撒迦利亚书
13:1 那日必给大卫家和耶路撒冷的居民、开一个泉源、洗除罪恶与污秽。
13:2 万军之耶和华说、那日我必从地上除灭偶像的名、不再被人记念。也必使这地不再有假先知与污秽的灵。
13:3 若再有人说预言、生他的父母必对他说、你不得存活、因为你托耶和华的名说假预言、生他的父母、在他说预言的时候、要将他刺透。
13:4 那日凡作先知说预言的、必因他所论的异象羞愧、不再穿毛衣哄骗人。
13:5 他必说、我不是先知、我是耕地的。我从幼年作人的奴仆。
13:6 必有人问他说、你两臂中间是甚么伤呢。他必回答说、这是我在亲友家中所受的伤。
13:7 万军之耶和华说、刀剑哪、应当兴起、攻击我的牧人、和我的同伴。击打牧人、羊就分散。我必反手加在微小者的身上。
13:8 耶和华说、这全地的人、三分之二、必剪除而死、三分之一仍必存留。
13:9 我要使这三分之一经火、熬炼他们、如熬炼银子、试炼他们、如试炼金子。他们必求告我的名、我必应允他们。我要说、这是我的子民。他们也要说、耶和华是我们的 神。1
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February 9
The Dross Purged
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:9)
Grace transmutes us into precious metal, and then the fire and the furnace follows as a necessary consequence. Do we start at this? Would we sooner be accounted worthless, that we might enjoy repose, like the stones of the field! This would be to choose the viler part—like Esau, to take the pottage and give up the covenant portion. No, Lord; we will gladly be cast into the furnace rather than be cast out from Thy presence!
The fire only refines; it does not destroy. We are to be brought through the fire, not left in it. The Lord values His people as silver, and therefore He is at pains to purge away their dross. If we are wise, we shall rather welcome the refining process than decline it. Our prayer will be that our alloy may be taken from us rather than that we should be withdrawn from the crucible.
O Lord, Thou triest us indeed! We are ready to melt under the fierceness of the flame. Still, this is Thy way, and Thy way is the best. Sustain us under the trial and complete the process of our purifying, and we will be Thine forever and ever.
Spurgeon: Faith’s Cheque Book ↩︎