But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
(2 Corinthians 4:7)
We who serve the Lord under His new covenant of grace live with heavenly treasure in earthen vessels. We are "earthen vessels." Though we are born again through faith in Christ, we still have the same physical body that we had in Adam.
"For we know that if our earthly house, this tent [that is, our natural human body], is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands [that is, our glorified, heavenly bodies], eternal in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1).
Though we are new creatures in Christ, we still live in the framework of ordinary human lives.
"The life which I now live in the flesh [that is, in flesh and bones humanity], I live by faith in the Son of God"
(Galatians 2:20).
Yes, we are "earthen vessels." We are frail, vulnerable, and inadequate. We were originally fashioned from dust.
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7).
We could be likened to "clay pots." "Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay" (Job 10:9).
We are like common clay flower pots. This is humbling. However, it is good to be humbled, for "God gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).
Furthermore, the Lord fully understands our makeup.
"He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14).
It is also liberating to realize that we are vessels of clay. The Lord does not expect us to perform as though we were anything other than clay pots. He just wants us to be what a vessel is created to be—a container for its intended contents.
The intended contents of the vessel are a heavenly treasure.
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels." A few verses later the treasure is specified. It is Christ Himself: "That the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:11).
The will of God is that Christ would come to dwell in and be expressed through, the earthen vessel of our humanity.
"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
The Lord Jesus wants to be the heavenly blooming flower in the clay pot of our lives.
"For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" (2 Corinthians 2:15).
God plans to put extraordinary heavenly treasure into ordinary earthen vessels, so that the attention will go to the contents, not to the container: "that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
In our previous meditation on this same verse, we saw that God has placed extraordinary heavenly treasure in ordinary earthen vessels. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels." This is true of every person who has been redeemed by the blood of Christ. The Lord has arranged it this way so that the vessels (you and I) must rely upon the treasure (Jesus Christ), not upon ourselves: "that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." Also, this arrangement is to bring attention and glory to the Lord, not to the vessels.
The Lord is the treasure in the "clay pot" of our redeemed humanity. He is to be the "excellent power" in our lives. He is the one we are to trust in as our strength for daily living.
When the battles become fierce, trust in the Lord.
"You have armed me with strength for the battle"
(Psalm 18:39).
When we need patience or endurance, trust in the Lord:
"Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy" (Colossians 1:11).
When we need strength for our latter years, trust in the Lord.
"The LORD has kept me alive…here I am this day, eighty-five years old…yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me" (Joshua 14:10-11).
Even in times of extreme personal weakness, His strength can be especially apparent.
"I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me…For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
The temptation is to trust in our "sturdy structure" (or in those who claim to be able to strengthen or reinforce weak vessels). Our resources will fail, but the Lord who dwells in our hearts will not fail.
"My flesh and my heart fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26).
The world system with all of its impressive riches calls us to place our confidence in its resources. The Lord warns us that such misplaced trust becomes our downfall.
"Woe to the rebellious children…who…go down to Egypt…to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh…the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame" (Isaiah 30:1-3).
We are to trust the Lord to be our strength.
"The LORD is my strength and my shield" (Psalm 28:7a).
Then, we are to give the Lord glory for the strength He supplies.
"My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song, I will praise Him" (Psalm 28:7b).
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