“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.
Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”
Malachi 3:3-4
Last time we heard the beginning of the Good News: a messenger would clear the way for the Messenger. And the intense news: He will be like bleach and fire, refining His people individually and corporately to create a pure Bride. Today we continue on with this Refiner.
“And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver”
Sit is yashab – to sit, remain, dwell; refiner is tsaraph from last time: to smelt, refine, test, cast, refiner, founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away. Here purifier of silver is taher – to be clean, pure, purge, become clean, pronounce him clean, purified; and silver is keseph – money, silver.
He will dwell among them as one who refines silver, purging what’s needed…
Whenever Christ is referred to as sitting, it makes me pause. The idea that He’s seated at the right hand of God in heaven reflects One in confident control of things. Not anxiously pacing, not running to keep up with the world spinning out of control. Remaining, dwelling with His Father, both intimately aware of the pain of living and supremely confident in the redemption of all things.
“He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver…”
Here purify is taher again, but refining is a different verb: zaqaq – to refine, purify, distill; fine, pour down, purge; to strain, extract, clarify.
It seems taher has more to do with cleaning and zaqaq with refining. It makes me thing of something already good, like water, in which we continue to extract whatever isn’t best until it’s as clear as it can be. Fine, pure, distilled water, like a mountain stream.
And who is He refining? The Levites, those workers in Temple.
“That they may offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness…”
We have seen these words before as Malachi’s prophetic song has targeted the priests. Offer is nagash – to draw near, approach, bring offered, present, stand, touch; offerings is minchah – gift, tribute, offering, sacrifice [bloodless and voluntary]; and righteousness is tsedaqah – right, merit; honesty, justice, righteous, vindication.
I appreciate that chapters one and two outline the issues God has with Temple sacrifice. And while He offers ways to make it right (offering the best of the flock and harvest, not treating wives with contempt), His ultimate answer is in this Messenger Who will cleanse and refine. Who will take out hearts of stone and give hearts of flesh, ready to obey His will.
“…and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”
Here will be acceptable is arab – to be sweet or pleasing, pleasant, to be agreeable; days of old is olam – antiquity, always, forevermore; and former years is qadmoni – former, eastern; ancients, things of the past; same as qedem – aforetime, before, east end, everlasting; the front, of place (relatively the East) or time (antiquity)…
Because of this Messenger’s refinement, His people’s voluntary sacrifice will once again be pleasant to Him. Like before the kingdom splitting, the exile, and reaping what they’d sown. And for us, back to Eden, walking before Him without shame.
But then again, this Messenger-born-teeny-babe was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. El Olam, God of antiquity, the Everlasting One. Ready with the cure before we knew we were gravely ill. In the flesh Sacrifice before a sacrificial Temple system was ever enacted. And One Who knew the number of hairs on each of our heads before being born with his own locks and soft spot, cradled and cooed over.
May we celebrate this Refiner today.