A group of women were in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were
studying Chapter Three, they came across verse three, which says:
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant
about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver
and get back to the group at their next Bible study. The woman called up a
silversmith to make an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention
anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity
about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he
held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that,
in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire
where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot -- then she
thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of
silver -- She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there
in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man
answered yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to
keep his eye on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the
silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith,
"How do
you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy... When I see my image in it."