Refined for a Purpose: Isaiah 1:25-26

Isaiah 1:25-26

            Four times in these short verses we get the repeated refrain of what God will bring about- “I will…” The first three times, the judgment is clear against the people. The fourth, “I will” introduces the element of grace into the equation. The judges will be returned to the people. How can the return of the judges be an element of grace? Without discipline and direction, the people are aimless, and it is a sign of God’s love for His people the judges will return (cf. Prov. 10:17, 12:1; Rev. 3:19). Even in these sections of judgment, the metaphor is one of the refiner’s fire.

            Upon closer inspection, even God’s judgment is full of grace. Dross is the stuff which would have been sloughed off or removed from the purer metals. It is the cheap lead and impurities. God does not see His people as unredeemable, but rather in need of refining and being made pure. It is important to remember the language developed here is in the context of God dealing with His covenantal people. These were people who ostensibly knew God, knew what He expected, and were to live according to His precepts. The reason for all of this was the establishment of a faithful nation through which all the nations could come to know God. Their lives were to reflect the glory of God in their midst in such a way that people from all nations would glorify God.

            The implicit question is how can gold, or another precious metal, become dulled? As metal is reworked and re-formed it takes on impurities, this is a natural part of the process in a culture before the use of hydrochloric acid in the modern refining process. Pure gold is not used in most applications because it is too soft; this would be especially true in the Ancient Near East. The purpose of refinement through heat is to create the best materials for use. Even today, a large amount of gold is reused and refined from things like computer processors. For God’s people to be refined, it is to say they are still to be used for a purpose. 

            In the same way as gold is refined and reused, we must think about the application of what it means to be a people called by God and constantly recreated. Although the people who Isaiah wrote to were not the same individuals who experienced the Exodus directly, they were still called the same name. The same covenantal relationship was expected of the people. Looking back at these people millennia later, it is easy to make the mistake of failing to see both the continuity and the distinctions at work in this covenant people. The metaphor of precious metal is extremely apt though as generations of change require constant refinement. In order to preserve what is important, refinement must occur.

            Here, we are finally reminded of the name Jerusalem will gain- Faithful or Righteous. This does not seem be a portmanteau, but rather two sides of a coin. These two names are brought together in a curious way to the modern ear. However, when we return to verse 21 and contrast it, we realize the importance of the reality of these two words. Firstly, the city will be called Righteous. Incidentally, this word is masculine even though the city and faithfulness are both depicted in the feminine. It may be that the fullness of God’s restoration is being described in this passage. It certainly refers to a judicial sense of righteousness and fairness which was previously absent from the city as God judged it. Faithfulness refers to the firm support provided by a loyal spouse. The inner heart and the outer actions of the people will be known for their character in relation to God. The people, as they should have been from the beginning, will be defined by their relationship to the one true God.

God did not merely consider the people His enemies although He is ready to turn His hand against them (cf. Is.5:25; Am.1:8; Ps. 81:14). The hand is a symbol of might and power. Here the God’s hand has been used mightily to show future restoration through the process of refinement. God, like a loving Father, disciplines those He wants to restore.

Final thoughts:

1.      How am I the same as those who have come before me in the faith? How am I different? What can be learned from those who came before in the faith?

2.      What parts of the faith need refinement today?

3.      What purpose(s) does God want to use His people for today?

4.      Do God’s people have a reputation for Faithfulness and Righteousness today? How would we understand this idea of reputation in the context of something like John 13:35?

5.      God’s future actions are neither arbitrary, nor purposeless: Do my prayers show a desire to be within the will of God or are they arbitrary and serving my own purpose?