2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Treasure in Clay Jars

So, this week I am only looking at 3 verses. I was going to finish out chapter 4, but as I got started, I found there was so much to unpack in these three verses, I couldn’t do it justice. I hope you enjoy this study as much as I have!

Vs. 7-9 Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 

I love this analogy – we have treasure in clay jars. My father has some beautiful clay jars that he has collected over the years. Each clay jar is hand made and unique. Over the years of looking at, and adding to, his collection, I have discovered clay jars are both decorative yet useful; beautiful, yet ordinary; fragile, yet they can still last a very long time. But, when I think of putting a treasure somewhere, a clay jar is not my first inclination. It just doesn’t seem to be a really safe or reliable place to store treasure. I’m pretty sure if tell an insurance company I’m putting all my valuables in clay jars, they would not insure me. Yet, the Creator of all things, the greatest treasure of all, has chosen to reside in us. We are the clay jars Paul is talking about. We are the fragile, unreliable, ordinary, uninsurable, easily broken clay jars that God has made beautiful, useful and everlasting through His presence in our lives. Paul goes on to tell us the reasoning behind this analogy. It is so we can understand that the extraordinary power only comes from God. It has nothing to do with anything from within ourselves. That is the only way these fragile vessels can withstand the outside forces that attack and threaten. Paul then gives us four ways God sustains us. Let’s explore each of these.

First, we are pressured in every way but not crushed. The Greek word for pressured is thlibó, which means to press or afflict. It describes those circumstances that “rub” us the wrong way and restrict us to a narrow place. There will be times when the world will try to restrict us or paint us in a corner. They will press in and try to get us to see things society’s way, or they will try to get us to abandon our faith and beliefs altogether. But, in the midst of all this pressure, we are not crushed. The Greek word for crushed is stenochóreó, which means to be made narrow or to compress to the point that you are severely cramped. The important thing to note: there will be pressure. James 1:2 says “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials.” Trials and pressure are a natural happening in the life of a believer. It’s not a question of if, but when. There is a wonderful song on the radio by Hawk Nelson called “Diamonds” that beautifully illustrates this. The first verse goes like this: “Here and now I’m in the fire. In above my head. Being held under the pressure. Don’t know what’ll be left. But it’s here in the ashes, I’m finding treasure. He’s making diamonds out of us.” Here’s the thing about diamonds – they can only be formed under conditions of extreme temperature and pressure, yet this pressure does not crush them. In fact, because of this pressure, diamonds become the the hardest natural substance on earth. In the same way, God allows the pressure in our lives, but he also walks with us so we can withstand the pressure – we won’t be crushed. Instead, we will be made into diamonds, a gem harder than any other substance in the world, and, when it catches the light, reflects a beautiful prism of light and color, just as we reflect the beauty and glory of God.

Second, we will be perplexed but not in despair. The Greek word for perplexed is aporeó, which means to be at a loss or doubtful. The Greek word for despair is exaporeó, which means to be utterly at a loss. A total lack of resources with no way out. The truth is, we will all experience doubt at some point in our walk. The first person that comes to mind when we think of doubt in the Bible is probably Thomas. Thomas, who traveled and ministered with Jesus for three years, still had doubts. But he wasn’t the only one. The fact is, all the disciples had doubts. There is another Biblical person who experienced a great doubt that is an even better example I think. His name is Elijah. You might remember In 1 Kings 18:20-39, Elijah’s great faith on Mount Carmel. He stood up under the great pressure of all the prophets of Baal and was not crushed. We read about the fire that rained down from heaven. After this amazing display of God’s power, one would think Elijah would never have another doubt. But, literally in the next chapter, we find an angry Jezebel who sends a message to Elijah that she’s coming after him. This is no big deal to a guy who just experienced the power of God right? Elijah’s faith is secure and he is not afraid. Well… 1 Kings 19:3-5a says, “Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life...he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my fathers.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.” Wow! Even after everything he witnessed on the mountain, Elijah still came to a point of total doubt. Fear took over, and all he wanted to do is lay down and die. There are going to be times when we will experience great doubt, when all we will want to do is lie in bed and pull the covers over our heads. But, it is in those times when God will comfort us. Look what happens to Elijah in verses 5b-7. An angel of the Lord came, gave Elijah bread and water, and let him sleep a little while longer so he could get his strength back. Then Elijah walks to Mount Horeb, where he encounters God in a still small voice. God gives him new instructions, and Elijah continues his amazing journey of faith. God didn’t abandon Elijah just because he had doubts or became afraid. No, God knows we will have times of despair and doubt. He know we will have times of great weakness. When those times come, God doesn’t smack us down and say forget it – I can’t use you anymore. Instead, He feeds us with the bread of life and gives us His living water. He tells us to “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) He calls us again in a still small voice – a whisper and promise – to continue our journey. He is with us till the end. There will be doubts, but we are never at an utter loss.

