Such a challenging and encouraging verse for the believer:
"Isaiah 48.10: "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction".
"Isaiah 48.10: "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction".
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When I was early in renewal, Isaiah was my favorite book in the bible. I relate intimately with Isaiah 38. Jeremiah is another of my favorites!@Truman YW, there is so much in Isaiah....
I am no silver smith, but consider the processing of silver to make it pure:Such a challenging and encouraging verse for the believer:
"Isaiah 48.10: "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction".
@amadeus Thank-you; good thoughts there from Scripture.I am no silver smith, but consider the processing of silver to make it pure:
"When heat is applied, all the impurities embedded in the silver float to the top where it is skimmed off. These impurities, called dross, must be removed for the silver to be used properly. Every time the silver is heated, there is less and less dross until finally you have a pure product. If the silver is not pure the jeweler cannot use it." [copied from the Internet]
The heat is applied to the silver to eliminate or burn up or have removed the waste particles within the silver which are weakening and dulling it so that it cannot be used by a jeweler to form any durable and beautiful things of his art. Refining is needed...and in the case of silver it begins by heating it to its melting point... Turn on the heat!
What then is the affliction for you and for me when we already are serving our Lord? What was it for these three?
"And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Dan 3:23-25
The fire destroyed that which bound them!
In the things of God who might we suppose to be the refiner? The jeweler?
Is the dross like the chaff here?
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt 3:11-12
As with the refiner's silver, the unquenchable fire "burns up or destroys the waste particles", purifying us, cleaning us up.
Just being clean however is the not end of the process, is it? Both unclean and clean animals were saved from the flood. What does it required to be moved up to the top? No more beasts? All burned up?
Properly attired... armoured even? Filled with what? Perhaps with the Holy Spirit? Having the Word of God written in our hearts? So what is left when the dross or chaff or garbage of the old men of us has all been burned up, destroyed!
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:@amadeus Thank-you; good thoughts there from Scripture.
There is also a passage in Malachi about refining, in a similar vein.
@amadeus Yes, this is the passage I was thinking of, thanks."But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness" Mal 3:2-3
The literal refiners fire is yet to come at the second coming of Jesus Christ, and all men's works will be tried by this refiners fire, only the righteous will pass through this fire to the Eternal KingdomI am no silver smith, but consider the processing of silver to make it pure:
"When heat is applied, all the impurities embedded in the silver float to the top where it is skimmed off. These impurities, called dross, must be removed for the silver to be used properly. Every time the silver is heated, there is less and less dross until finally you have a pure product. If the silver is not pure the jeweler cannot use it." [copied from the Internet]
The heat is applied to the silver to eliminate or burn up or have removed the waste particles within the silver which are weakening and dulling it so that it cannot be used by a jeweler to form any durable and beautiful things of his art. Refining is needed...and in the case of silver it begins by heating it to its melting point... Turn on the heat!
What then is the affliction for you and for me when we already are serving our Lord? What was it for these three?
"And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Dan 3:23-25
The fire destroyed that which bound them!
In the things of God who might we suppose to be the refiner? The jeweler?
Is the dross like the chaff here?
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt 3:11-12
As with the refiner's silver, the unquenchable fire "burns up or destroys the waste particles", purifying us, cleaning us up.
Just being clean however is the not end of the process, is it? Both unclean and clean animals were saved from the flood. What does it required to be moved up to the top? No more beasts? All burned up?
Properly attired... armoured even? Filled with what? Perhaps with the Holy Spirit? Having the Word of God written in our hearts? So what is left when the dross or chaff or garbage of the old men of us has all been burned up, destroyed!
@TLHKAJ I think we can grasp the experiential side of what this text really means when the keep "looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross" (Hebrews 12).I know I wasn't tagged, but this is good stuff ....very encouraging reminder....
Lol, it’s already the Lords day here in the U.K. ( 5:20 in the morning here xx)@Rita Thanks for the 'like'; I find myself coming back again and again to Malachi's little prophecy.
Hope you have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow...
@Rita Oh you guys are in such a hurry.... :)Lol, it’s already the Lords day here in the U.K. ( 5:20 in the morning here xx)
I believe Australia is really in a hurry, it must be way later on the Lords day there xxx@Rita Oh you guys are in such a hurry.... :)
@Rita We were in Alaska....which is waaaay behind.... :)I believe Australia is really in a hurry, it must be way later on the Lords day there xxx