Zechariah 13.9 9 And I will put this third into the fire,
and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.
Out of the pan into the fire. I don’t pretend to
understand all of Zehariah’s prophecy. I’m not sure who he is talking to or
about. Is this prophecy about Israel after the Exile or is it future from that?
Parts of it seem to be very futuristic while other parts are not. One thing is
for sure, I understand it is about God’s dealing with His people through
His Messiah. And the bodies of many of them will be scattered about Palestine.
(According to Zechariah 13.8 about two thirds of the people will perish and
only one third will survive what killed the other two thirds.)
And the remaining third will go through some really tough
times.
I firmly believe the Bible is comprised of God’s word written
to two different people groups: the Jews with whom He got is all started, and the
Gentiles whom He reached out to when the Jews spurned His offer.
In the midst of all this the Church was born and those
who make up the Church are called the Bride of Christ. They too are the people
of God but with a different distinction. And purpose. The Church is comprised
of both Jewish believers and Gentiles. And God deals with the Church
differently than He does with His people the Jews. It’s His prerogative to do
so.
In Zechariah the prophecy pertains to the Jews. Israel in this particular time will lose about two thirds of their population to war
(or invasion) while a third will remain. And the third which remains will be
subjected to some very tough times in order to make their faith strong. You don’t really know what you believe until
your belief is tested. Or challenged. This will be the way it goes at some
point for God’s people the Jews.
For the rest of us, God’s people the Church, there are
times of testing as well; we’re not exempt. God designed us all to come to know
Him and those who believe God will test through tough times; not so He knows who we are, but so that we know who we are. Times of testing
will come. Times of: out-of-the-pan-into-the-fire will come for all of us; our
faith is that precious.
As I read this I think about me (of course, shouldn’t I?)
and I think about the times of testing I’ve gone through and I then think about
today: a time of testing. Today, the time of testing will reveal to me where my
heart is today; when there is (relatively) little pressure. I don’t know where
the day will lead but I must know where my heart is today. I must know if it’s
true.
Recently I read this: God
will judge us not according to how much we endured, but how much we could love.
How much I love today will be a pretty good indicator of how much I trust
today, and that will be determined by the test – today (whatever it happens to
be).
And my prayer: Search
me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be
any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
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