Jeremiah in the Potter’s House

Artwork: Ann Smith

Jeremiah is often called the ‘weeping prophet’, because he wept openly for the sins of his nation.

As a youth, he was called by God to be his prophet or ‘mouthpiece’.

His role was to speak out his words of judgement to the people, telling them to turn away from their wrongdoing and idolatry.

God sometimes spoke to Jeremiah through pictures or images of real life.

You can see this in this song, based on Jeremiah chapter 18, where Jeremiah is called to a potter’s house to see him working at his wheel.

Other images include:-

· A soiled loincloth: Ch 13 (those I wanted to cling to me are now good for nothing)

· A broken jug: Ch 19 (I am going to break this people and this city like this jug)

· Two baskets of figs(good & bad): Ch 24 (the good will survive, not the bad)

· Rope & a wooden yoke: ch 27-28 (obey the king of Babylon until further orders)

· Bag of money: (Buy land, to show my people they will buy land & vineyards again)

Try and imagine that God is giving YOU a message in picture form, rather like he did to Jeremiah, for the people of today’s world.

Draw the picture if you can and write down the words he might say.

40 Jeremiah in the Potter’s House: Jeremiah 18.1-6

(to the tune ‘Polly Wolly Doodle’)

I was sent down south, to a potter’s house,

when I saw him working with some clay.

As his wheel kept on turning,

I could feel my stomach churning,

t’was the kind of moment God would have his say.

“Listen well,” said God. “Listen well.

Watch the potter turn his wheel.”

And the pots that he was shaping,

which got ruined in the making,

were remoulded by his hands a different way.

So the word was clear, as the Lord drew near.

I could see there was a message in the clay.

As I watched the wheel a turning,

I could hear his message burning,

“O Israel, your house is in decay!”

“Listen well,” said God, “Listen well.

Can’t I do what the potter did today?

Go and tell my holy nation,

that there will be no salvation,

if they live their lives in sin and disobey!”

“But if they relent, and of their sins repent,

I could shape and remodel them, and then,

If they turn once more to me,

I will come and set them free

And they will be my people once again,

And they will be my people once again!”