Spirit of God. Such an exposition is a departure from the statement of the parable, for it assumes the existence and workmanship of two potters, two wheels, and possibly two lumps of clay; the first in the workshop of Satan, the second in the workshop of the Holy Spirit.

If a man’s character is the clay, how is it removed from the evil potter to the good? Far be it from us to belittle the supreme importance of conversion from sin to obedience, from darkness to light, from Satan to God; but we assert, there is such an abundance of Scripture upon which the evangelical appeal may be fittingly and forcibly based that there is no need to divert from their original meaning the many passages which refer solely to the nation. By this means much confusion has been caused, making it difficult for sincere Bible readers to perceive the truth, and to assimilate the real teaching of the messages thus obscured.

In the parable there is one potter, one workshop, one lump of clay; and the passage clearly tells us that Jehovah is the potter, and the clay is the House of Israel. The parable is national, not individual; and its meaning can only be found by a study of the events resulting from God’s handling of His chosen nation, from Sinai to the present time.

When Israel was formed into a nation by Jehovah the moulding of the clay began. In the Books of Moses are recorded the many commandments, statutes and judgments by which the nation was to be brought into shape and made beautiful according to the pattern known to the Great Potter. Laws of health, diet, finance, social relationship and service, were clearly laid down; religious ordinances, forms of worship, moral standards of conduct, and detailed instruction as to their duty to God and man were most definitely given; and to enforce the great importance of all these, severe punishments, even to death, were imposed upon those who wilfully disobeyed.

Jehovah was their King, ruling over Israel through the prophets and judges, and later through the Divinely appointed kings.

For five hundred years the potter moulded the nation, and at times it appeared to be taking shape, promising success; but eventually the hard, rebellious clay twisted and turned, and the vessel was marred in the hand of the potter. Israel forsook the law of the Lord, rebelled against the restraining influence of the commandments and ordinances of worship, and drifted into the sensualities of idolatry. And then what happened? Just as the potter removed the twisted, partially-made vessel from the wheel so Jehovah ceased to mould Israel, and cast them from Him for a time.

Micah tells us that the prophetic vision was withdrawn from Israel when they went into idolatry and captivity and there is no indication in Scripture of the return of this Divine gift until at Pentecost the Holy Spirit was manifested to our Lord’s disciples.

The clay is not laid aside for long, however, for the potter, it is said, made it again another vessel, “as it seemed good to the potter to make it.” He now takes the same lump of clay and remoulds it, working upon it patiently and skilfully, and this time the clay responds to his handiwork and is made into a vessel which seemeth good to the potter. So with Israel. The same nation is reformed the same race becomes obedient and responsive; the same Kingdom is brought up to the standard which it failed to reach in its first experience.

It is plain that somewhere the Israel nation is undergoing this second phase in its history, and that the result is to be gloriously successful.

Jehovah is still the potter, and the lost sheep of the House of Israel are still the clay in His hand. He came to earth that He might soften the clay and render it more amenable to His touch. He put it back upon the wheel, and with His tender, bleeding hands shaped it and guided it, formed and reformed it, bringing His pattern and design to it, teaching it here and there in love, until it began to appear once more a vessel which seemed good to Him.

Surely at the Redemption the first great remoulding act of the potter was seen; and ever since that day the vessel has been assuming its new and proper form, and will continue so to develop till it is universally recognized to be the Kingdom of God on earth.

The first vessel was Israel, marred by idolatry and sin; the second vessel must be Israel also, brought back to its normal by the redemption of our Lord and the operation of the Holy Spirit, for it is moulded from the same lump of clay.

It is useless to “spiritualize” these beautiful parables, and-it is quite unnecessary. God’s plan has not changed, and modern theologians cannot change it, however much they may so desire.

God’s nation is precious in His sight, for He needs it as an example to the world. When Christ costs back to it as King He will complete the shaping of the vessel; He will give it the finishing touches and the decoration it requires; it will appear a holy nation, a peculiar treasure, a pearl of great price, and with it He will not only rule the world in righteousness, He will “make the place of His feet glorious,” and will “see of the travail of His soul and will be satisfied.”