REFINING
SILVER
The churches of Christ Greet You
(Romans 16:16)
1. There was a group of women
in a Bible
study on the book of Malachi.
2. As they were studying
chapter three, they
came across verse three, which says:
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver."
3. This verse puzzled the women
a. and they wondered
what this statement meant
b. about the character
and nature of God.
1.
One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining
silver
2. and get back to the group at their next
Bible study.
4. That week this woman called up a
silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.
a. She didn't
mention anything about the reason
for her interest in silver
b. beyond her
curiosity about the process of
refining silver.
5. As she watched the silversmith,
a. he held a
piece of silver over the fire and
let it heat up.
b. He explained
that in refining silver,
1. one needed to
hold the silver
in the middle of the fire
2. where the
flames were hottest
3. so as to bum
away all the
impurities.
6. The woman thought about God
holding us in
such a hot spot –
a. then she
thought again about the verse,
b. that He sits
as a refiner and purifier of
silver.
7. She asked the silversmith if it
was true
a. that he had
to sit there in front of the fire
b. the whole
time the silver was being refined.
8. The man answered that yes,
a. he not only
had to sit there holding the
silver,
b. but he had to
keep his eyes on the silver the
entire time it was in the fire.
1. If the silver
was left even a
moment too long in the flames,
2. it would be
destroyed.
9. The woman was silent for a moment.
a. Then she
asked the silversmith,
b. "How do you
know when the silver is
fully refined?"
10. He smiled at her and answered,
a. "Oh, that's
easy.
b. When I see my
image in it."
11. If today you are feeling the heat of the
fire,
a. remember that
you are in God's hand,
b. He has His
eye on you,
1. and He will
keep holding you
and watching you
2. until He sees
His image in
you.