Treasure in Earthen Vessels

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (II Corinthians 4:7)

In 1948 a young shepherd boy was watching his sheep. He threw a rock just to change the monotony. When it landed it sounded like something breaking. Upon investigating the sound he found a cave with clay pots. In the pots were pieces of writing material with something written on them. It was discovered that they were copies of portions of the prophetic book of Isaiah. It was one of the greatest finds in history.

God could have used angels to do His work on earth. After all, He chose the angel Gabriel to carry the news of Mary’s pregnancy. He could have set the standard for those  carrying the gospel to mankind that one had to be a graduate of a major seminary, with a degree in every book in the Bible.

Paul tells us that we have the treasure of the gospel in earthen vessels, clay pots that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. He chose fishermen, tax collectors and common ordinary every day people to do His work. Clay pots. Broken, plain, clay pots, just like the vessels carrying the Dead Sea Scrolls. God has chosen you and me and people like us to carry the gospel to a lost world.