Zechariah 13:9
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
God brings a remnant of His people through the fire of trial to refine and test their faith as silver and gold are refined. The refining burns away dross, earthliness and selfishness until selfish love is replaced by Christ's unselfish love shining from them. He Himself oversees the work, watches every test, hears those who call on His name, and keeps, comforts and protects them even in their greatest peril. Those who submit patiently without murmuring are acknowledged as His people, confess Him as their God, and receive strength and grace to reveal Him to others. This purifying applies both to past disappointment that separated true believers from the worthless drift and to the final time of trouble when the tried and faithful will come forth as tested gold.
Refining Fire Purifies
God brings the third part through the fire and refines and tries them as silver is refined and as gold is tried, and this testing of faith applies to every Christian. It proves strength and purifies from what is wrong.
The refining purges dross and earthliness and selfish, impure love from soul and body, consuming what is worthless and burning selfishness out of love. Selfish love is to be exchanged for the unselfish love that comes from Jesus. The furnace consumes the dross and brightens the gold, so that earthliness is removed, divine love shines through, and Christ's image is fully and perfectly reflected. Those thus refined come forth purified, more precious than fine gold and than the golden wedge of Ophir, and better fitted for God's work.
These trials are not needless suffering or pain. They bring people near to Jesus, teach trust, strengthen endurance, and lead those who do not rebel to seek God, look to Him, and see His salvation. True grace is willing to be searched and to undergo this examining, while reluctance to be examined signals danger. God Himself directs the refining, and Jesus watches each test, knowing what trials are needed to purify. The work must be personally received by placing oneself in His hands and standing firm for Him and in working for Him against anything that hinders.
When His people depart from Him and resist light and warnings, He brings them through fire to refine and try them. The fire is correction from above, not to destroy life but in earnest to save and preserve life for another chance to turn to Him with full purpose of heart. He lets the fire speak to see whether they will learn the lesson He desires to teach or counterwork His providence. Those who do not make the exchange from selfish to unselfish love will feel the chastening fire until the refining is complete, and this rebuke and chastening is Christ's love calling them to be zealous and repent.
God Hears His People
Those who pass through the refining fire call upon the divine name, and the promise is that they will be heard. The divine eye remains upon them in the furnace, watching over them, listening to their cries, and comforting and protecting them in their time of peril. In that extremity angels are sent to comfort and protect them against fierce assault and terrible delusion.
Those who were deceived and tempted and betrayed into sin, and led into sin, are not cast off when they return with true repentance. Love toward them in their severest trial is as strong and tender as in their sunniest prosperity.
The covenant is then affirmed on both sides, with God declaring them His people and they declaring the Lord their God. Those who yield to the refining receive strength and grace and power, are made to see divine salvation, and impart that grace to those around them in pleasant words and kindly deeds. The tried and faithful refrain from murmuring at the trial, submit patiently to the purifying process deemed needful for them, call upon the divine name, and wait with patient hope for the Saviour to redeem them as His own people.
Past and Final Applications
The bitter disappointment was the trying ordeal intended by the bringing of the third part through the fire to purge dross and refine as silver and gold are refined. It was sent to purge and purify the waiting people by revealing and separating a mass of worthless drift drawn into the advent faith on the evidence of others. That separation distinguished mere adherents from true believers and earnest workers. Those thus refined do not murmur at the trial but submit patiently to the purifying process deemed needful for them, call on His name, and wait with patient hope for the Saviour to redeem His tried and faithful ones as His people.
In the time of peril and trouble Satan fiercely assaults them with terrible delusions, yet those who were deceived, tempted and betrayed into sin but have returned with true repentance are not cast off. God keeps His eye upon them, listens to their cries, and sends His angels to comfort and protect them. Their affliction is great and the flames of the furnace seem about to consume them, but God as the Refiner brings them through the fire and forth like tested gold. His love for His children in their severest trial is as strong and tender as in their sunniest prosperity, yet the furnace is needful to consume their earthliness so that the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected. Near the end of this earth's history those carrying forward God's work in the missionary work of the last days must labor with much more self-sacrifice than before, with sacrifice at every step of advance, and by passing through trial they are purified and refined.