This chapter contains another prophetic word against the Jews’ sin, and another warning that God will purge the uncleanness from their midst. This is necessary for His people are no longer His people, they have given themselves over to other gods and to sin.
” ‘…I will consume your uncleanness out of you… the house of Israel has become dross to me… they are dross of silver. Therefore… I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace… I will put you in and melt you. I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have poured out my wrath upon you.’ ” (v15, 18-22 abr)
I don’t know much about metallurgy, though this metaphor of silver refining is used throughout scripture. Essentially, lead ore is heated to a melting point and all impurities (dross) are removed, leaving the precious silver behind. God’s wrath is likened to a furnace which refines His people into a precious metal and cleanses all impurities. I guess you could say ‘the wrath of God’ is ‘a good thing’, since it purifies His people.
God, who is unchanging, still uses purification today. His indwelling Spirit gradually purifies us over time, making us more Christlike (precious like silver). Is that process painless? No. Is it pleasurable? Assuredly not. Is it necessary to make us better Christ followers? Absolutely.
Let’s ask the Lord to continue purifying and transforming us into His humble servants. The changes will be uncomfortable, however, the end result will be far more valuable than any discomfort along the way.
Father God, our Faithful and Sovereign Lord, we praise You for Your steadfast lovingkindness. It is through Your love that You purify us, cleansing us of sin / impurity, and refining us to be more Christlike. Please gently bring us to our next melting point, remove that which does not belong, and lovingly restore us into a state better than You found us (for we are an unclean people of unclean lips). We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Precious Redeemer, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training