“The Refiner’s Fire: Punishment or Promise?” Malachi 2.17-3.7
Rev. Rosemary Noga Welton
It’s been a long summer, and here we are at the last Sunday of minor prophets. We’ve learned about: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and the last book, Malachi.
Today, we end our series with the final prophet of the Hebrew Scriptures: Malachi. Unlike the earlier prophets, Malachi isn’t writing about external enemies and the threat of exile. The writer (the book is called “Malachi,” or “My messenger” in Hebrew – not a personal name) is concerned about two issues:
- Sincere worship of the Lord (vs going through the motions)
- Social Justice
Listen for these two themes as we hear God’s word from the prophet Malachi. (Read Malachi 2.17-3.7)
17You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
1See, I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple suddenly. As for the messenger of the covenant that you desire—he is already coming. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can hold out when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will act like a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5Then I will step forward to contend against you; I will act as a relentless accuser against those who have no fear of me: who practice sorcery, who commit adultery, who swear falsely; against those who cheat hired workers in their wages, who subvert the cause of the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
6For I am the Lord – I have not changed; and you are the children of Jacob – you have not perished. 7Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned away from my laws and have not kept them. Turn back to me, and I will turn back to you, says the Lord of hosts.
The prophet was writing around 400 BCE – after the people of Israel had returned from exile and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. Malachi saw both good and bad in the people. Yes, the temple worship was happening, but both the priests and the people were acting out the letter of the law without the spirit of true worship. And the people were mistreating the most vulnerable of society: subverting the cause of the widows & orphans, cheating hired workers, thrusting aside aliens & strangers
Malachi calls the people to return to a life that honors God and cares for one other. The prophet describes a “refiner’s fire” that will destroy impurities and purify the people, so they can worship and live in righteousness.
As I reflected on the image of a refining fire, I wondered:
Is it a punishment to be afraid of?
Or is it a promise to be embraced?
We’ve all seen images of iron being smelted – glowing red as it’s poured from the oven. Here, the prophet talks about refining gold and silver, which usually comes mixed with lead. The mixture is heated to a temperature of 1,450 F. The silver and gold remain in their elemental form, while the lead oxidizes and is removed. Imagine how pure the silver and gold are – that they can withstand such intense heat and still maintain their form!
Well, I’m not interested in being “refined” that way! So, what does the refiner’s fire mean in our lives? Let’s look back at the text from Malachi for insight. In the last verse we read, the Lord talks about “turning”:
Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned away from my laws and have not kept them. Turn back to me, and I will turn back to you, says the Lord of hosts.
What is this “turning” all about? In the Hebrew scriptures, this is the word for repentence. The people are headed in their own way – they’ve turned away from the Lord & the way they should live. And the Lord calls them to turn back to the rich, meaningful life that God intends for them. So, as the people turn back to the Lord, the Lord will purify and refine them.
Then they will live “in righteousness” – loving the Lord with all their being – loving and serving their neighbors
But I keep thinking about this “refiner’s fire” thing, and when it happened in my own life. Probably you have a “refiner’s fire” story of your own – a time when you were called to turn back to the life God intended for you. For me, it began when I felt a call to ministry. Members of my church saw gifts for ministry in me. We all love to hear about what we’re good at, but among those voices were hints that other things were getting in the way of my gifts. Those voices were hard to hear, and even harder to accept and deal with.
So, off I went to Princeton Seminary, ready to learn! I knew the academic subjects would be tough, but I didn’t expect to learn so much about myself.
Entering a new field in mid-life is always challenging. I’d been a successful musician and teacher, but none of that prepared me for my seminary studies. Struggling to find my place, I bounced from one interpersonal conflict to another. My fellow students and faculty saw that I was capable, but my attitude and behavior were getting in the way of developing my gifts.
During my second year, we sang “How Firm a Foundation” in chapel one morning. It’s been a favorite of mine for years, but when I got to the verse about the refining fire, I heard it in a new way:
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
I remember thinking “This is the refiner’s fire!” – this personal struggle to be the person God wants me to be. That realization helped me see more clearly what was happening. And I began to turn… I turned to trusted friends and teachers, to David, to a pastoral counselor, and to the Lord. Who did you turn to, when God showed you the refining work you needed to do? Who was encouraging and patient with you? Who was able to say the hard things that you needed to hear?
This painful work helps us recognize and turn away from things that get in the way of our gifts. Turning back to the Lord as the source of all we are – that helps us let go of behaviors that are hurtful to others and ourselves. It’s like the Lord is refining us, and showing us a new image of ourselves. You can see yourself as God’s beloved child and that feels good!
Now, before this starts to sound like some heroic tale, let’s confess that God’s refining work is still going on in all of our lives. Those of you who know me well have seen the “know it all expert” side of me, or how easily a sarcastic, cutting comment can escape my lips. Hopefully you’ve also seen the how the Lord is working in my life and yours, to purify our gifts and make us better servants! This is the promise in the words of Malachi – a promise worth embracing!
So, what was the impact of Malachi’s prophecy in its time? As the final book of the Hebrew scriptures, it pointed forward to the day of the Lord’s coming.
For four hundred years following its writing, one promise was especially cherished by the people of Israel. That was the promise of the Lord’s return to the temple – the hope that Israel would once again be free from the oppressive powers that dominated them. The people waited for “the messenger of the covenant”, as Malachi wrote:
1See, I am sending my messenger to clear the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple suddenly. As for the messenger of the covenant that you desire—he is already coming.
In fact, the Christian scriptures begin with the arrival of John the Baptist. John said he was “the messenger,” the one to “prepare the way of the Lord.” If that sounds suspiciously like Malachi, you’re right! That got the attention of the religious leaders, who questioned John closely. Could this be the long-expected messenger who would usher in the day of the Lord’s coming?
Yes – but not in the way the people expected. Jesus came to reestablish God’s reign in human hearts, not in political power. And Jesus needed to continue the purifying – the “refiner’s fire” – that the Lord promised in Malachi. Remember this familiar image of Jesus from the Gospels?
His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
It’s easy to hear those words as threats – as punishment: “Look out, or Jesus is gonna burn you up!” Is that what the scripture means?
After thinking about the refiner’s fire in Malachi, I hear those words in a new way. Jesus knows we are God’s precious ones – created in God’s image, given gifts of incredible value. Jesus wants us to live the full, rich life God intends – loving God and serving others. But there’s stuff that’s getting in the way, so Jesus wants to help us unburden ourselves. Remember his invitation: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
This morning, dear friends, Jesus’ offer is for each of us. These aren’t burdens that are forced upon us – these are burdens we carry to try to cope with the world and its demands. Burdens we’re not even aware of, but they are hanging on us, weighing us down, diminishing the power of our God-given gifts.
Can we ask God for the courage to confront our burdens, to let Jesus refine our gifts, so we shine like precious silver or gold?
I invite you now to a time of prayer and reflection, as you consider how God wants to refine you.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes. That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
