Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:
Thy silver become dross and thy wine mixed with water picture former worth, purity, integrity and righteousness lost through corruption and decline. The images describe Jerusalem's people and society and the city itself as turned from justice and righteousness to violence, corruption, injustice and unfaithful leadership. The once faithful city once full of just judgment where righteousness dwelt had become unfaithful and corrupt, with righteousness replaced by murderers and its value spoiled. Its religion had become worthless, impure and diluted.
Its context charges rebellious princes and rulers with being companions of thieves who love bribes and gifts, chase and follow rewards, and fail to defend orphans and the fatherless and to plead or admit the cause of widows. That corruption was fulfilled by Israel in the time of Christ, especially by its rulers and princes, so that the Lord would settle with His adversaries and enemies and avenge Himself upon them. Yet Christ still pleaded with the rebellious and wept over the beloved city and its lost peace.
Its context warns that continued refusal and rebellion lead to being destroyed and devoured by the sword, while willingness and obedience bring complete forgiveness that makes scarlet guilt white as snow and enjoyment of the bounty and good of the land. The same corruption condemns the alcohol trade and its sellers and authorizers as bloodstained with hands full of blood, who must wash themselves, stop evil, learn goodness, seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans and plead for widows. Otherwise they will be consumed with wrongdoers like withering foliage of an oak whose leaf fades and like burning fiber and tow with no one to extinguish it.
As a general principle the silver and wine stand for precious principles and sacred truth, and the dross and water stand for false ideas, unsound practices, common matter, and personal interests and standards that weaken and dilute what must be kept pure. For individuals it means people given every opportunity to know truth who become defiled by ungodly corruption and show no purification from wrong habits and practices after testing and help. They mingle the sacred with the common by professing truth while acting dishonestly and evasively and not straightforwardly in temporal and spiritual dealings, treating divine mercy as ordinary and missing the value of the supremely valuable pearl. By action they show they have chosen the world's road and cannot bring dishonest practices through the narrow way and constricted entrance.
For churches it means spiritual food that looks acceptable but gives no real strength, as sacred truth weakened and diluted by common matter, leaving householders, editors, teachers and leaders unable to meet the needs of the people and their own necessities. For schools it warns institutions designed to put love and reverence for God and education in them first not to allow such dilution and corruption by false ideas and unsound practices. Education that mixes truth with corrupting practices produces an influence like that of Babylon's wine. For the church it means pure truth is disfigured and brought into disrepute when mingled with personal interests and standards, as seen in careless Sabbath observance and tolerated conduct.
The impure dross must be cast away, and God's Word acts like fire to cleanse it. This calls for clearing rubbish and trash from the mind, walking carefully before God, and keeping the Word pure and unmixed.
Thy silver become dross and thy wine mixed with water picture former worth, purity, integrity and righteousness lost through corruption and decline. The images describe Jerusalem's people and society and the city itself as turned from justice and righteousness to violence, corruption, injustice and unfaithful leadership. The once faithful city once full of just judgment where righteousness dwelt had become unfaithful and corrupt, with righteousness replaced by murderers and its value spoiled. Its religion had become worthless, impure and diluted.
Its context charges rebellious princes and rulers with being companions of thieves who love bribes and gifts, chase and follow rewards, and fail to defend orphans and the fatherless and to plead or admit the cause of widows. That corruption was fulfilled by Israel in the time of Christ, especially by its rulers and princes, so that the Lord would settle with His adversaries and enemies and avenge Himself upon them. Yet Christ still pleaded with the rebellious and wept over the beloved city and its lost peace.
Its context warns that continued refusal and rebellion lead to being destroyed and devoured by the sword, while willingness and obedience bring complete forgiveness that makes scarlet guilt white as snow and enjoyment of the bounty and good of the land. The same corruption condemns the alcohol trade and its sellers and authorizers as bloodstained with hands full of blood, who must wash themselves, stop evil, learn goodness, seek justice, relieve the oppressed, defend orphans and plead for widows. Otherwise they will be consumed with wrongdoers like withering foliage of an oak whose leaf fades and like burning fiber and tow with no one to extinguish it.
As a general principle the silver and wine stand for precious principles and sacred truth, and the dross and water stand for false ideas, unsound practices, common matter, and personal interests and standards that weaken and dilute what must be kept pure. For individuals it means people given every opportunity to know truth who become defiled by ungodly corruption and show no purification from wrong habits and practices after testing and help. They mingle the sacred with the common by professing truth while acting dishonestly and evasively and not straightforwardly in temporal and spiritual dealings, treating divine mercy as ordinary and missing the value of the supremely valuable pearl. By action they show they have chosen the world's road and cannot bring dishonest practices through the narrow way and constricted entrance.
For churches it means spiritual food that looks acceptable but gives no real strength, as sacred truth weakened and diluted by common matter, leaving householders, editors, teachers and leaders unable to meet the needs of the people and their own necessities. For schools it warns institutions designed to put love and reverence for God and education in them first not to allow such dilution and corruption by false ideas and unsound practices. Education that mixes truth with corrupting practices produces an influence like that of Babylon's wine. For the church it means pure truth is disfigured and brought into disrepute when mingled with personal interests and standards, as seen in careless Sabbath observance and tolerated conduct.
The impure dross must be cast away, and God's Word acts like fire to cleanse it. This calls for clearing rubbish and trash from the mind, walking carefully before God, and keeping the Word pure and unmixed.