Shaped Like Clay

Jeremiah 18:1-11, Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

These both can be difficult passages. The Jeremiah account talks about God changing God’s mind on whether the Lord who has shaped them for a good purpose will change God’s mind to destroy them if they continue to do evil. Then we have the Psalm 139 passage used controversially to decry abortion.

The potter and the clay metaphor we have been brought up with tends to tell how God shapes our lives and if we combine this with Psalm 139, God has shaped us from the womb. The Psalmist says, “It was you who formed my inner parts and in your book are written all the days.” From this view one can feel that God has shaped them from the womb for a purpose. I’ve always struggled with the “wonderfully made” since I wish the Lord would have made me better looking.

Now Jeremiah hears the voice of the Lord who has taken him to the potter’s house. God talks about shaping nations and breaking down, destroying them if they are evil. Yet God will change God’s mind if they turn back to God. This metaphor is directed to Israel whom God is shaping disaster against but if they turn from their evil ways and amend their ways God will change God’s mind and keep them the purposeful pot the Lord created them to be.

What do we do with this idea of God changing God’s mind based on human action and response- human’s repenting? John Wesley viewed this as God acting as a just judge rendering to every man according to his works. We saw this in Ninevah where the people repented and God spared them much to Jonah’s chagrin.  I believe that this is where free will comes in. The countries God speaks of in Jeremiah described as lumps of clay are responsible for their own destiny.

In reviewing Psalm 139, the Psalmist marvels at his own existence and how the Lord brought it to be. It is a celebration of God’s knowledge which is too much for us to fathom. Too much for us to wonder how a sovereign God can change God’s mind. Now are the days written for me like a beautiful pot with a purpose? Could one alter this destiny and have it destroyed by refusing God? Can my pot be broken when I go astray? But thanks be to God who can take the broken pieces of our lives and put them back together to accomplish God’s purpose for us. Amen.

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