The dull gray half-light of early morning dawn was slowly giving way to a brightening purple, orange and pink light in the eastern sky as the potter's family began to stir from their night's slumber. Wood coals in the fire pit which dominated the center of the large oriental family room were still, after the long night, radiating heat as one by one, each family member sleepily made their way to sit near its comforting warmth.
Before long, water was boiling, rice was cooking and dishes were filled with the simple, hearty breakfast meal which the family ate each morning.As the sky grew lighter, the room was filled with familiar sounds of conversation. Children's laughter punctuated the steady, quiet murmur of adult voices planning the day's work.
The sun had barely risen when a man emerged from the wood and stone building into the damp, cool September morning. Stopping near what appeared to be several large piles of bluish gray mud, he picked up a long stout bamboo pole which had a large wicker basket attached to each end. Placing it across his shoulders and selecting a pick, he started down a gravel trail that led towards the river.
It was there, near its banks, that he had found an excellent source of clay. The oriental master potter well knew the effort that would be required to extract that clay from the dark depths where it had been imprisoned since the dawn of time. But by the color and texture of this clay he also realized that once his skilled hands had painstakingly subjected the clay to the necessary procedures, it would produce beautiful and useful vessels of highly valued stoneware pottery.
Raw Clay
In our high-tech age, little value is placed on hand craftsmanship. Not only is there scant interest in hand made production methods, in many cases—due to economic realities and manufacturing requirements (met through mass production)—it is unrealistic and unprofitable. Computerized, automated, manufacturing technology does things far faster, more economically, and usually far more reliably than handcrafted objects.
Yet there still are crafts where the beauty and quality of true craftsmanship cannot be duplicated by assembly line mass production methods. Hand built, hand thrown pottery is one of these realms.
In modern pottery processes, production innovations have made suitable clay bodies far easier to compound then to dig from the earth. Today, 50 lb. sacks of various types of refined, powdered clay are blended together according to carefully calculated formulas. When combined with water in an industrial mixer (called a "pug mill"), the result (requiring a minimum of physical labor) produces smooth, consistent clay bodies which produce uniform, predictable results.
It was not so in Biblical times (nor even in some areas of the world today). In those times the potter had to discover a vein of raw clay, often hidden deep below layers of unusable sand, rocks and dirt. Today in lands such as Korea, China and Japan, many pottery craftsmen still believe that only naturally occurring clay dug from the earth is capable of producing truly beautiful pottery.
Discovering and digging clay from the earth are, however, only the first steps of an involved process required to prepare natural clay for use in the potter's hands.
Where the Material Is Found
We learn from Genesis that God desired to have fellowship with His creature, man. He looked for it in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:88And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)), but sin had already caused Adam to hide from God. But in John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23) we learn that God wants more than fellowship—he looks for worship and praise. He will have a family before Him in love (Eph. 1:44According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4), Heb. 2:1313And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (Hebrews 2:13)). He will have, we may say, many vessels which for all eternity will serve the ultimate purpose of satisfying His heart, rendering worship and praise to His well-beloved Son (Isa. 53:1111He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11), Rev. 5).
But, we may ask, from where will such vessels of glory, praise and worship come? Oh! how wonderful the answer!—from raw clay buried deep in the mire of sin.
What price His well beloved Son paid to extract that clay from such a horrible and miry pit. He who was infinitely rich, became infinitely poor—that through His unspeakable poverty, the redeemed might become eternally rich (2 Cor. 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)). He must die that we might live and be formed into that which is suitable to the glory and majesty of our Savior God.
Dug From the Depths of Sin
The depth from which a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins before God (Eph. 2:11And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)), must be dug is infinitely greater then the depths from which potter's clay must be dug. Such a task could be accomplished by One alone—our Lord Jesus Christ. Having paid the terrible and infinite price (the shedding of His precious blood at Calvary-John 19:3434But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34)) to obtain the clay, He then becomes the Master Potter and we, in the words of the prophet, become the work of thy hand (Isa. 64:88But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. (Isaiah 64:8)).
A Lump of Clay Called Saul
Saul of Tarsus provides a striking example of raw clay hidden deep in the bowels of this earth. The divine record of His life provides an impressive example of how the Master Potter forms a vessel meet for His use. Let's follow the account of Saul's life, observing as the Master Potter forms him into the Apostle Paul. May we learn from the beloved apostle's experiences, valuable lessons for our encouragement and comfort.
Saul was, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless (Phil. 3:66Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:6)).Yet, in his blind diligence to earn favor with God by zealously keeping the law, he was an enemy of God buried—unknowing and uncaring—deep in a horrible pit of miry clay.
At Stephen's martyrdom we get our first view of that lump of clay that God was going to dig up and form into a usable vessel. In Acts 7:5757Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, (Acts 7:57) we get our first look at Saul-a young man-as he guarded the clothing of those who stoned the beloved disciple.
Not long after, the measure of the depths from which Saul had to be dug is suggested in these statements: "Said was consenting unto Stephen's death", "Saul made havoc of the church" and "Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord". How great the abyss that separated Saul from the glorious and liberating light of the Son and from the hands of the Master Potter!
All Come From the Same Pit
But it is good to remember that the pit from which the Lord dug Saul of Tarsus that day as he traveled to Damascus, was no deeper then the one from which He has had to dig each redeemed soul—enemies in our minds by wicked works (Col. 1:2121And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (Colossians 1:21)). Every one has a heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it..." ( Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)). Each lump of unredeemed clay is buried deep in a moral darkness so great that though the light shineth in the darkness, the darkness comprehended it not (Jon. 1:55Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. (Jonah 1:5)).
Though Paul, through divine inspiration, says that he was the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)), God reminds us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)) We all have the same sinful nature passed on to us by our original father—Adam (Rom. 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)).We are all, by nature, buried deep in our sins in the bowels of the earth.
Digging the Clay
Thus it is that if raw clay is ultimately to become a beautiful and useful vessel, someone must go down and at great effort dig and remove it. Clay has no strength to free itself, no ability to climb out of that darkness into glorious liberating light and freedom. Oh! How infinitely far down our blessed Lord Jesus Christ had to go to get each lump clay from which He would form vessels serviceable to His glory and honor! Humbling Himself, He came down from that scene of indescribable glorious light and taking upon Himself the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men.
None could ever go as low as He, the Master Potter must go to obtain that clay.