Welcome to Week Seven/Day Two: The Potter and the Clay
Day Two: “Broken Pottery”
Today’s Treasure:
“This sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. It will break in pieces like pottery.”– Isaiah 30:13-14
Yesterday’s lesson introduced what I believe and have learned to be a cornerstone scripture to enjoying the freedom of Christ….Not merely listening, reading or even quoting the Word but actually ‘doing’ what it says.
” Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror24 and, after looking at himself, goes
away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:22-25
Beth says: “We don’t just want to glance in the ‘mirror’ of scripture, walk away and forget what we ‘saw’. If we study and claim God’s Word but don’t obey it, we will not experience the liberty the Holy Spirit can bring.” And she is so right. We want to look at it ‘intently’ and continue ‘in it’, not forgetting what we’ve heard, but “doing it”. THEN….we will be able to walk in freedom and be blessed in what we do.
After reflecting on the four phrases that characterize rebellion in yesterday’s lesson, Beth adds two more:
5. A rebellious child of God depends on deceit (Isa. 30:12)
The Hebrew word for depended is “shaman”, to support oneself, lean against.” Note the paired phrases in Isaiah 30:12:
‘relied on oppression’ and ‘depended on deceit’. Reliance and dependence. Oppression and deceit. They are interdependent and interconnected.
Any time we attach ourselves or seek safety in a fraudulent savior, we have to depend on lies to support the habit.
Satan uses unhealthy attachments to things or people. The biggest crutch of all is deceit. Satan’s lies keep us walking in our chains.
6.A rebellious child of God runs from the real answers (Isa 30:15-17)
Have you ever experienced a season when you knew what would rescue you but you ran from it?
Our human nature is to run when we’re in trouble. Yet, the figurative walls of protection around our lives will crumble like pottery broken to pieces because clay that insist on acting like the Potter will inevitably end up in pieces.
Principal Question:
What happens if we continue in rebellion, rejecting God’s Word, relying on oppression, and depending on deceit?
Personal Question:
Have you sometimes experienced defeat because you refused to calm yourself in the presence of God and trust Him?
God’s Compassion demands that He reaches out to us even in our rebellion, but His righteousness demands that He bring painful chastisement if we don’t grab His reaching hand and return to Him wholeheartedly. Let’s take a look at verse 15.
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance (returning) and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” – Isaiah 30:15
Let’s break down the key words in this scripture so that we can get a deeper understanding of what God is offering us.
1. Returning/Repentance: The word ‘returning’ more accurately translates the Hebrew shuwbah (retirement, withdrawal, conversion).Repentance includes not only turning away from sin but turning to God.
2. Rest: The Hebrew word for rest is nachath defined as ‘lighting down’ (rest, quietness, letting down (as His arm of judgement).
3. Salvation: The Hebrew word for salvation here is Yasha which means to be spacious, ample, broad.
The significance of ample space in Hebrew is applied to liberty, deliverance from dangers and distresses.
The two primary elements of victory in this verse are “Quietness and Trust”.
4. Quietness: The original word for quietness is shaqat meaning ‘to lie quietly, be undisturbed’…to calm.
5. Trust: The exact Hebrew word translated trust in this verse is bitchah meaning ‘nothing more that one can do’.
6. Strength:The Hebrew word for strength here implies victory.
To be offered all this and yet, the scripture ends with….”and you would have none of this”
Oh, Lord, we surely are a stubborn and stiff-necked people!
Yes, God still loves cracked pots but let’s not wait until we’re in ‘pieces’ to return and Trust!
