The prophet sees a vessel marred in the hand of the potter. Yet, as he gazes, it is made again, "another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make." Now, in this pictured incident, we see that all throughout the vessel is in the hand of the potter. He is the determining and deciding factor. So is God, as witness His word to Jeremiah. "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel." What sovereignty breathes in these words! As the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand. God is sovereign. Therefore of Israel He could say: "This people have I formed for Myself. They shall shew forth My praise" (Isa 43:21). And again in the same chapter: "I have created him for My glory. I have formed him. Yea, I have made him." Truly, the hand of the Potter is here. I have created, formed, made. And, for My glory. Marred? Yes, but still in the hand of the Potter, to be eventually for His glory. And, marvelous to relate, that very marring is the occasion for a new and wonderful fashion, the formation of an instrument that is also to be for His glory. Here we are immediately concerned. As participants of the grace glorious we are His achievement. We are in His hand. He is making us. And all the while there is the closeness of Maker and made. And how blessed the consciousness of the Molder's far-seeing wisdom, which again and again amazes the mind! How blessed, also, the waiting, and sometimes the withholding, of His touch! It is then we perceive the marvels of His ordaining, the wisdom of His disposing, and that in His fashioning all is together-acting-into-good for those who love Him.
God would build for us a character far exceeding our earthbound comprehension. He would wean us from the things which too easily engross our attention, lifting us to a closer attachment to Himself. Yet always, even hourly, we are in His hand. Of that we may be sure. But are we conscious of the great affinity--the closeness of Maker and made? A tower of strength lies in the thought, an utter rare content.
But are we as the clay, plastic, yielding, impressionable? We may be, in a wrong way. There are world forces so making appeal to our leisure moments that time is only too easily spent in studying their chronicled triumphs. Indeed, civilization is intoxicated by their glamour. We are perilously placed in this our age, in a civilization that crowds God out of its thought and program. Its god has lures at every turn of life's road, lures to which the soul so easily responds. And too readily are we pliant here. But what of the Potter's touch, of the Master's molding? That is for the spirit, for the prayer life, and for the Scripture study, that therein we may be truly pliant, impressionable to a fine degree.
How great a thing it is to realize ourselves as in His Hand! What equipoise and calm! For then, should wayward circumstance, or mood's despair come near, it is to find us still within that hand. As our "faithful Creator" His word is confirmed to our hearts in all its fine gradations: "I have made, and I will bear. Even I will carry, and will deliver you." As in creation He is our Potter, so in redemption. He makes and He remakes. And even as He took pleasure in His ancient people, a pleasure He will show yet again, so in those of a later day, whom He designates beforehand, He calls and justifies, and glorifies. From out of the intrusive chaos, "Elohim is seeing all that He makes--it is very good." He takes pleasure in His own work. And its far-reaching issues are to constitute the delight of God's will. Far down the course of time there were those who should be His achievement in a wondrous, unique sense. His "poˆma." And its excellency will be celestially apparent above all earthly showing. The highest intelligences will, through these media, be satisfyingly instructed in the wealth of God's grace, as shown in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For such display are we set. But what of our present sense of its dignity? The spirit may rise in exultation at the thought of such glory. But are there not hands, feet, and lips, for action even now? And the spirit of God has something to do with these members of the body. Hands may not have the cunning of a Bezaleel, but they can be gentle, ministering hands. Our feet, too, may be treading the obscure ruts, yet willing feet for His revealed requests. And our lips. Someone once prayed: "Lord, take my lips, and speak through them. Take my mind and think through it. Take my heart and set it on fire." If only thus we live and pray, what channels we could be! Vessels of honor, for and in the Potter's hand. Made, not only by Him, but for Him.
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