Alachi 3:3 says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled me in the Bible and I wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
That week, I called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. I didn’t mention anything about the reason for my interest beyond my curiosity about the process of refining silver. As I watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. I thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then I thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” I asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. the man answered, yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. I was silent for a moment. Then I asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at me and answered, “Oh, that’s easy— when I see my image in it.”
That week, I called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. I didn’t mention anything about the reason for my interest beyond my curiosity about the process of refining silver. As I watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. I thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then I thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.” I asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. the man answered, yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. I was silent for a moment. Then I asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at me and answered, “Oh, that’s easy— when I see my image in it.”
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
No comments:
Post a Comment