LESSON SEVEN – THE TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

2 Cor. 4:7-9 — We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us. We are pressed on every side but not constricted; unable to find a way out but not utterly without a way out; 9persecuted but not abandoned; cast down but not destroyed.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 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…for the shining of the gospel. (2 Cor. 4:7, footnote 2, Recovery Version)

THE TREASURE MANIFESTED IN EARTHEN VESSELS

Many people have a concept of an ideal Christian. Please remember that this ideal was created by us, not by God. That kind of ideal Christian does not exist, nor does God want us to be such. Here we meet an earthen vessel, but the special characteristic of this earthen vessel is that a treasure has been put into it. The treasure transcends and overshadows the earthen vessel and manifests itself from within the vessel. This is the meaning…of being a Christian. In Paul, we see a man who was afraid yet strong. He was troubled in his heart yet had hope. He was surrounded by enemies yet was not captured. Although he met with persecution, he did not feel rejected or cast aside. He seemingly was knocked down, but he did not die (2 Cor. 4:7-9). We see his weaknesses, but when he was weak, he was powerful (12:10b). We see him bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus, but the life of Jesus was manifested in his body (4:10). We see him being slandered, but he had a good name. He seemingly led others astray, but he was honest….He seemingly was about to die, but he lived. He seemingly was punished, but not unto death. He seemingly was sad, but he always rejoiced. He seemingly was poor, but he made many rich. He seemingly had nothing, but he had everything (6:8-10). This is a real Christian.

GOD’S POWER BEING MANIFESTED IN MAN’S WEAKNESS

The apostle said that he had a thorn in his flesh (12:7). I do not know what this thorn was, but I know that this thorn made Paul weak.…Paul prayed to God three times about that thorn, but the Lord was not willing to do anything. Instead, He said, “My grace is sufficient for you” [v. 9]. The Lord increased His grace because of the thorn. The Lord increased His power because of the weakness.

As I lay in bed, I asked the Lord to show me more clearly what this was all about. Inwardly, I had the impression of a boat in a river. The boat required ten feet of water for navigation. In the river, however, a submerged rock rose five feet from the bottom of the river. If the Lord so desired, He could remove the boulder to let the boat pass, but within there was a question: “Would  it be better for Me to remove the rock or to increase the water level by five feet?” God asked me if it would be better to remove the boulder or to increase the water level by five feet. I told the Lord that it would be better to increase the water level by five feet.

THE PARADOXICAL SPIRITUAL LIFE

[One time some brothers told me] that they were praying for a certain family member, a certain sickness, or a certain matter. I asked them how it was going. They each told me they believed that God would heal their illnesses or save their sons and spouses. They were all very confident, so confident that they did not have the slightest doubt. But we should wait and see. The sick ones are still ill, the sons and spouses are still unrepentant, and the difficult matters still remain. Their kind of faith belongs to the angels, not to earthen vessels. Their faith is too abstract; it is too good. No one in the world has such great faith.

I like reading about the prayer of the early church for Peter to be freed from the hands of evil men. God heard their prayer. When Peter returned to the house and knocked on the door, they said that it must be his angel (Acts 12:12-15). Do we see that this is faith, real faith? God heard the prayers, but human weakness was in it. We do not see them doing anything to hide their weaknesses. Some people today have greater faith than those in the house of Mary and Mark. They are so certain that God will send an angel and break the lock on the prison doors. Perhaps they are like those in the examples we gave on the Lord’s Day. If the wind blows, they say it is Peter knocking. If the rain strikes the house, they say Peter is knocking. These people have such great faith, but what they believe does not happen. Let me say frankly: This kind of Christian can only do things by himself and cheat a group of gullible people. Those who know God will say that there is an earthen vessel in Christianity. In Christianity the treasure is in earthen vessels. Human doubt is really an abomination, and it is sin. Nothing that comes from the earthen vessel alone can be accepted. The crucial matter is not the earthen vessel but the fact that a treasure has been placed in it. We do not need to improve or fix the earthen vessel. The treasure has been placed into the vessel.

Many Christians have a life and walk that are all too artificial; they do not express the treasure. These ones only have human endeavor, performance, and outward behavior. A normal Christian  life, however,  is one in which one may doubt even in the moments of his greatest assurance. It is one in which one finds himself inwardly weak even in the moments of his greatest strength, inwardly fearful in the midst of real courage before God, and inwardly doubting in the moments of exhilarating joy. This kind of paradox proves that the treasure is in the earthen vessel.

HUMAN WEAKNESS NOT LIMITING GOD’S POWER

Finally, I would like to say that I especially thank God because no human weakness can limit God’s power.…God wants us to arrive at the point where we see that everything human is just an earthen vessel to contain 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!…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.

Brothers and sisters, everything depends upon the treasure. I must repeat, all situations revolve around this matter. Every outcome is positive. Those whose eyes are on the negative things are fools. The Lord can express Himself through everyone. When we have the treasure, many will know it. (CWWN, vol. 56, “The Treasure in Earthen Vessels,” pp. 449-457)

References: 2 Cor. 4:7, footnote 2, Recovery Version; CWWN, vol. 56, “The Treasure in Earthen Vessels,” pp. 449-457

EARTHEN VESSEL I WAS MADE

Experience of Christ— Containing Him – 548

• Earthen vessel I was made,
  Christ in me the treasure laid;
  His container I must be,
  As the content He in me.

• In His image I was made,
  Fit that Christ should all pervade;
  Thus the vessel God did form
  With the content uniform.

• In my spirit He remains,
  With His power He sustains;
  As the Spirit one with me,
  He is my reality.

• Moving in me day by day,
  Mingling with me all the way,
  All my steps He regulates,
  Every part He saturates.

• Him expressing from within,
  Making Him to others seen,
  I transparent have to be
  That He may be shown thru me.

• Transformation is my need,
  To be broken more indeed,
  That the clay may change in form,
  To the treasure to conform.