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“THE POTTER’S HOUSE” part 4. MAY 2018.

            It is rewarding for us to examine the life of Moses, as it pertains to the concepts surrounding what happens down at the Potter’s house. Just about all of the Old Testament events are meant to be way-marks—guide-lines—and examples for us to follow. Some examples that are for good, those we should follow. Other examples that are showcase evil, disobedience, rebellion and such the like, those we do not follow. The fact that surrounds us is that life is like a master classroom from which we never graduate. Knowledge and growth have no boundaries for each lesson propels us forward unto the next lesson.

           We must recognize how blessed we are to have secular and religious history from which to learn.  Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians indicated that the ills and misfortunes of the Israelites are lessons for us to learn so that we will not fall into the same snares and destruction that they fell into. 1^st Corinthians 10: 11. We have already, in previous chapters alluded to the fact that the potter’s house is much like a factory where raw materials are broken, molded and shaped into vessels of the potter’s choosing. So, standing afar off, but within clear view of the potter’s house, it would appear as if we are looking on an active working factory that is in full production mode.

           When we put all the integral pieces together in the case of the baby Moses, his entrance into the potter’s house came early. Even at his birth, the command was already issued by the king to the midwives that every boy child should be killed, and a girl should be allowed to live. For Moses, even at his birth, he was already walking through the doors into the potter’s house, where he would be burned and shape into a majestic vessel in the hand of the Lord. I think we would be missing the point and remain ignorant of the process that began for the baby Moses, even as he was taken from the river and brought home to the palace by a daughter princess.

          Stephen gave a classic account of ancient times that impacted the life of Moses. He wrote: “In which time was Moses born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months. And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds.” Acts 7: 20—22.

           In today’s world of intrigue, we speak of infiltrating the gang, or getting a man on the inside as a potential spy. Actually, Israel had a network of spies that was without match. So, from the “get go” God had his man, not only in Egypt itself, but inside the very home of the king. The most important things to know in securing victory over the enemy, is to know their plans: such as, the strength of their troops, the might of their army; the type and efficiency of their war machines. Remember that when Israel came to Kadesh-Barnea, Moses sent 12 men as spies to get a good lay of the land.

           Although Moses grew in statue and prominence in Egypt as the very son of the Pharaoh, we should not think that it was a simple cake walk for him. The ways of the Egyptians at this point in time was all that he knew; so, there was nothing to contrast it with. The only contact and knowledge he had of the Israelites was that they worked and died in the mud-pits. But we can assume that within his heart—within his spirit was another reality that he could not explain or identify that seemed to impact his life in an “on and off” set of circumstances. He spent forty years learning and perfecting the ways, craft and wisdom of Egypt. What happened down at the potter’s house?

           “And the vessel that he made was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” Jeremiah 18: 4. As a sort of bonus, allow me to say that broken lives—broken dreams should not mark the end of what we are destined to be. We must believe that whatsoever the circumstances are that have brought you to the end of your wits, or to your wits end, we have a faithful Potter who will design and create of you ANOTHER VESSEL that he deemed good to make it. Peter asked this question: “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? HERE ARE SOME GOOD NEWS! Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as UNTO A FAITHFUL CREATOR.” 1^st Peter 4: 18, 19.

           We can assume that Moses became a marred vessel when he killed an Egyptian and had to flee to the desert. (None of these events were accidents in the grand scheme of things.) Having been banished to a wasteland, the Potter began the second phase of breaking, emptying, scrubbing away all that this man accumulated in Egypt. He had learned every aspect of Egyptian life: its culture, its science, its secrets and the inner workings that made him great. Now, as he began the second phase of his remolding, Moses was stripped of his pride and laid bare upon the hot desert sands. In forty years of banishment, he even lost his speaking ability. Let us remind ourselves that this Moses, a prince in Egypt set a high bar.

            It is written that Moses “was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was MIGHTY IN WORDS AND IN DEEDS.” Acts 7: 22. However, when we fast-forward to his encounter with God at the burning bush, he was singled out to be the redeemer of his fellow Hebrews still in Egyptian bondage. Upon hearing the mission spelled out for him, he quickly sought for excuses, and in one instance I would say that he did not lie. Here is Moses’ response to God! “And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” We are looking at two possibilities in this scenario. Either Moses was offering a grand excuse, or he was telling the truth, that by this time, after about forty years away from Egypt and being emptied of everything Egyptian, he lost just about all of the abilities he acquired in the palace of the Pharaoh.

           Be that as it may, God did not buy into his lame excuse and replied: “Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord. Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” Exodus 4: 10-12. I have said many times in sermons that God would never send you to build a shopping center with a ruler, a square and a spirit-level. In other words, whatever God calls you to do, he will equip you with the tools that you require to get the job done. I like how it was portrayed in the movie “The Ten Commandments.” There on the backside of the desert, the mighty man Moses, as it were, was turned upside down—shaken and emptied of all that he learned and earned in Egypt. It is amazing that many times in our lives, we did all we could to succeed and to make ourselves secure. Then, later in life as we come to know Christ as Savior, he says for us to lay aside all that we acquired, take up our cross and follow him. In the forty years of unraveling the man Moses, he came to lose the magical charms of Egypt, and although he was a man mighty in words and in deeds, God made sure that he was emptied of all. God has his own language (creative words) for us to speak.

