This week I read some verses from 2 Corinthians 4:7, 16-18:
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart; but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our momentary lightness of affliction works out for us, more and more surpassingly, an eternal weight of glory,
18 Because we do not regard the things which are seen but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Verse 7 really struck me. The footnotes for these verses are really amazing:
7-1(a): God's shining in our hearts brings into us a treasure, the Christ of glory, who is the embodiment of God to be our life and our everything. But we who contain this treasure are earthen vessels, worthless and fragile. A priceless treasure is contained in worthless vessels! This has made the worthless vessels ministers of the new covenant with a priceless ministry. This has been accomplished by the divine power in resurrection. The excellency of the power is surely of God and not out of us.
7-2: This treasure, the indwelling Christ, in us, the earthen vessels, is the divine source of the supply for the Christian life. It is by the excellent power of this treasure that the apostles as the ministers of the new covenant were capable of living a crucified life that the resurrection life of Christ, whom they ministered, might be manifested. Thus, they manifested the truth (v. 2) for the shining of the gospel.
There is a cross-reference to the word vessels:
Lamentations 4 : 2
2 The precious sons of Zion, Comparable to fine gold, How they are esteemed as earthen pitchers, The work of the hands of a potter.
A few years ago I was teaching a lesson to the children about our being a vessel. I researched how pottery is made - and I found the most incredible words used in explanations: how the clay is squeezed, cut, formed, shaped, thrown, opened, pulled, shaped again, trimmed, signed, dried, sanded, stacked and fired the first time, then dipped in hot wax, dipped in glaze, painted, stacked, loaded, fired again, cooled, and sanded to make the vessel prepared and useful. Doesn't this just explain our Christian life? We are all in the process somewhere - whether it is being squeezed, or shaped, or thrown, or dipped in hot wax - God's goal is just to make the earthen vessel useful to the master (2 Tim 2:21).
When you consider the events in life in this light, it helps to understand what is going on. We are in the Potter's able hands. Surely He knows what He is doing. We can rest in that fact and joyfully look forward to the day when we are ready for the Master's use.
When we feel especially earthen - it is okay because we are in the process of verse 7 - the Lord is helping us to realize that we are just that - earthen vessels - and He is the treasure. Watchman Nee once wrote about this in the booklet The Treasure in Earthen Vessels. I highly recommend reading it. Here are two excerpts:
Today I would like to say that no Christian has an earthen vessel that is earthy enough to prohibit the Lord's treasure from being manifested. No matter how weak we are, remember that the Lord's treasure is manifested in it. Therefore, we see a spiritual paradox in Paul and in us. Do we know what people said about Paul? They said that his speech was contemptible (10:10b), that he took them by guile (12:16), and that he was fickle and said "Yes, yes" and "No, no" (1:17). They said his letters were weighty and strong enough to terrify people (10:9-10). But paradoxically, God's treasure looks very good in such an earthen vessel. God's treasure would not look so nice without the earthen vessel. I am saying that Paul was a genuine man. Thank God that the Lord shined out, or broke out, from within him. He was not a man without feelings. But in his sorrow, he said, "I always rejoice." He was not rejoicing constantly or in sorrow constantly; rather, he constantly rejoiced in his sorrow.
Let me tell you that this is the special characteristic of Christianity. There is a smile while tears are flowing. Many Christians act better than Paul, but they do not live like a Christian. They only can praise the Lord; they are not like a Christian. Many Christians think they can attain a state of never being sorrowful or troubled. There are others who are continually sorrowful and troubled. This means that the treasure has not been expressed in them. But here we have a man through whom the Lord Jesus could pass. I have seen some of the Lord's most outstanding children. When I saw them, I immediately knew who they were and what kind of persons they were. But at the same time I knew what kind of persons they were before the Lord. Today we do not want to see any trace of the earthen vessel when we look at people. Sometimes, however, our eyes only see the earthen vessel. Those who know God, however, are able to see the treasure in earthen vessels when they look at God's children.
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Finally, I would like to say that I especially thank God because no human weakness can limit God's power. What do we think in our hearts? We tend to think that if there is sorrow, there should not be joy; if there are tears, there should not be praise; if there is weakness, there should not be power; if there is pressing on every side, there should be constriction; if there is casting down, there should be destruction; and if there are doubts, we should be unable to believe. But tonight I would like to loudly declare that this is not true. God wants us to arrive at the point where we see that everything human is just an earthen vessel to contain God's treasure. Everything human is an earthen vessel for God's treasure. Nothing human is able to bury God's treasure. We do not need to be disappointed when we meet with disappointment. Although we cannot make it, we should allow something positive to come in, and when it does, it shines better, more brightly, and more gloriously. Many times we have doubts after praying, and we think that everything is finished. When faith comes, however, it magnifies the treasure despite the lingering presence of doubt. Faith makes the treasure more glorious. I am not speaking of an ideal; I know what I am saying. God's treasure can be expressed in earthen vessels. This is a spiritual paradox; it is precious to every Christian. It is in the context of this spiritual paradox that we live and learn to know our God.
As we journey along this way, we will discover the immensity of the spiritual contradiction that exists within us. As time goes on, we find this cleavage, this dividing gulf, is ever widening; the contradiction within us is ever accentuated. At the same time, the treasure is expressed ever clearer. The earthen vessel remains an earthen vessel. How wonderful this picture is! We find a man whose original traits remain intact, yet God gives him a patience far more excellent than his natural resilience. It is better to see a man in whom God has placed humility than to see a naturally reticent person. It is better to see a man in whom God has placed meekness than to see a person who is weak and impotent by nature. It is better to see a person in whom God's power resides than to see a naturally strong man. The inward difference is enormous. It matters little what kind of earthen vessel we have; the treasure can always go inside. The earthen vessel remains an earthen vessel, but it is now a filled vessel. All weak people think that they are too earthen; their vessels are too full of clay and they are without any hope. Please remember that we have no reason to be disappointed or troubled. Whatever is spiritual, strong, powerful, and comes from the Lord can be manifested in us and will shine brighter and be magnified through the earthen vessel. Since this is the case, we can see the importance of the treasure.
This is so encouraging to me! The point is the glorious treasure.
Here is a wonderful hymn about this matter:
1 Earthen vessel I was made,
Christ in me the treasure laid;
His container I must be,
As the content He in me.
2 In His image I was made,
Fit that Christ should all pervade;
Thus the vessel God did form
With the content uniform.
3 In my spirit He remains,
With His power He sustains;
As the Spirit one with me,
He is my reality.
4 Moving in me day by day,
Mingling with me all the way,
All my steps He regulates,
Every part He saturates.
5 Him expressing from within,
Making Him to others seen,
I transparent have to be
That He may be shown thru me.
6 Transformation is my need,
To be broken more indeed,
That the clay may change in form,
To the treasure to conform.
Lord, conform us more to the Treasure today.
Much love dear ones,
Joanne
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