Jeremiah by Jim Leffel (2008)

(Re)Shaping the Future

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Jim Leffel

Jeremiah 18:1-12; Exodus 34:6-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Summary

Jeremiah uses a parable that describes a potter working on a piece of clay. When something goes wrong with the clay, he crumbles it up and creates a new vessel. God is the potter, and Israel is the clay. There is something is wrong with Israel: they have continuously disobeyed God. God, as the sovereign creator, will enforce his covenant and judgment upon Israel and the nations. However, if the nation renounces its evil ways and turns back to God, then the Lord will not destroy the nation. This is a picture of God's grace, and its culmination is the cross of Christ. God wants to save people from their fate of destruction and values reconciliation with them. We need to turn back to God and agree with him regarding our standing before him as the perfect God. In this way, Israel mirrors our lives and who we are: broken people. God is offering complete transformation, into a new creation. Someone who has experienced God's transformation is Kelly Kline, and she gives her testimony on ways God has created her new.

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