Tag: malachi

Silver Treasures

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Unexpected treasures are my favorite. A gift. As I worked on week five of the study in Joshua, I was cross referenced to Malachi 3. No, I’m not talking about money. I don’t think we ever hear a sermon in Malachi that isn’t about money and tithing. Except maybe, the refiner’s fire.

 In chapter 2, God talks to the corrupt priests. He tells them, “..the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is a messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi..” Malachi 2:7-8.

The study I was writing for the day was about being a priest, a minister of God, but I discovered some interesting nuggets of…silver and I’d like to share them with you and encourage you today. I looked up the process of refining silver and this is what I found:
The black type is the instructions, but I’ve highlighted important pieces and commented in red.

How to Refine Silver | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4472222_refine-silver.html#ixzz1EyCV4c7e

 1  Put 150 ml of nitric acid for every ounce of silver you have in each bucket. Do not overload the bucket since it could overflow. You will need about two to three times more room than the amount of silver in the bucket. You will see the reaction of bubbling and fuming which can take at least 30 minutes.  

We are in good hands. Hands that know not to overload us. When Jesus plans to refine us, He makes plenty of room to do it. He’s meticulous. The bucket is like His hands. When He begins the refining process, He knows we’re going to react to what He allows and uses in our lives. It will bubble and fume. Have you ever fumed or felt a nervous bubbling inside when you’re being refined? 1 Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you; but rejoice…” Rejoice, Jesus, never lets us bubble or fume ourselves out of His hands!

Once this stops you can move onto the next step. Stop fighting Him, accept what is happening, and let Him do what He needs to do in order to purify you!

  2
Take the acid and the dissolved silver and pour it into another bucket. Don’t allow solid pieces to be poured with the silver and acid since it will contaminate the silver. Jesus sets us apart; as a refiner, He removes anything from our lives that wants to contaminate us.            1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
From here, you will add an ounce of silver precipitant crystals or SAC to every 40 ounces of dissolved silver. This will develop silver that will sink to the bottom of the acid. Give 30 minutes or more. Then pour out the acid. Neutralize and dispose of the acid by filtering it
making sure that no particles of silver are lost. Matthew 18:11 says, “For the Son of   Man has come to save that which was lost.”
John 10:28-29 says, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

  3

Wash the silver thoroughly.The refiner will not fail to wash you. Thoroughly. Inside out. “…that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word. Ephesians 5:26.
 “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin”.        Psalm 51:2.

You want to rinse off any acid remaining on the silver. Then add about three or four drops of aqua ammonia which will appear blue if there’s traces of acid left. The Refiner is always testing and making sure that there is no acid left in His creation. “…for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul.” Dt. 13:3.

If so, then continue rinsing and reapply the ammonia.What encouraging words! “If so…then continue rinsing”! Not throw it away because it’s worthless and can never be a beautiful treasure worth something. He never gives up. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
He continues to purify us, refine us, and sanctify us. He’s patient. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. 
 Do not add too much ammonia since it could damage the silver. He never damages us. He’s careful. Lamentations 3:33, “For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” The word “afflict” in Hebrew is “anah” and it means to browbeat or mishandle. The word “willingly” in Hebrew is “leb” and it means inner man, heart, mind.
In essence He’s saying, “I discipline those I love, but I will never mishandle your heart. You can trust me. I’ll never damage you.” So many of us have been damaged in some way or another in our lives. We’ve given our hearts, only to have them crushed—abused. But Jesus will NEVER hurt us, even when life feels like He might be. He never adds too much, because He’s making a treasures!
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 Then dry.

  4

Use baking soda along with karo pancake syrup, salt, water All of these are cleansing and purifying agents. Covenants were made with salt in the OT. Baking soda is used to neutralize acid (which we’ll compare to sin) The Holy Spirit acts as a neutralizing agent. John 16:7-9. Salt gives seasoning.  Mark 9:49-50;Colossians 4:6, and water cleanses. and Red Devil drain cleaner  Even the devil is allowed to sift us, but God always gives the limits! Job 2:6;         Luke 22:31-32.

in order to use a different process of refining silver. It is basically the same procedures with the nitric acid but this way may be easier to not lose any silver particles. You will begin by dissolving the silver with acid in the plastic bucket. Add salt to acid until white clumps stop appearing in the acid. Then pour off the acid into another bucket.

  5

Add baking soda to the acid. Add about two tablespoons of baking soda which will neutralize it. Then filter the white precipitants that the salt had formed which is pure silver chloride. Rinse the silver with water. Then add the Red Devil drain cleaner to the silver chloride until it turns black. Rinse with water again.Again, He works diligently until we become what He expects us to be.  Then add karo syrup until the particles turn silver. This will result in refined silver. Be sure to rinse and make it clean of any extra chemicals left on it.

My favorite part of refining silver is how the Refiner knows for sure it’s done. When he can see his reflection in it.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3:18

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”          2 Timothy 2:21
What have you been studying? Share a nugget!