Nice one-The finest silver-Lilia

[Guest guest]

Hi Lilia,

Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

 

-

 

advaitin, "Stepanova, Lilia" <lilia.stepanova@s...> wrote:

Namaste, dear all.

 

Today I received a letter which I want to share. It struck me as a

fine explanation on the common question why God let people suffer here

on earth. While it is presenting kind of dvaitic view, some of us who

prefer to taste sugar, not to be one, may like it.

 

Best,

> Lilia

 

 

The Finest Silver

 

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi.

As they were studying Chapter Three, they came across verse 3 "He

will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

 

This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement

meant about the character and nature of God.

 

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining

silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment

to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for

her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of

refining silver.

 

As she watched the Silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the

fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one

needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames

were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

 

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she

thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier

of silver.

 

she asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in

front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man

answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver,

but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in

the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames,

it would be destroyed.

 

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith,

how do you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled at her and

answered, "Oh, that's easy - It's finished when I can see my image in

it."

 

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