Third, we will be persecuted but not abandoned. The Greek word for persecuted is diókó, which means to put to flight, pursue aggressively or chase. The Greek word for abandoned is egkataleipó, which means to leave behind, or, to be left in a condition of lack. I find the word Paul used for persecuted interesting. It is really a word meaning to be pursued aggressively. To be chased, like a hunter chasing his prey. Several years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the amazing country of South Africa. During my visit, a friend and I decided to go to Bothongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve for the afternoon. So, we got into Mary’s VERY SMALL car and drove to the park. Just to explain, this is not a zoo, but a 3000 acre open wildlife park that you drive through while the animals roam free. We were having a great day seeing lots of beautiful animals – even an elusive cheetah! Then we came up on a pride of lions. The females were laying under a tree with their very cute cubs, so. we stopped to take pictures (inside the car through rolled up windows of course!) All of a sudden we heard and felt a deep rumbling sound. Mary and I looked behind us and saw a huge male lion standing right behind our car. Before we knew it, one of the females had situated herself in front of our car and the other two females were now standing at the ready. The rumbling got louder and Mary’s already small car seemed to get a lot smaller. Mary decided to move the car forward a bit, but that only served to bring Mrs. lion closer – close enough to see that her paw was bigger than my head! We were being pursued and suddenly 1 Peter 5:8-9 came home to me. “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.” In this scripture, Paul tells us we will be pursued, but, we will not be left behind. We might be VERY afraid, but God can even get a very little car with two very scared little women through the lions to safety. The truth is, Satan likes nothing more than to see us running scared. He wants us to feel as if we are absolutely alone. But nothing is further from the truth. Remember, he is the greatest liar of all. We are never alone. Some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples were “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:20). Resist the Devil and stand firm in the truth that God is always with us!

Fourth, we will be struck down, but not destroyed. The Greek word for struck down is kataballó, which means to be cast down. or to lie prostrate. The Greek word for destroyed is apollumi, which means to be utterly lost, to cut off entirely. or to meet a miserable end. We are going to experience times when we fail and fall. Times when those around us will celebrate with gleeful joy when we do fall. We will lie prostrate before the world, they will laugh and we will want to throw in the towel. But God is greater than that. He can take the fallen moments and turn them into something greater. There is a scene in the movie Chariots of Fire that is a great example of what Paul is saying here. (By the way, if you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend it.) The movie is about two runners and their journeys to the 1924 Olympics in Paris. One of the runners is a believer by the name of Eric Liddell. Just one year before the Olympics, Liddell is set to run a 400 meter race in 1923. At the sound of the gun, the runners are off. Early in the race, Eric Liddell trips over the legs of another runner and falls off the track. With everyone else a full 30 yards ahead, he gets back up and begins to run. He begins to pass the other runners one by one, and, eventually wins the race. By the way, in case you think this is just a movie embellishment, this race really did happen in just that way. Even 35 years later, those who recalled this race said it was the greatest track performance they had ever seen. He was struck down, but not destroyed. He was lying prostate on the side of the track, but he was not at an utter loss. Yes, we might fail and fall, but, if we let Him, God will turn it into something that will bring Him glory. We will not be destroyed.

So we will be pressured, but we will not be crushed. God is making diamonds out of us so we can continually reflect His glory. We may have doubts along the way, but God never gives up on us, nor does He leave us. In those times of doubts, He will gives us the bread of life, the living water and the rest we need so we will never despair. We may feel we are being pursued by the evil one, but we will never be abandoned by God. He is always there to show us the way. And we may be cast down for a time, but we will be able to stand back up on the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ. We are clay jars inhabited by the greatest treasure of all. For the Holy Spirit of God resides in us, empowers us, enables us and strengthens us so we can give Him all the glory and honor due His Name.