In Service of the King

Photo by ritesh arya on Pexels.com

Often times we tend to skip over the who-begot-who portions of scripture, or at best trudge through them with eyes half glazed over. But, scattered throughout these sections are little jewels with profound significance. They make the trudging so very worth it. And it is in one of these sections that today’s “pottery” verse is buried.

The first part of 1st Chronicles is all about genealogy. In fact, it goes on for the first eight chapters. Nestled in the middle of chapter four is this little gem that caught my eye. It is the verse that wraps up the genealogy of the descendants of Y’udah (Judah). “These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king’s service.” (v. 23)

Most of the time, genealogy records are simply lists of the names of the ‘who-begots’. Seldom does it go into the specifics of who they were or what they did. So it would stand to reason (at least to me) that if God took the time to include these extra details, we should ask Him why. Why is it important for us to know these things about these people?

I’ve spent more time leading up the the “why” of this verse in Chronicles, than I will explaining it, because the explanation is so perfectly simple. This group of potters was highlighted because they did what they did for their king. They weren’t crafting wares to take to market. They weren’t forming pots for common use. They were fashioning vessels with a royal purpose. Their lives, their work, their skills, were wholly devoted to their king.

Sometimes I forget that this world is not my home, and I forget that my life has a Heavenly Kingdom purpose. My priorities get mixed up and my service becomes something focused on my needs and wants rather than being used to glorify my King. With every part of my life, from doing laundry to making pottery, from raising kids to writing books, I should be, as the CJB Bible puts it, “occupied with the king’s work.” And not just any king, my Heavenly King.

It’s like Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever work you do, put yourself into it, as those who are serving not merely other people, but the Lord.”

As a potter and a parent, as a wife and a friend, everything I do has significance when it is done for my King.

The Potter and His Clay

“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In preparation for the online pottery show I had last week, I thought it would be fun to make my #scripturepicture posts on my Facebook page leading up to the sale using verses that talk about potters and clay. It is a theme used throughout the Bible, so there are actually quite a lot to choose from. And, being the over achiever I am (lol!!), I figured I’d take it a step further and make this theme a personal study for myself. Pottery is something I believe God has gifted me to do, and as with everything in my life, I want to honor Him in it. So I asked God to lead me to His heart through something that was so dear to mine. And He did!!

This verse from Isaiah immediately came to mind. It’s one I’d heard before, but never really gave it the time and thought that it prompts us to take. Like a potter, God created each and every one of us with a specific purpose in mind. We weren’t haphazardly thrown together nor were we the byproduct of afterthought or a random happenstance. We are an intentional part of God’s creation, first and foremost made for relationship with our Creator.

In John’s Gospel account, we find a simple summary of God’s creative process as laid out in Genesis 1. The first three verses of John says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being.” John 1:1-3

God is our Creator. And just as a potter sits with a ball of clay and decides what he’s going to make, God had a plan in mind when He made each one of us. We are indeed the work of His hands. Through His Word – Yeshua – He spoke us into being.

There are many scriptures that speak to the majesty of our Creator. Ones that magnify just how powerful He is and how little we are. Job 38 is a really good place to go if ever we find our heads have grown a little too big. Here’s just a little of what it has to say:

⁴ “Where were you when I founded the earth?
Tell me, if you know so much.
⁵ Do you know who determined its dimensions
or who stretched the measuring line across it?
⁶ On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

But, once we truly get the majesty of God, Isaiah 64:8 becomes one of those scriptures that doesn’t require a lot of bible study. We don’t need to do word studies or contextual and cultural research. It is one of those “sit in His presence and let His truth wash over you” kind of verses. It requires of us only quietness, stillness, and a heart eager for Him. If God can speak us into existence, He can certainly speak His truth into our hearts.

So this week, find some time to be quiet and still in the presence of the Creator of the Universe. Because he loves little ole’ you.