Learning About Clay Pots

Yet LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we all are the work of your hands.

Isaiah 64:8 CSB

            On a recent camping trip I realized I had forgotten to put our plastic containers in the trailer. You know the ones, cheap throw aways. The ones you toss when they get discolored and are easy to stack. I had to resort to paper bowls with plastic covering which didn’t keep things as preserved as the containers with the tight lids. These common, important household items are in every kitchen. We use them to carry our lunches, deposit our leftovers, and to send home with our college kids, and we don’t expect them to be returned.

            In ancient days, the clay pot was the equivalent product. As above, they were inexpensive to make, easy to replace, and kept food cool and relatively fresh. Archaeologists have found shards of these pots to be very valuable sources of historical information. (All you could find in my plastic container might be the remnants of spaghetti sauce that tends to stain the sides.)

            These ancient kitchen items were easily broken and often left in heaps outside the village. They were discarded with the waste. Something we also do with our synthetic containers. Yet, in the Bible the clay pot, or jar, was a very important item and God uses the metaphor of them to help us understand our relationship with Him.

            Have you ever thought of yourself as clay in the Potter’s hands. Have you ever taken time to think about what this really means? Clay pots may have been cheap and easily replaceable but God has created us as a vessel which cannot be duplicated. And in doing this, He has established a covenant with us which cannot be compared with any other. In Isaiah 64:8 we are shown the Lord our Father having complete authority over His desired people. The people have been molded into a perfect receptacle whom He desired a relationship with. That’s what covenant means, “relationship” only bigger and better. A covenant includes promises that bind us together. The relationship enables us to see that God is our Father. The covenant with God is His promises to be forever involved in our lives.

When Isaiah wrote this scripture, he was referring to God’s promises of commitment to the Israelites. In the Old Testament when God made a covenant with Israel, He wasn't simply saying, “Hey, Dude, I want to get to know you”. He was letting them know they were His people and He was their God. This covenant established a relationship with promises and responsibilities. It stands true today as He promises us the same thing. We also have the promise of God providing and caring for us, knowing us intimately, and promising everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Yet, we have the responsibility to believe and have faith.

Using the imagery of the clay and the Potter, we can see God’s creativity and sovereignty. It shows how God is in charge of shaping our will to His and how we are dependent on Him for the outcomes in our lives. When we envision God molding us and shaping us, we can see the humility required as we recognize we are not self-made but formed by our heavenly Father. This picture in our mind of the bowl being shaped, which is our life, is God continually sculpting us to reflect His character.   

Each one of us is purposefully made by God and when we acknowledge we are the work of His hands, we must respond in submission and trust in His great plan for us. The understanding of this should inspire us to live in a way that honors our Creator and appreciate our value and purpose as part of God’s great plan.

Knowing that clay pots were very disposable and often found in trash heaps it leads me to wonder how the metaphor of God’s people being like clay pots can end up in a pile in the back yard. Can the God of all creation allow His greatest works to be broken into pieces and discarded so easily. Looking at the world today, it seems like the answer could easily be, “Yes!”. Our God doesn’t work that way, though. What happens is we end up like Jonah thrashing about in the sea because we turn away from the One who created us (Jonah 1:4). We throw ourselves into the trash heap. We stand on the edge of the cliff and jump into the pit where the seagulls are circling and the maggots are growing. We toss ourselves into circumstances where the enemy enters and we push God out. Our Father isn’t the one who flings us into the garbage mound. No, He looks upon the creation of His hands and is saddened by the mess we have gotten into. He looks at His creation with longing for us to return to the salvation only He provides.

God is always close and available to continue using His hand to shape us on our spiritual journey. It is our job to keep our pieces together by drawing close to Him and the glue He provides. This might look like daily Bible study. It could mean being in continual prayer as your day evolves so that you are not tempted to break apart, slowly, piece-by-piece. It could mean finding a good friend you can reach out to when you are tempted by the enemy and need encouragement. Each of these situations will keep us close to the God who is already near, never leaving, yet waiting for us to call on Him.

T he next verse in Isaiah is, “Lord, do not be terribly angry or remember our iniquity forever. Please look at all of us are your people!” (Isaiah 64:9 CSB). In this prayer he is basically saying, “because you are our Father, do not leave us in our sin”. He won’t! Hallelujah and Amen! When we call out to the amazing Creator we have, He will return with an, “I love you!”. He will return with forgiveness and unfailing love. He will not leave us or forsake us (1 Chronicles 28:20). He will not dispose of us, in pieces, to the junk mound. He will stand before us with open arms, the hands that created us, outstretched, and offer us peace in His presence.

It is time to stand upright in His presence, put on the lid that fits perfectly, and walk in Gods love as He has created us to.

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, the One who created me, forgive me for taking the creation You made so perfectly and smashing it to pieces. Lord, put me back together as You have envisioned. Remake me into a new person who can stand in one piece and face the difficulties of life; holding on to You as the glue.

Today’s Task

What do the pieces in your life look like? Are they put together right now, or broken? What ways might you turn to God to help you become whole again?