The Potter

"By the breath of His mouth..." Psalms 33:6

In the beginning God had a plan. He spoke it, and it was done. (Ps. 33:9) As God worked, He merely spoke, as if it were three magic words, "Let there be..." And as Genesis records, "it was so." However, this was not a magical act, for a magician takes something and causes it to "disappear"---"Now you see it, now you don't." But God began with nothing and called all things into being. "The things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." (Hebrews 11:3) And so this process continued for five days. Light came into being at His command, as did the sun and moon, and the stars. The waters were separated and bounds set for them, creeping things and beasts were created, and herb yielding plants were called into being by the Voice of the Master of the universe.

"Let us make man..." Genesis 1:26
("Let us" is the Hebrew idiomatic way of expressing deliberation or careful thought.)

Then, His mode of operation changed. God stepped back and deliberated, for He was about to bring into being the crowning jewel of His creation. So, special deliberation by the Creator was in order. Everything that had been created by Him, up until this time, was with this jewel in mind. Everything had been declared "good" by God Himself as He observed the results of His plan and spoken Word. But, now, His final creative act was to be special; He wanted it to be judged "very good." So, with extra care and deliberation He contemplated the creation of man.

"We are the clay, and Thou our potter." Isaiah 64:8 ("Yatsar" is Hebrew word for potter.)
"For the LORD God FORMED ( formed is "yatsar", meaning moulded into a form as a Potter) man of the dust of the ground..." Genesis 2:7

On the sixth day of His creative work, The Potter sat down at His "wheel", and began crafting and forming His vessel. The dust was moistened and then formed into a ball of clay. It was placed on the "wheel" to be worked into a special vessel. The Potter knew the feel of the clay. He smoothed the imperfections with the palm of his hand and his fingertips. He reached deep down into the inward parts of the vessel with his whole arm, to make the inside as perfect of the outside. The Potter knew His clay intimately. Each detail of his creation was in His mind as He worked, for He had used Himself as the model for His vessel.
"So God created man in His own image..." Genesis 1:27

"...and He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." Genesis 2:7

Man was not to be just a mere earthen vessel, for The Potter did something that no other potter could do. "He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." Man was not intended to be just a pretty pot, but man was to have LIFE...to love, act, think, reason, and make choices, so that from the inside out, and with every fiber of his being, he would reflect the image of the Father. All of this is much more than we can possible comprehend or fathom---to be created in the image and likeness of God Himself, and to have His breath within us, making us alive!!!

Just at The Potter deliberated and comtemplated how He wanted to make man, surely this should cause us to pause and deliberate, and consider what kind of person we ought to be. We know the joy and pride that we feel when we see ourselves in our children. "You have daddy's eyes." "She has her momma's smile." "He has grandma's sweet ways." Do you, as God's child, His special creation, give your Heavenly Father that same feeling of pride as He looks into your eyes, and observes you ways? Do others see His image and likeness reflected in your eyes and in your living?