“The crucible for silver and the furnace for the gold, but the Lord tests hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3 NIV)
Shortly after high school, I spent a year as a jeweler’s apprentice. It was a challenging and fascinating job. I met interesting people. I handled high value merchandise. I learned a lot about fine metal manufacturing. Turns out that pure gold is far too soft to wear without an alloy added. Unfortified, the precious metal dents and wears away at an alarming rate, so gold is mixed with lesser metals (zinc, copper, nickel, iron, cadmium, silver, platinum or palladium) to strengthen it for wearability. There are industry standards for this alloy ratio and you are likely already familiar with them: 10k, 14k and 18k. The higher the number, the greater the gold content. Also, the metal is softer and more valuable.
In the shop where I work, when we would begin the manufacture of a piece, we would start with refined gold and mix our own alloys in, assuring that the karat stamp was accurate. Typically, we purchased refined gold from a manufacturer; known as gold bullion. Occasionally, we refined our own gold: which involved gathering alloyed pieces and superheating them in a stone crucible with a blowtorch until every non-gold particle had burnt off. Gold can withstand an exceedingly high temperature that many other metals cannot. I so wish I had a picture of me participating in this process, but cell phones didn’t have cameras back in 1998. 🙂
As an apprentice, I remember refining as a very hot and uncomfortable task. We did this work in the basement of an old bank building where the natural air temperature was typically cooler, but the blowtorch heated things up considerably. I wore a massive welding mask and industrial oven mitts to protect my eyes and hands as I worked. The weight and pressure and risk of the blowtorch was considerable. This was not an easy process and I was only the refiner. I wasn’t on the receiving end of the fire; glowing bright as the blight burned off.
It occurs to me this morning that the refining process is not about adding value as much as it is about restoring value. This is true for gold: refinement does not result in more gold, but purer gold. It is true in us as well: refinement does not increase our value in God’s eyes, it restores our purity. Refinement returns us to our original God-ordained image.
Refinement is disagreeable but needful. Over time and wear gold gets alloyed and soldered; gunked up by daily wear and tear. The below torch brings it back to original beauty and value. Our refinement in the fire of God’s presence is similarly agonizing and essential. We require His purification even though it’s terribly uncomfortable. He is restoring us to our created state and ultimately, it is a beautiful thing.
“I will remind them like silver and test them like gold. They will call my name and I will answer them; I will says, ‘They are my people,” and they will say “The Lord is our God.” (Zechariah 13:9 NIV)
Lord, we don’t like the process of refinement but we are glad for the results. Help us to see the need and cooperate with the Kingdom agenda. May we refuse to pull back from the heat of Your fire, determined to look more like You. Amen.