Context No. 3675 of 4322 · Malachi

Malachi 3:1-5: in context

1“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says the LORD of Armies. 2“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap; 3and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to the LORD offerings in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD as in the days of old and as in ancient years. 5I will come near to you to judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says the LORD of Armies.

Malachi promises a messenger to prepare the way, and then the Lord himself, the messenger of the covenant, coming suddenly to his temple. But the coming is not only joyful: who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

The Lord comes not only to save but to purify, and purifying is not painless. He will sit as a refiner of silver, purifying his people as gold and silver are refined, burning away the impurities. This is a picture of how God often works in us: not always gently, but as a refiner, applying heat to remove what is worthless and leave what is pure. And a refiner watches the metal closely and lifts it from the fire at just the right moment. God's purifying work in our lives, though it may feel like fire, is the loving, attentive work of a refiner who wants to bring out the pure gold in us. And he comes as a swift witness against injustice, especially against those who oppress the weak.

Do I welcome God's refining work in my life, trusting that even the fire is the attentive, loving work of a refiner who is burning away what is worthless to bring out pure gold?

Sources

Malachi 3:2-3: "For he is like a refiner's fire... and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver."
Malachi 3:1: "The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple... the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming."
Malachi 3:5: "I will be a swift witness against... those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless."