Chapter 3 · Encounter 32 of 48
The Fire That Purifies
Prepare
Prophets sometimes use the image of fire to describe the work of God. It can sound alarming. As you read, notice what the fire is meant to accomplish, and what God intends for his people when the refining is complete.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
Mal. 3:1-4
1“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
2But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
Heb. 12:28-29
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Ponder
- Malachi describes God as a refiner's fire and a fuller's soap. What is the purpose of each image? What do they suggest about God's intentions toward his people?
- Hebrews describes God as a “consuming fire” and calls us to worship with reverence and awe. How does this deepen the picture of God's holiness in Malachi? What do these passages reveal about both the seriousness of his judgment and his desire to purify his people?
Look Again
Did you notice who is being purified in Malachi 3:3 3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, Mal. 3:3
The refining isn't an end in itself. It prepares a people to offer true worship. How does that deepen your understanding of what God is doing when he refines us?
Practice
Return to Malachi 3:2–3 2But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, Mal. 3:2-3
Reflect on a difficulty or season of correction in your life. Ask God to bring to your attention an attitude, habit, or desire that does not reflect his holy character. Write down one honest observation, and offer it to God.
Rather than trying to excuse it or immediately resolve it through your own effort, bring it honestly before him. Consider how the Shepherd might be purifying and shaping you through it.
Prayer
Ask God to refine you. Ask for his grace to cleanse and reshape that part of your life. Tell him where you fear the cost, and thank him that his purposes are for your good and for true worship.