Potsherd (Part 3 of 4)- One Nation Under God

Part 1 of 4 Link Deception

^{Part 2 of 4 Link Hypocrisy}

Proverbs 26:23 KJV

Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

Burning Lips; fervent lips in some translations

Potsherd- broken earthen vessel;  broken piece of pottery

Dross- impurities, waste, worthless matter, scum or from the melting process of metals

Likened to a piece of pottery covered with silver to mask the brokenness and impurities by which it is truly covered.

Isaiah 1:1-25 NKJV

1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

The Wickedness of Judah

2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!

For the Lord has spoken:

“I have nourished and brought up children,

And they have rebelled against Me;

3 The ox knows its owner

And the donkey its master’s crib;

But Israel does not know,

My people do not consider.”

4 Alas, sinful nation,

A people laden with iniquity,

A brood of evildoers,

Children who are corrupters!

They have forsaken the Lord,

They have provoked to anger

The Holy One of Israel,

They have turned away backward.

5 Why should you be stricken again?

You will revolt more and more.

The whole head is sick,

And the whole heart faints.

6 From the sole of the foot even to the head,

There is no soundness in it,

But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores;

They have not been closed or bound up,

Or soothed with ointment.

7 Your country is desolate,

Your cities are burned with fire;

Strangers devour your land in your presence;

And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

8 So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard,

As a hut in a garden of cucumbers,

As a besieged city.

9 Unless the Lord of hosts

Had left to us a very small remnant,

We would have become like Sodom,

We would have been made like Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord,

You rulers of Sodom;

Give ear to the law of our God,

You people of Gomorrah:

11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”

Says the Lord.

“I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams

And the fat of fed cattle.

I do not delight in the blood of bulls,

Or of lambs or goats.

12 “When you come to appear before Me,

Who has required this from your hand,

To trample My courts?

13 Bring no more futile sacrifices;

Incense is an abomination to Me.

The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—

I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts

My soul hates;

They are a trouble to Me,

I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands,

I will hide My eyes from you;

Even though you make many prayers,

I will not hear.

Your hands are full of blood.

16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;

Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.

Cease to do evil,

17 Learn to do good;

Seek justice,

Rebuke the oppressor;

Defend the fatherless,

Plead for the widow.

    

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,

You shall eat the good of the land;

20 But if you refuse and rebel,

You shall be devoured by the sword”;

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The Degenerate City

21 How the faithful city has become a harlot!

It was full of justice;

Righteousness lodged in it,

But now murderers.

22 Your silver has become dross,

Your wine mixed with water.

23 Your princes are rebellious,

And companions of thieves;

Everyone loves bribes,

And follows after rewards.

They do not defend the fatherless,

Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord says,

The Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel,

“Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries,

And take vengeance on My enemies.

25 I will turn My hand against you,

And thoroughly purge away your dross,

And take away all your alloy.

The book of Isaiah opens up with an indictment against God’s people.  Though God had raised them up and blessed them, they turned away and had become rebellious.  Unlike an ox or donkey who knows it’s master God's people lacked understanding of who they belonged to.  They were having a true identity crisis, not understanding they were children of the Most High God. 

Rebellious yet religious, God's people continued to go to the temple, offer sacrifices, and pray but, because of the condition of their hearts they were guilty in the eyes of God. Their worship was unacceptable to God, full of hypocrisy and done in vain.  They were like potsherds. 

Though the pleading of a loving Father for His children to repent rang out, God's children persisted in sin.  The people of God were no longer faithful.

The hypocrisy of the people provoked God to anger.  Outwardly holy and righteous but, inwardly wicked.  God's desire was not and is not to leave his people in a state of sin and brokenness.  The dross (sin) would be purged.

The process involves turning up the heat and placing the metal in a crucible (melting pot).  The heat causes the dross (impurities) to rise to the top allowing the metal worker to remove the dross skimmed off the top.  The process is repeated when the metal worker can see his image.

Hebrews 1:3 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

We  are to reflect Christ, not the world.

Isaiah 29:13 NKJV

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

In more ways than many would like to acknowledge, this is the state of America.  Boasting of how we were founded on Christianity and yet  in reality we're a nation that continues to turn away from God, full of sin,idolatry, murder, corruption,  rebellious yet religious showing forth a form of godliness, full of injustice, oppression, lacking mercy, and putting our trust in man instead of the Lord.  Professing our love for God while cherish sin in our heart.

The Holy Spirit reveals the truth even regarding what's going on inside of you.  How we respond or our lack of response to others and what's going on all around us are often great indicators of what lies in our hearts.  Pay attention to the dross that rises to the surface.  Handle it then, don't let it linger or settle back down to the bottom again.  

God loves you but, make no mistake he hates sin.  The notion that God is okay with sin whatever that may be is purely a lie.  When we resist and rebel against God and His ways we set ourselves up for failure.  Like the loving Father that God is, he will discipline his children.  The more we rebel the more heat we will feel from the Refiners fire.

It's God's desire for us to be whole and cleansed not broken, and deep in sin.  You don't have to and should not wait for a nation to repent in order for God to restore you.  The call remains the same, "Come"

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They shall be as wool.