I SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD

After enduring the harangues of his three erroneous, ‘miserable comforters’, Job 16. 2, Job wanted his day in court. He was confi­dent of two things: God’s omniscience and his own innocence. If only he could present himself before the Almighty’s throne of judgement, he reasoned, surely he would be exonerated, v. 3. He used the metaphor of testing gold in the crucible’s fire as a pic­ture of his personal purity, v. 10. He was being tried by the flames, but his righteousness would come forth shining for all to see. The Lord knew he was not guilty and would manifest this to his accusers, if Job could just get an audience with Him. When such an opportunity later arose, he was promptly silenced in the presence of the sovereign God, Job 40. 3-5.

Thinking of the word picture of gold refined by fire outside of this context one can see that God uses trials to purify believers, burning off the dross that obscures the beauty of the new life within them. In His inscrutable way, the Almighty employs the good and bad things of life - the trials and joys - to mould Chris­tian character. As the child of God confronts adversity and hardship, he learns dependence on the Lord, as well as to eschew any confidence in the flesh. All things’ do indeed work together for the greater good, for the ultimate purpose of con­forming the believer to the image of God’s Son, Rom. 8. 28, 29. What is more, like Azariah, Hananiah, and Mishael of old, the suffering saint experiences the comforting presence of the all-sufficient Christ in the furnace of testing, Dan. 3. 23-25.

Life’s crucible may seem unbearable at times, but the Lord is using the believer’s difficulties for His purposes. Job’s story demonstrates the Almighty’s sovereign control of circumstances and His righteous upholding of His servants. God rebuked the three bogus comforters and Job was vindicated, manifesting the pure gold of his character, Job 42. 7-13. In the vicissitudes of life it is comforting to know that God is more powerful than the forces arrayed against His people. When the saints’ earthly pilgrimage ends, scripture declares that the Lord’s refining work of His people will cease and they will be presented before Christ unblemished, Eph. 5. 26, 27; Phil. 1. 6; 1 John 3. 2.