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.’”
Ezekiel 22:22 NIV
The wrath of God. It is evident in the Scripture that the wrath of God is real. That it is a terrible thing to experience. And it is indeed the fate of those who reject God and his offer of salvation. But it is more than that.
God’s wrath is not like human wrath. Our wrath is vengeful and destructive. We are getting back at someone who has hurt us. And it is often reactive and unthinking. We just blow up.
But God’s wrath is not like that. We are not capable of hurting him. He is not getting back at us for something we have done. And it is not an unthinking act done in the heat of the moment. Instead, God’s wrath is intentional and purposeful. And this passage gives us some insight into at least one aspect of God’s wrath.
Silver is purified by melting it. When melted, the impurities, or dross, rise to the surface and can be scraped away. God told Ezekiel that his wrath would be poured out on Jerusalem to melt them like silver in a furnace, burning off the dross. And what would be left would be purified silver. The Babylonian conquest and exile was the furnace that God used. And it did indeed burn off the idolatry that had plagued Israel throughout its history.
God’s wrath is ultimately destruction toward those who refuse to believe. But it is also a refiner’s fire, purifying his people from the dross of this world. The refiner’s fire is not pleasant. But it will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus returns (1 Pet. 1:6-7).
