Walk With God

The Dross of Silver

Dan

It was my observation in Ezekiel 22 that the message of Elohim becomes resolute. Bad stuff is at your doorstep. God tells His people that their defiance is soon to stop. Justice is the only remaining path. God tells us: I have offered you grace and mercy repeatedly. It is still on the table, but your defiance has hardened your heart. Only justice remains. You did this to yourself. I did not cause your troubles. You did!

These people were fully aware that Nebuchadnezzar was on the road. The Hebrews started moving from the hills toward the city for protection. They gathered together in the City of God—the city with walls that had never been defeated. They believed they were coming to a place of absolute safety. But then they find out they have gathered together for destruction. They were piling into a crucible, a forge, that was to hammer out all the dross from them. They are trapped by the very walls that were supposed to be their sanctuary.

Ezekiel 22:18-22 says: “Son of man, the people of Israel have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Jerusalem. As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath on you.” (NIV)

If you meditate on the notion of the City of God and all that it was intended to be, this is indeed a sad message. The melancholy is intense. The various turns of rebellion are defined in metaphors, and the use of the concept of dross is incredibly powerful. They are to be consumed in fire. If you take some time and review the message presented in Psalm 119:113-120, you will see a very similar theme.

Notice the declination of the source of dross, moving from the finer metals down to the common base metals. This appears to represent the wide strata of sin and worldviews present among the Hebrew people. These people were clearly dull of mind. The dross tells us of the dirt, the rubbish, and the useless nature of their thinking and lifestyle. It shows the vile nature of their degenerate thought leaders, and the contemptible reach of their influence to drag others down into their pit. All of this is dross compared to the holiness of Elohim. Hence, they have become useless for any service to man, and they are only suitable as firewood. These are hard words for me to write. I shudder because we deserve this same fate. May the mercy of God truly be everlasting. Selah.

We see the full wrath of Elohim defined in terms they understand. His wrath is kindled in a furnace—the very city Elohim established for them to be a candle on a candle stand. Now they are contained within a raging fire, soon to be destroyed, never to be seen again at the level of culture and beauty that God intended for them. This honor is moved to a new group, the Church, through a new covenant of grace. Elohim plans to rebuild again. His point is clear: He is full of mercy, but He will not be dismissed.

His mercy is forever, yet He requires honesty, walking in mercy, walking in humility, and treating others in a just way while showing kindness and forbearance. He delivers blessings in return. Elohim will provide the tools you need to walk with Him. Elohim tells us: I fill you with my Spirit, I write my laws upon your heart with the blood of Jesus, and I provide the ransom necessary to purchase your life.

What do I require from you? Nothing. Please exercise your free will to follow me. That is it. Take my yoke upon yourself and I will give you rest. Lordship and resurrection equal salvation, as noted in Romans 10:9. That is the whole story.  Yield your hearts and Elohim will meet you with an amazing life…

I choose Jesus.

It Is Not Where You Are Looking

Dan

It was my observation while reading the 28th chapter of Job, I noticed a central question that the writer asks: Can wisdom be found outside of God?  Twice, in Job 28:12 and Job 28:20, we read the echoing question, “Where is wisdom?” The short answer is simple: Elohim is the source. True wisdom as a spiritual gift only exists because it is inherent in Elohim and reflects one of his atributes. That is precisely why it cannot be dug up or discovered in the natural world.

While the natural world can and does point us toward wisdom, simply gaining power from natural resources does not make us wise. True wisdom is spiritual, not earthly.  As Colossians 1:9 says: “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom.”

Ultimately, wisdom is about yielding to God and the scripture he has written in our heart so that we may know His will.  We are getting there (close to embracing Elohim’s wisdom) when we are able to see things from his perspective rather than our own perspective.

The Blueprint of Creation

Job 28:24 tells us, “He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” God is omniscient, which means He sees and knows everything. He does not have to search the earth or scan the skies to discover what is there. He already knows it all because He is the very definition of wisdom (as implied in Romans 16:27).

Job 28:25 continues, “When He gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure…” God has the perfect wisdom required to adjust the atmospheric pressure of the wind and measure the exact amount of water vapor in the sky. If these cosmic proportions were changed even a tiny fraction, we would experience catastrophic disturbances in our environment.

Furthermore, Job 28:26-27 states: “…when He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then He saw it and declared it, He established it and searched it out.”

