As the potter finished each piece on the wheel it was carefully removed to the drying room. During this time, the moist, delicate and easily marred surface slowly began drying. As it did, the clay became more firm and less vulnerable to damage from being mishandled. Though a large amount of moisture still remained in the clay body, after two or three days the vessels were strong enough to allow the potter to cut them from the piece of wood on which they had been thrown.
Each pot, still damp but more stable, was returned to the potter’s wheel and carefully turned upside down. It was gently nudged back into center and secured with tiny balls of moist clay pressed against its rim. Selecting a tool with a metal triangle at its end, the potter held it against the base of the pot and began to slowly spin the wheel. Gently applying pressure, the tool peeled slender ribbons of excess clay away from the vessel. The trimming process was needed in order to carve a “foot” or “rim” for the pot—a foundation upon which the vessel would stand when being used.
After the foot had been carved, handles and lids were created and added according to the need of each vessel.
When the pot had been trimmed to its final shape, had received all additional parts necessary to perform its intended function, it was taken back to another storage room and left to completely dry. When all the moisture was gone, the pottery was called "greenware". In this condition, nothing more could be done to change the shape. Further, the greenware pottery was so delicate and fragile that if handled roughly, bumped or dropped, it would shatter into a thousand tiny pieces of dry, dusty clay.
In its greenware condition, any crack, chip or other damage could not be repaired. It was fit only to be tossed back into the "slurry tubs" where it would eventually dissolve once again into creamy, unformed mud. During the trimming and drying of the greenware, only the older and more experienced family members were allowed to handle the pottery.And they did so with the utmost care and gentleness.
Purposes of Blessing
The Master Potter not only desires that each of His children display the beauties and glories of His beloved Son, but knows exactly that service He desires each one to perform. He has, in perfect love and wisdom, put each lump of clay dug from the pit of sin, through the necessary cleansing, kneading and forming pressures as He sees best, all in order to create a vessel that might effectively glorify Him and fulfill His will.
Our Lord uses an infinite variety of "tools" (people, circumstances, even our mistakes) for the final work of trimming and finishing each vessel. This process though uncomfortable, even painful at times, is absolutely necessary in order that each be able to fulfill "that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom. 12:2).
Consider the kinds of "trimming" that His dear servants (recorded in the Word of God) endured. Moses spent 40 years in the backside of the desert having all the pride, wisdom and ability he had attained in Egypt trimmed away. The result is found in Num. 12:3: "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth". How necessary such humility was when Moses led the proud, contentious Children of Israel across the wilderness!
Joseph spent part of his life a slave and a prisoner in Egypt. The result is found in Gen. 41:38-42: "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph... Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled... I have set thee over all the land of Egypt". Before Joseph could be lifted up in glory in Egypt, he must go down in humiliation under those very unpleasant circumstances.
Pleasant and Unpleasant Trimming
If we were to turn to Heb. 11 we would find a most interesting record of vessels who were formed and trimmed in trying, difficult circumstances. But it was so they might become examples of faith to us. Some were trimmed in what we might consider rather easy, comfortable conditions. Abraham was obviously a very rich man, so too was Isaac. But Jacob had more trimming to experience in order to become fully confident of Jehovah's care for him. Thus the record of Jacob's many, weary trials (the trimming process) is much given in much greater detail than those of others (see Gen. 31:38-42).
Others of those worthy "vessels of honor", were trimmed and finished through the intense fires of awful trial and suffering—those such as are recorded in Heb. 11:35-39.
The one divinely inspired of the Spirit of God to write the epistle to the Hebrews (the Apostle Paul) was himself a vessel who knew what it was to go through the sometimes very painful trimming process. He was trimmed from all those things in which he, as a man in flesh could boast. All his attainments were of no value to God when He created out of Saul of Tarsus that vessel meet for the Master's use.
Through a variety of circumstances the beloved Apostle was brought to record by divine inspiration that though he had been "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless"—all those things were excess and useless day and must be trimmed away by the Divine Potter.
Then, after his trimming process was completed we hear Paul conclude, "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 have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Phil. 3:5-8).
Tools With an Attitude
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us"(Heb. 12:1).
The Master Potter trims away our excess and unneeded clay so we may effectively and victoriously run the race of faith. Each ribbon of excess clay left on the vessel only adds weight, hindering the one running. The Lord often uses people (rather than circumstances) to do this needed trimming. Some people used are not believers, but the tools that often cause the most pain from trimming are those whom we call our brethren.
When Lazarus was called forth from the grave by our blessed Lord Jesus, he immediately rose from the dead and stood, alive, before that awe-struck crowd. But he needed "trimming" for he was bound in grave clothing (see John 11:44) and unable to enjoy the liberty of new life which the Savior had given him.
He who with power and authority said "Lazarus, come forth", surely with another word might have loosed the grave clothing which bound him. But the Lord commands those standing there to "Loose him and let him go". It was a service (a service, we may say, of trimming) that they were responsible to carry out for one who was enjoying new life.
Thus, some of the tools which the Master Potter uses in trimming are other of His vessels. But when one piece of pottery is used of the Lord to trim another, the vessel being trimmed often has a great deal of trouble appreciating or accepting that what is being done is for his or her blessing. Too often when we get trimmed our eyes focus on the tool He is using rather than on Him who holds the tool. Sadly, impatience, frustration, and unhappiness with one another arise at the very time when the Lord is seeking to shape us into a beautiful vessel of His choosing.
Let's not be like the Israelites in the wilderness who, the moment Jehovah began to trim them, testing their faith at Marah—i.e. what shall we drink, Ex. 15:23-26—quickly started murmuring against a tool (Moses) He used for their blessing.
Handle With Care
When the Lord chooses someone to be used as a tool in the trimming process of another, He does not give that tool any liberty to be careless, sloppy, or thoughtless about how their trimming is performed. "Let all things ye do be done in love" (1 Cor. 16:14, J.N.D.). Love and compassion keeps the trimming process from becoming painful or discouraging (notice that in John 13 our Lord used a towel—not some rough, abrasive fabric) to wash the disciples' feet. Where love is lacking, the tool itself (not the excess clay to be trimmed) can cause untold grief and heartache.
At times trimming takes the character of a word in season (Isa. 50:4) spoken to a struggling or weary vessel. If so, let that tool be found "Speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15).The Master Potter Himself commanded His vessels to love one another as I have loved you. This leaves no excuse for the trimming tool to display a harsh, rough, or uncompassionate manner.
"Charity (divine love) suffereth long, and is kind"(1 Cor. 13:4). If we are called on to trim another, we must be sure that our every action is motivated and controlled by divine love. Remember how fragile newly formed vessels are-handle them carefully and lovingly! "And be ye kind one to another; tenderhearted, forgiving one another; even as God for Christ's sake bath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32).The Apostle tells us to "bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).When doing so it is critical to bear another vessel with Christ-like care and tenderness.
Trimming requires not only love, but wisdom and that only comes from above from the "Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).
Heavenly wisdom is always to be used when trimming, whether speaking words of" edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:13). Further, the character of the tool used to trim is described in Gal. 6:1: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken In a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be tempted.”
If we are willing to be used as trimming tools, let's make sure we are also willing to be guided only by the hands of the Master Potter in full submission to His will and divine love for the one being trimmed. May we indeed bear and forbear: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." (Rom. 15:2).