SUIWER SILWER/PURE SILVER

SUIWER SILWER

Salomo was so reg toe hy gesê het dat daar niks nuuts onder die son is nie - Prediker 1:9. Jeremia het meer as 600 jaar voor Christus die sonde van die mense van Jerusalem aangespreek. Dit lyk soos vandag en dit stem ooreen met hoe dit in die laaste dae sal lyk - 2 Timótheüs 3:1-9.

• Mense maak onregverdige wins.
• Selfs kerkleiers pleeg bedrog.
• Hulle sê daar is vrede, terwyl daar glad nie vrede is nie.
• Mense skaam hulle nie vir hulle sonde nie.
• Mense ignoreer waarskuwings van God.
• God se Woord word verwerp.
• Mense volg nuttelose rituele sonder dat hulle harte verander.

“Wie sal ek toespreek en waarsku, dat hulle kan hoor? Kyk, hulle oor is onbesnede, sodat hulle nie kan luister nie. Kyk, die woord van die Here is vir hulle 'n smaad, hulle het daar geen behae in nie.”
“Want van hul kleinste tot hul grootste maak hulle almal onregverdige wins, en van die profeet tot die priester pleeg hulle almal bedrog. En hulle genees die verbreking van die dogter van my volk op die maklikste manier deur te sê: Vrede, vrede! — terwyl daar geen vrede is nie. Hulle kom in die skande, omdat hulle gruwel bedryf het; tog skaam hulle hul nie in die minste nie, tog weet hulle nie om te bloos nie. Daarom sal hulle val onder die wat val; in die tyd dat Ek aan hulle besoeking doen, sal hulle struikel, sê die Here. So spreek die Here: Staan op die weë, en kyk en vra na die ou paaie, waar tog die goeie weg is, en wandel daarin; en julle sal rus vind vir julle siel. Maar hulle het gesê: Ons wil daarin nie wandel nie. Ek het ook wagte oor julle gestel en gesê: Luister na die geluid van die basuin. Maar hulle het geantwoord: Ons wil nie luister nie. Daarom, hoor, o nasies! En weet, o vergadering, wat onder hulle is! Hoor, aarde! Kyk, Ek bring onheil oor hierdie volk, die vrug van hulle planne; want na my woorde het hulle nie geluister nie, en my wet, dié het hulle verwerp. Waarom sou daar tog vir My wierook uit Skeba kom en die kosbare kalmoes uit 'n ver land? Julle brandoffers is nie welgevallig nie, en julle slagoffers is My nie aangenaam nie.”
‭‭JEREMIA‬ ‭6‬:‭10, 13‬-‭20‬ ‭AFR53‬‬

Die afvallige mense is soos koper en yster; hulle harte is verhard en hulle aksies lei tot die verderf. Deur ‘n proses van verhitting moes lood en silwer geskei word om suiwer silwer te vorm. Die mense het egter nie die onsuiwerhede verwyder nie en die silwer is verwerp.

“Hulle is almal die oproerigstes van die oproeriges wat omgaan met kwaadsprekery; koper en yster is hulle; hulle handel almal verderflik. Die blaasbalk blaas hard; wat uit die vuur gereed kom, is lood; tevergeefs hou hulle aan met smelt, maar die slegtes word nie afgeskei nie. Hulle word genoem: Verworpe silwer; want die Here het hulle verwerp.”
‭‭JEREMIA‬ ‭6‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭AFR53‬‬

Die metaalsmid moes die silwer verhit en skei van die onsuiwerhede. Hy het dit verhit totdat hy sy eie gesig kon sien in die silwer. Ons wil nie soos die inwoners van Jerusalem deur nuttelose aksies gaan wat tot die verderf lei nie. Ons hart en ons aksies moet ooreenstem. Ons harte moet opreg wees en ons moet toelaat dat die Vader ons reinig sodat ons meer soos Jesus kan word. Die mense kon na Jesus kyk en die Vader in Hom sien. Wat sien die mense as hulle na ons kyk?

“Maar soos Hy wat julle geroep het, heilig is, moet julle ook in jul hele lewenswandel heilig word, omdat daar geskrywe is: Wees heilig, want Ek is heilig.”
‭‭I PETRUS‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭AFR53‬‬

“sodat Hy die gemeente voor Hom kon stel, verheerlik, sonder vlek of rimpel of iets dergeliks; maar dat dit heilig en sonder gebrek sou wees.”
‭‭EFÉSIËRS‬ ‭5‬:‭27‬ ‭AFR53‬‬

 

PURE SILVER

Solomon was right when he said that there is nothing new under the sun - Ecclesiastes 1:9. Jeremiah addressed the sins of the people of Jerusalem more than 600 years before Christ. It looks very familiar and is similar to what the last days will look like - 2 Timothy 3:1-9.

• People are dishonest and greedy.
• Even the church leaders are corrupt.
• They say peace when there is no peace.
• People are unashamed of their sin.
• They ignore warnings from the Lord.
• God’s Word is of no importance to them.
• Useless rituals are followed without a change of the condition of their hearts.

Jeremiah 6:10, 13-20 MEV
To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? See, their ears are closed, and they cannot listen. Indeed, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it.
For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness. And from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. [14] They have healed also the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, saying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace. [15] Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? They were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them they shall be cast down, says the LORD. [16] Thus says the LORD Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, "We will not walk in it." [17] Also I set watchmen over you, saying, "Listen to the sound of the trumpet." But they said, "We will not listen." [18] Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. [19] Hear, O earth. I will bring calamity on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to My words, nor to My law, but rejected it. [20] To what purpose does incense from Sheba come to Me, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices sweet to Me.

The corrupt people were like bronze and iron; their hearts were hardened and their reckless actions led to their demise. Silver had to be separated from lead through a heating process. The people didn’t remove the impurities and the silver was rejected.

Jeremiah 6:28-30 MEV
They all are stubborn rebels walking about practicing slander. They are bronze and iron; they all are corrupters. [29] The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melts in vain, for the wicked are not plucked away. [30] Men will call them rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.

The metalsmith had to heat the silver and separate it from the impurities. He would know the silver was pure once he could see his image in the silver. We don’t want to be like the people from Jerusalem that performed empty rituals. Our hearts and actions must align. We must allow the Father to purify us in order to become more like Jesus. The people could look at Jesus and see the Father. What will people see when they look at us?

1 Peter 1:15-16 MEV
But as He who has called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct, [16] because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Ephesians 5:27 MEV
and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.