Elohim commands the rain and guides the path of every storm as it moves across the globe. Flashes of lightning and peals of thunder may seem completely random and arbitrary to us, but Elohim controls every single one of them. This shows us that Elohim’s wisdom is applied knowledge.

Trusting the Architect of Our Lives

Elohim’s invisible attributes are woven directly into the fabric of creation. This is especially true of His wisdom, which is clearly demonstrated by how perfectly structured our universe is.

Romans 1:19-20 reminds us: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.”

As Job considered Elohim’s absolute sovereignty over the universe, it caused him to see God’s sovereignty over the painful events in his own life. Even though his current circumstances looked completely chaotic, he looked at how perfectly Elohim orders nature. This realization, I believe, allowed Job to accept that Elohim had permitted everything he was experiencing.

Job saw Elohim ‘s wisdom resting at the very bedrock of creation, enveloping all of life. This wisdom was established at the very beginning of Elohim’s work, as the first of His ancient acts (implied in Proverbs 8:22). Psalm 19:7 confirms this power: “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.”

This is what ultimately led Job to ask for an audience with Elohim. If God can control all of creation—in its vastness, complexity, and majesty—how much easier can He control our individual circumstances? If we can trust Elohim to order all of nature so perfectly, how much more can we trust Him and yield to Him to order our daily lives?

The Only Reasonable Conclusion

We can learn a great deal about wisdom by analyzing Elohim’s sovereignty over physical things. When we do, we arrive at the only logical conclusion. Job 28:28 states: “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.”

The world warns us against relying on our own understanding. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” And 1 Corinthians 3:18 cautions, “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise.”

Earlier in the chapter, Job told us where to find wisdom: it comes from Elohim. But here in verse 28, he tells us what wisdom actually is: fearing God. But what does fearing God really mean? In my final essay on this topic, I want to explore the depth of that famous phrase—the Fear of the Lord.

As for me, I choose Jesus.

Digging in the Dirt

Dan

It was my observation while considering the 28th chapter of Job, a question emerges, should we pursue wisdom? Let us examine this idea as an interesting source of irony. On the surface, the author of Job appears to be commending human ingenuity. But let us take a closer look at Job’s actual thoughts.

We face great danger when we explore the earth and the sky. We work incredibly hard to build tunnels and caves through solid rock and under mountains, and we bring light to the darkest, farthest places on earth. But to what gain? Money? Wealth? I believe these verses can actually be seen as a criticism of our efforts.

Human beings work tirelessly to find material wealth, but expend very little energy to gain spiritual wisdom—even though wisdom is far more valuable than any physical treasure we pursue. This should cause us to ask ourselves: Do we truly see value in the pursuit of wisdom?

We always pursue what we value. If we value wisdom, we will gladly invest our time and energy to gain the prize. Because we often see little immediate value in it, we do not pursue it.

I think there is a second reason why we do not search for wisdom, which is implied in Job 28:13. The reason is simple: wisdom cannot be found in the inert, physical resources of the land. There is no physical place in all the world where we can dig up wisdom. We may bring many hidden things to light (as implied in Job 28:11), but there is one thing we cannot uncover on our own, and that is Elohim’s wisdom. We will never find the source of Elohim’s wisdom in material wealth.

Consider how Jesus taught this concept. In Matthew 13, He used familiar earthly situations—like a rebellious son, an annoying neighbor, or an unjust judge—to teach heavenly wisdom. He placed earthly, physical stories alongside eternal realities to illustrate them. When the disciples asked Him in Matthew 13:10, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Jesus replied:

“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand… But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:13-17, NIV)

The core focus here is clear: Elohim’s wisdom is hidden from an impure heart. We cannot find it in the physical elements of the earth. True wisdom is only gained by getting close to Elohim and learning from the Holy Spirit.

The theologian J.I. Packer reminds us that we learn reverence for God through submission. Scripture tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). Packer writes:

“Not till we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty… acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.” (This attitude is beautifully reflected in Nehemiah 1:5, Deuteronomy 7:21, and Jeremiah 20:11).

Job 28:16-19 reminds us that wisdom “cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold” (NIV).

The world often thinks that anything can be obtained or fixed if we just throw enough money at it. Clearly, this is untrue. Elohim’s wisdom and grace are the true glue that holds our lives and world together.

This leaves us with the ultimate question posed in Job 28:20-21: “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.”

Wisdom cannot be found apart from walking with God; it is even concealed from the dead. Job 28:22 says that Abaddon and Death can only say, “We have heard a rumor of it with our ears” (NIV). You cannot find ultimate wisdom in the land of the living, and you cannot dig it up in the land of the dead.

