Greetings to you all greatly beloved of God in Christ Jesus. Welcome to another beautiful day in the second month of the year 2021. We are thankful to God for preserving our lives each new day and for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.
In our today’s episode 635, we shall continue with the study of Malachi Chapter 3 titled:
A Refiner’s Fire And A Fuller’s Soap. What Do These Words Mean?
Remember in our previous post, I promised I was going to explain the meaning of some words expressed by Prophet Malachi shared from Malachi 3:2-4, where the Prophet spoke using some figurative expressions. Let’s quickly look at the verses again:
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. Source: Malachi 3:2-4 King James Version
Recall in the beginning of chapter 2 that Malachi had earlier rebuked the Priests and the people of Israel about how they have been dishonouring God in their mode of worship and conduct. They were doing the exact opposite of the covenant made with their forefathers in the Levite lineage.
In those days, their forefathers feared and honoured God. They not only did what was right themselves, they also taught their people to do what was right. Unfortunately, the generation Prophet Malachi was addressing in his message did not do all that. They were the disobedient type, corrupting the mind of the people against God, offering terrible sacrifices and offerings, perverting justice, and in the process dishonouring God.
It is the duty of men of God to teach the rightly divided Word of God. People are supposed to go them to learn about God and be connected to Him for a direct relationship. Men of God are not supposed to replace God in the lives of the people. This is exactly what is happening today.
Today, many Priests, Pastors, Prophets, Apostles, etc have turned away from the right path. Their wrong teachings have led many astray and away from God and because of this, they have lost every respect they should have in the presence of the people because they have refused to respect God.
These were the reasons Prophet Malachi decided to warn the people ahead about the coming of God’s Messenger (Christ), whose arrival was to be ushered in by John The Baptist (the first messenger).
And when the second Messenger comes, Prophet Malachi exclaimed who would be able to withstand His coming because of what He was coming to do as listed in Malachi 3:2-4 (read it again.
According to Prophet Malachi, the second Messenger (Christ) was going to execute a purifying judgement and the prophet uses several figures of speech to describe his words as stated below:
The Prophet says, He would sit like a refiner and a fuller.
Like a strong soap.
Like a fire that refines metal.
Like a silver smith who refines and purifies silver.
Like a metal worker who refines silver and gold
Pay attention to this please: The Purifier was not coming to pamper or flatter these Priests. Rather, His mission was to refine them and make them a better vessel that could be used by God so they would stop embarrassing God here and there.
Hence, the reason he says in verse 3 that “He would sit like a refiner and fuller…”
If we understand how a refiner or fuller performs his works, we will agree that Malachi had carefully chosen the right figures of speech to convey his message.
Growing up in the 80’s, I remember we have had a fuller as a neighbour.
Each time I passed through the front of his house, I would see him busy with his work, pounding these clothes (made of strong wools) with a wooden hammer or stick to remove impurities and the clothes would become whiter and be fit for the next occasion. Because this man always did a very good job, a lot of people usually patronised him.
I am not really sure if we still have Fullers these days using that method, because my experience happened in the 80’s. The clothes people wear these days cannot be purified in such manner. They will tear up immediately. However, I have seen in movies where some Fullers have moved from using woods to using soaps and hitting the heavy clothes with their legs to make the clothes look cleaner or whiter.
Unfortunately, and fortunately, technology has taken over all these activities and we now use washing machines. In fact, instead of Fullers, we now see a lot of dry-cleaning services everywhere.
Again, similar to the experience I had with the Fuller, while growing up in those days in the western part of Africa, I have been opportune to visit a few Blacksmith workshops, where I have seen them blowing their bellows to heat up metals, hitting these metals and shaping them carefully to form materials and tools for suitable uses. Through this technique, I have seen how cutlases, hoes, knives, swords, traps etc were made.
One common thing I have observed about both Fuller and Blacksmith is that they would sit patiently working on their items until everything was completed. They were never in rush.
In the same way, I think there were a lot of Fullers and Silver or Blacksmiths during Malachi’s time too, which is why he was able to pick those terms to drive home his points.
The purifier would sit patiently, fixing his eye on the metal. He would ensure the fire is not too hot to the point of destroying the metal thereby keeping the metal in proper shape until he knows the impurities have been completely removed.
How does the Purifier know the work has been completed and the metal is ready for use?
The metal will glow in such a way that it becomes like a mirror whereby He could see His reflected image on it.
Apostle Paul understands this principle perfectly and that’s why he says in Romans 8:29 that:
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (KJV)
Read more here: Job 23:10; Psalm 66:10; Proverb 17:3; Isaiah 48:10; Heb 12:10; 1Peter 1:7.
Therefore, the terms soap, fire, hammer, furnace etc all point to one thing – Purification through His Word.
The Purifier would come and subject these erring Priests and their conducts to the fiery test of God’s soul-searching Word (Heb 12:4), in order to get rid of errors, deceits and various sins and the outcome will be a vessel suitable for the Master’s use.
No wonder King Solomon says in Proverbs 25:4
Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel.
Until God sits upon and prepares a person for His assignment, such a person will not be fit for His use.
Many Preachers these days have not allowed God to sit on them, purify and refine them. They are only in the ministry for the fame, money, and power and that’s why they misbehave and act like God in the lives of the people they lead. The reason is because, they joined the ministry work for the wrong reasons.
So, Christ is already carrying out the separation process, separating the godly from the ungodly and this is going to continue until the final separation on the last day. Please read Mt 25:31–46.
Remember Prophet Zechariah and Isaiah also preached about this too in Zech. 13:8-9 and Isaiah 1:25 respectively.
This exercise is not an easy task. Remember that the purer the metal, the hotter the fire. To whom much is given, much is expected.
No wonder the Prophet says, who will be able to withstand His coming…?
Observe a hen sitting on her eggs in order to hatch them. At the end of the day, out of about 20 eggs for example, it may be only 15 that would be hatched eventually, because the remaining 5 have been affected by external factors such as:
Someone came to touch it.
One of the eggs rolled out.
A predator crawled in and took some.
And many other factors.
If you want God to purify you and make you worthy of His use, remain in Him and keep on studying His Word and allow His Word to perform the function it was sent to do.
The remaining part of Chapter 3 is all about tithe payment, which I will be dealing with in our subsequent post.
To be continued… stay tuned and stay blessed.
Let’s pray:
I declare concerning everyone reading this message that the Lord God will concentrate his attention upon your life, shaping you to conform to His divine purpose and you will remain in Him to fulfil that purpose, in Jesus name.
No matter what the world may turn into, I declare you will never roll away from under God’s arm of protection, in Jesus name.
Every resource you need for you to become who God wants you to become, receive it, in Jesus name.
Please decree this upon yourself: I will never roll out of God’s arm of protection, preparation and care. I am in Christ and Christ is in me. I am full of His sufficiency. Amen.
Bible Readings For Today: Mark Chapters 7 to 16 with Psalm 18:25-50; 19 & 20
I call you blessed now and always.
Thursday February 4, 2021 (DDMI)