           This reminds me of the mighty man called Saul, who became the apostle Paul. He became a mighty man in the Jews religion and excelled above his equals; but the time came in his life and the impact the resurrected Christ had upon his life from their encounter on the Damascus road that he wrote saying: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may WIN CHRIST.” Philippians 3: 8, 9.  Winning Christ goes beyond our weekly Sunday morning visit to Church for the usual sing and dance in what we call “Divine Worship.” Invite to speak at a Dutch Reform Church in upstate New York, I was amazed that throughout the entire service, no one uttered a single word. We simply followed the program sheet given to us by the ushers. Somehow, I felt like being in the military.

            In the case of the man Moses, look at the result of his time down at the potter’s house, going through the fire where he was burned, broken and reshaped into a unique person. The record in scripture said: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” Numbers 12: 3. This tells us that one need not be a bully, a hard taskmaster, and one who is preoccupied with one’s self. This meek man Moses did his job, remained faithful to his calling in the midst of overwhelming opposition. What did Jesus say about being meek?

           In the beatitudes (the attitude that we should be like) Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5: 5. Long before Christ was born, the Psalmist David wrote: “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalm 37: 10, 11. Jesus Christ was a man against whom all men is to be measured. Among sonship groups we often speak of him being the “pattern Son” setting the bar for all of creation to be fashioned. He said himself in another place: “Take my yoke upon you, (as seen in the mule or horse pulling a cart or buggy) and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29, 30. How can Jesus say his burden is light? Because we are told to cast all our cares upon him for he cares for us.

           There is a song we generally sing when souls gather around the altar seeking answer to prayers and relief from whatever ails them. We sing: “Leave it there, leave it there. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, he will truly bring you out; take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” I usually remark that many people take their burden to the Lord and instead of leaving it there, as they walk away from the altar they take it up again. We are offered a sure path to excellence and virtue in Christ: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you.” 1^st Peter 5:6, 7.

           Sometimes in illustrating God’s process by which he molds us and fashion us after the likeness of his Son, I use the metaphor of baking a cake from scratch. After all the required ingredients are put in a bowl and blended together with the acquired taste, the finished product is poured into baking vessel and placed in a pre-heated oven. We set the timer and leave the kitchen to relax or do some other chores around the house. We do not reenter the kitchen until the buzzer sounds.  Let us simplify this scenario! If the cake being baked in the oven had any way to complain or even rebel, one would have to deal with all the complaints from the cake in the oven. But us, like a cake being baked into perfection at the potter’s house, should learn or know that we cannot sabotage or hinder the purifying process. Here is another of my popular statements in sermons from the pulpit.  

God’s fire is meant to burn away the chaff that enfolds us as a protective shield that protects and nourishes the golden grains that will one day come into full view to be admired and cherished by all. That is when the golden matured grain become “meat for the master’s use.” On a personal basis, not only were we chosen in him before the foundation of the world, or before the ages were put in place: the process or processes that are required to bring us from being new born babes in Christ to fully grown men and women were also put in place. I like the following passage of scripture because of its message and value to the man (and woman) of God. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (why doctrine? (Tell me what a man believes, and I will tell you what he is capable of doing) for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.: 2^nd Timothy 3: 16, 17. 

          What I admire most about our salvation in Christ Jesus, is that he doesn’t save us initially, and leaves us to fen for ourselves; and to make it forward the best way we can.  While people in ancient times had to wait for the angels to bring the good news, and while in another time frame they had to listen to the judges, then the prophets, Christ has abolished all of those. As we read: “For all the prophets and the law prophesied (ministered the word of God) until John.” Matthew 11:13. As the Captain of our salvation, who actually tread the winepress and brought salvation by his own right arm, and as the Mediator between God and man, he has swept away all other participants and messengers in times past. He is now the Chief Apostle, the Bishop of our soul and of course the Captain of our salvation. 

          God, through Christ has established his kingdom in our hearts, and in due time that kingdom shall envelop all of creation—meaning all created life. At the moment, as Paul indicated we, along with the whole creation are in a state of painful tension, waiting for the adoption THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY. Romans 8: 22, 23. 

Don’t you at times wonder why you do not hear these truths being preached at your local Assemblies or on major television programs? Mainstream religion and that which was born out of orthodoxy cannot say enough about the saving of souls. 

          I do not watch “church TV” so perhaps there are end-time truths that are being preached. If so, I give God the glory! Understand that I was raised in a Baptist home, and to ring the church bell at least twice every Sunday. When I accepted Christ as Savior, it was in the New Testament Church of God, that came out of the Baptist. My early years in the ministry were spent preaching and teaching what I was taught even in Sunday school. But I have been kept out of organized religion and have no taste for the flamboyant rank of bishops that have established monopoly on the Christian doctrine. That system will not fulfill God’s program in the earth. It will only happen through those who have been brought out by God’s own hands.

Royce O. Kennedy