Instead, Job 28:23 gives us the final answer: “God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.” Only God knows where true wisdom resides.

In my next essay from the Book of Job, we will discuss exactly where wisdom is located. Then, we will conclude this series with the ultimate key: the fear of the Lord.

As for me, I choose Jesus.

A Transition

A Transition

Dan

Today is the last day that Pepper will be posting essays and images on this blog. Since its inception, she has been right here—carefully reviewing posts and providing vital insight into how readers might react. Her feedback and personal views have shaped the very direction and tone of this blog. She has served our readers with grace and a deep love for Jesus, but it is now time for her to move on to other things. She is a remarkable person. I will miss her influence every time I wonder if an essay has “hit the mark.”

Elohim is taking her in a new direction, and I know He will bless her immensely in this next chapter. As she once wrote: “I choose to leave judgment where it belongs, in the hands of the One who is perfectly just and perfectly merciful.” She followed it with: “Like Dan, Like You, I choose Jesus.”

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Boasting Leads to Trouble

Dan

It was my observation that the informal lamenting by Ezekiel is now being authored by God. In the case of chapter 19, the lamentation is about the leaders of Jerusalem. When we read in this lamentation about princes of Israel, I think we are talking about a king. I think God calls the king ‘a prince’ as a ‘dig’. He has no respect for them. Some interpreters seem to think we are reading about Jehoahaz the lion and Jehoiachin the cub that became a strong lion.

Ezekiel begins the message and listens as much as he speaks. I suspect he takes the message to heart. Ezekiel grieves as he observes the Hebrew kings mistreat their people. He grieves that the kings do not place a value on the covenant of God.

Ezekiel 19:1-9 says — Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel and say: What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs. She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt. When she saw her hope unfulfilled, her expectation gone, he took another of her cubs and made him a strong lion. He prowled among the lions, for he was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. [NIV]

The story behind the lamentation begins in the early days of Israel’s transition from Judges to Kings. The Hebrews had problems when Eli (a judge), getting older, appointed his two sons as judges. They turned out to be unacceptable (1 Samuel 2:22-25). I suspect that Eli the Judge knew his sons were problematic, perhaps he hoped the role would raise their behavior to an acceptable level. But, alas, it did not. His sons did not walk with God, rather they pursued personal gain. They took bribes and thwarted justice. The boys had real problems so God removed them (1 Samuel 2:12-36).

Samuel was next in line. Fast forward to 1 Samuel 8, we see more problems with the Judges and we get to the point of this line of reasoning. Israel rejects Samuel as a Judge. Samuel had similar issues with his sons as Eli did. By now the Hebrews were done with the system of Judges. They wanted something different. At this point things get messy. The Hebrew elders visited Samuel’s home and mentioned that Samuel was getting older and his sons were troublesome. They had lost confidence in the system of Judges. They wanted Samuel to appoint a king (1 Samuel 8:4-5). This caused Samuel much displeasure, he complained to God.

The reply to Samuel was simple — Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim his rights. (see 1 Samuel 8:7-9).

And claim his rights the king did. Look again at the passage from Ezekiel. We see a leader who is abusing his power and abusing his people. The King has claimed his rights.  A horrid mess was created when the Hebrews started the gradual separation from the path God set for them. The nation died from a gradual decline and a thousand cuts. The Hebrew line of kings turned out to be a trail of tears that lead to the exile. There were bright spots of hope, but we know that many of the kings were near vipers. It is remarkable that God offered grace and mercy all through this period to his people. It is equally remarkable they often resisted the offer of mercy. I choose Jesus.

Finding the Right Words

Dan

It was my observation while reading the closing statements of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon seemed to be frustrated in his quest for the right words. Even in his quest for the proper name of this book, he settled with Qoheleth, a Hebrew term that suggests the assembler of students and collector of wisdom. Notice he does not take credit for originating the wisdom, he knew everything he documented ultimately came from God, not his own thoughts or others.

We find this message in Ecclesiastes 12:8-10 — Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher, everything is meaningless! The Conclusion of the Matter. Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true [NIV].

This message of word selection was part of the closing themes in this wonderful book. Solomon tells us to find a place of rest, be clear in our actions, look to Elohim for answers. Solomon seems to be saying — I have been everywhere, tried everything, seen everything, and heard everything. He concluded; it was all meaningless. He tells us to talk with our friends, exchange ideas, help each other, and walk with God.

