On 27 January 2016, Amgad Beshai was the invited speaker at the Oklahoma Baptist University chapel program. Beshai started preaching the gospel in Cairo, Egypt, before moving to the Middle East. Currently, he is the pastor of Evangel Church in Troy, Michigan. The talk took place at Dr. John Wesley Raley chapel, which was constructed in 1961. Raley Chapel is a home to two separate auditoriums, including the Andrew Potter Auditorium and the W.R. Yarborough Memorial Hall. Robert Kellogg is allowed to introduce and welcome Amgad Beshai, who walks majestically to the auditorium pulpit along with his interpreter and brother in Christ, Jihad.
Amgad’s message came from Jeremiah 18 and was about the word of God that came to Jeremiah telling him to go down to the potter’s house, who was working on wheels (McGeough 310). The vessel that he made did not appease the eyes of the potter, so he destroyed it in order to make something new, valuable, and appreciated. Pastor Amgad acknowledged that according to Isaiah chapter 4, God dealt very lightly with the children of Israel, the chosen generation and a royal priesthood. Still, the manner in which he spoke to Jeremiah was not acceptable or did not match with the people (Smith 19). The one thing that Amgad wanted the population of UBU to understand is God’s ability to change his people into valuable and honorable people.
God does not change, but his dealings do change with the people. Any time the potter wants to design and make certain vessels, he takes the clay, puts it into place, mixes it, and pressurizes on it to ensure it is ready to mold something worthy of praise. He then puts it on the bottom of the wheel and makes the desired vessel out of it. According to his message, the quality of clay will determine how good the vessel will become.
Applying this concept to the human nature is that our hearts are hardened. Pride and stubbornness are some things that prevent the potter, God, from modeling or shaping us into what he wants us to become. Just like men in the past who rejected the cornerstone, we also reject the hand of God working in us. Important to understand is that the dryness of clay will cause the corruption or destruction of the vessel. He urges us to live according to the will and way of God.
The presenter encouraged people to be submissive to God as this leads to their success. Some people think that making good choices and thinking brings success. One thing they fail to understand is that success comes from God. The Key is to accept the will of God in our lives. The second thing to understand is that failure is always with the person who does not depend on God. A person who experiences failure in the beginning experiences success in future. God uses failure to make us trust and depend on him. Pastor Amgad wishes that everybody in the Oklahoma Baptist University becomes a follower of Christ Jesus.
The parable of the potter can be applied in everyday life as it illustrates the relationship between the potter, who is God, and we humans are the clay. Many times, we go through various afflictions in life and wonder why God allows them to occur. Although we might be headed for destruction, and so long as we are on the potter’s wheel, there is hope for a bright future ahead.
Works Cited
McGeough, Kevin. “Birth bricks, potterʼs wheels, and exodus 1, 16.” Biblica 87.3 (2006): 305- 318. Print.
Smith, Robert E. “The Holy Bible.” Lutheran Witness 112 (1993): 19. Print.
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