Solomon made it his business to follow the precepts of wisdom he had learned over the years. He knew from experience, even the ‘long in tooth’ needed guidance, there was always something deeper to explore in the truth. He knew that God’s thoughts will always outrun our best day of thinking. He took pleasure in the hunt for proverbs that could be used to teach wise actions. He moved beyond the obvious and trite. Solomon mined knowledge, he found the deeper thoughts of God with regards to subjects such as relationships, moral values, business actions, and government administration. Then Solomon dug deep inside of his heart to hear the best choice of words to express God’s wisdom.

When I was first learning how to string words together in a useful manner, I recall a senior engineer who would say to me – mean what you say and say what you mean. This had a profound effect during my fledgling days as an engineer writing stuff for satellite systems. He also helped me to understand, sentences should build on each other, they should gradually lead the reader from nothing into something useful to know. Later, I learned from Paul how to build a good argument (for status briefing slides) by looking at how Paul expressed ideas in his letters. Paul was trained in the art of logic in his early days. Paul was a master communicator – the right choice to document the New Covenant.

Solomon took the time to find acceptable phrases and terms, he looked for words that would delight and inform at the same time. He was careful to avoid incongruity within his expression. Both Solomon and David use repetition to reinforce and improve retention. You may have noted they often make a point and then repeat the statement in different words. I was taught in Officers Training School that repetition in a briefing improves listener retention. Retention of the plan leads to greater mission success.

Solomon learned an impeccable model and writing template from God when learning how to communicate. Writers have used Solomon’s teaching models and templates for thousands of years. There is no finer collection of wisdom than Solomon’s. Of course, we know he had a little help getting things gathered and finding just the right way to express the message. Solomon’s message is pure truth (Isaiah 30:10). Solomon’s model was easy to follow — Gather the facts. Break complex ideas down and present the ideas in the proper order to convey the complex idea. Use clear statements and logic to persuade men of the truth. During this process, always move man’s thoughts from himself to Elohim. This model is the first step to expressing truth as defined by the wisdom of God. It has stood the test of time. I choose Jesus.

Avoiding the Traps

Dan

It was my observation while reading Ecclesiastes 12, in the first few verses we have an interesting call to action from Solomon for the young men of his generation (and for us). He tells young men to get focused now, find your cadence, your walk with God, get to know Elohim, and become comfortable with his yoke before trouble starts. Learn to trust him now, so when the days fill up with trouble, we do not lose sight of hope or stray from his path. He paints a sense of urgency, that we should not wait until we are getting older to find the path; we need to get started now.

Solomon comments in Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 – Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them [the activities of the day] — [So, do this] before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark [before your vision fades], and the clouds return after the rain [find your cadence] (paraphrased, NIV).

He encourages us to consider our actions, choose things of merit, avoid foolish activities that do not feed the soul and others around us. He encourages us to focus on Elohim, delivering the honor and respect due to the King of all Kings. Troubles come and go, but God stays the same. When he speaks of dark days and clouds coming after the rain, we are reminded that our health is tenuous. We need to get things done while we can move forward. Solomon knows that trouble is coming; our processing ability will wane, even though Elohim is long-suffering, providing ample space and time for restoration of our walk; we do not have unlimited time.

Job 35:9-12 says — People cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. But no one says, where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?’ He does not answer when people cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked [NIV].

Oppression is difficult for the old and blind, our useful days are behind us, our strength is diminished. Friends are few, we gradually decline. If we were fortunate to meet wise people who helped us to prepare for the autumn of our life, then we can reflect and teach how to embrace the good life and how to find a forever life on the golden streets of the City of God. Life continues, death eventually arrives, and the cycle of life continues with the next generation. We are wise to draw close to God now when it is easy, rather than waiting until we get a little fuzzy in our thinking. Job tells us that we are wise to not lose sight of God, we do not want to fall into the troubles of the wicked and stop hearing God’s advice.

Psalms 71:17-18 says — Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come [NIV].

I know some of us do not have a clear idea of God’s plan. Now, today, this moment is the time to start searching the scripture, looking for clues about the nature of this God we serve and to find the plan he has put into place for us. Easy? Not so easy. Doable? Yes. Patience and a focused heart will bring the will of God for you to light. I am and old guy, I can see seasons in my life where I was productive for my family but not very productive for God. I still can serve God, and do engage, but the psalmist says much of my role at this stage is to declare the power available to the next generation, to help paint the path for others, to help others avoid the traps I stepped into.

I choose Jesus.