This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'They are My people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'" This third I will bring through the fireThe phrase "This third" refers to a remnant, a concept deeply rooted in the Hebrew tradition where God preserves a faithful group through trials. The "fire" symbolizes purification and testing, akin to the refining process of precious metals. In the Hebrew context, fire often represents divine judgment and purification ( Malachi 3:2-3). This imagery suggests that God allows His people to undergo trials to purify and strengthen their faith, much like a refiner purifies silver by removing impurities. I will refine them like silver
The refining of silver involves intense heat to separate impurities, a metaphor for God's sanctifying work in His people. The Hebrew word for "refine" (צָרַף, tsaraph) implies a process of purification and testing. Historically, silver refining was a meticulous process, requiring skill and patience, reflecting God's careful and intentional work in the lives of believers. This process is not punitive but transformative, aiming to produce holiness and righteousness. and test them like gold
Testing gold involves similar processes to silver, emphasizing the value and purity of the end product. The Hebrew word for "test" (בָּחַן, bachan) suggests examination and proving. Gold, being more valuable than silver, indicates the preciousness of God's people in His sight. This testing is a divine assurance that the faith of believers, though tested by fire, is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7). They will call on My name
Calling on God's name signifies a relationship and reliance on Him. In Hebrew culture, a name represents character and authority. To "call on My name" implies invoking God's presence and power, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His intervention. This act of calling is a response to God's refining work, demonstrating trust and dependence on Him. and I will answer them
God's promise to answer reflects His faithfulness and readiness to respond to His people's cries. The assurance of divine response is a recurring theme in Scripture, emphasizing God's attentiveness and willingness to engage with those who seek Him (Jeremiah 33:3). This interaction underscores a covenant relationship where God is actively involved in the lives of His people. I will say, ‘They are My people,’
This declaration reaffirms the covenant relationship between God and His people. The phrase "My people" echoes the covenant language found throughout the Old Testament (Exodus 6:7). It signifies belonging, identity, and divine ownership. God's acknowledgment of His people is a testament to His grace and commitment to those who have been refined and tested. and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’
The reciprocal response, "The LORD is our God," signifies the people's acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and their allegiance to Him. This mutual recognition completes the covenant relationship, where both parties affirm their commitment to one another. It reflects a restored and intimate relationship, characterized by faithfulness and worship. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is actively involved in refining and purifying His people. 2. The ThirdA remnant of the people who are preserved and refined through trials, symbolizing those who remain faithful to God. 3. FireA metaphor for trials and purification, representing the process through which God purifies His people. 4. Silver and GoldPrecious metals that require refining to remove impurities, symbolizing the spiritual purification of God's people. 5. The People of GodThose who, after being refined, recognize and affirm their relationship with God, declaring Him as their Lord. Teaching Points The Purpose of TrialsTrials are not meant to destroy but to purify and strengthen our faith, much like the refining of precious metals. God's Faithfulness in RefinementEven in the midst of trials, God remains faithful. He promises to answer those who call on His name, affirming His relationship with them. The Value of Being RefinedJust as refined silver and gold are more valuable, so is a faith that has been tested and purified. Embrace the refining process as a means to grow closer to God. Identity as God's PeopleThe ultimate goal of refinement is to solidify our identity as God's people, who recognize Him as our Lord and Savior. Calling on God's NameIn times of trial, we are encouraged to call on God's name, trusting that He will respond and affirm His covenant with us. Bible Study Questions 1. What does the process of refining silver and gold teach us about the nature of trials in our lives? 2. How can we recognize when God is refining us, and what should our response be according to Zechariah 13:9? 3. In what ways does the promise of God answering those who call on His name provide comfort during difficult times? 4. How does the concept of being a "remnant" or "third" relate to the idea of being set apart for God's purposes? 5. How can we apply the lessons of Zechariah 13:9 to our understanding of personal and communal identity as God's people? Connections to Other Scriptures Malachi 3:3This verse also speaks of God as a refiner and purifier, emphasizing the process of purification for the Levites, which parallels the refining of the remnant in Zechariah. 1 Peter 1:6-7Peter speaks of trials as a means of refining faith, much like gold, which connects to the imagery of refining in Zechariah 13:9. Isaiah 48:10God speaks of refining His people in the furnace of affliction, highlighting the theme of purification through trials. Revelation 3:18Jesus advises the church in Laodicea to buy refined gold, symbolizing faith tested and purified by trials. Psalm 66:10The psalmist acknowledges God's testing and refining of His people, similar to the process described in Zechariah. People David, ZechariahPlaces JerusalemTopics Bring, Clean, Cleaning, Fire, Gold, Prayer, Refine, Refined, Refines, Refining, Silver, Test, Tested, Testing, Third, Tried, Try, TryingDictionary of Bible Themes Zechariah 13:9 4303 metals
4324 dross
4333 gold
4363 silver
4826 fire
8027 faith, testing of
8349 spiritual growth, means of
8640 calling upon God
8832 testing Zechariah 13:8-9 4019 life, believers' experience Library The Open Fountain
"Wake, harp of Zion, wake again, Upon thine ancient hill, On Jordan's long deserted plain, By Kedron's lowly rill. The hymn shall yet in Zion swell That sounds Messiah's praise, And thy loved name, Immanuel! As once in ancient days. For Israel yet shall own her King, For her salvation waits, And hill and dale shall sweetly sing With praise in all her gates." Having said thus much, however, we shall now take our text as belonging to ourselves in common with Israel, for in the gospel no promise is …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871The Twenty-Second Psalm.
The Cross of Christ. THE Twenty-second Psalm contains a most remarkable prophecy. The human instrument through whom this prophecy was given is King David. The Psalm does not contain the experience of the King, though he passed through great sufferings, yet the sufferings he speaks of in this Psalm are not his own. They are the sufferings of Christ. It is written in the New Testament that the prophets searched and enquired diligently about the coming salvation. The Spirit of Christ, which was in …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory Messiah Unpitied, and Without a Comforter
Reproach [Rebuke] hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. T he greatness of suffering cannot be certainly estimated by the single consideration of the immediate, apparent cause; the impression it actually makes upon the mind of the sufferer, must likewise be taken into the account. That which is a heavy trial to one person, may be much lighter to another, and, perhaps, no trial at all. And a state …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Appendix xix. On Eternal Punishment, According to the Rabbis and the New Testament
THE Parables of the Ten Virgins' and of the Unfaithful Servant' close with a Discourse on the Last Things,' the final Judgment, and the fate of those Christ's Righ Hand and at His Left (St. Matt. xxv. 31-46). This final Judgment by our Lord forms a fundamental article in the Creed of the Church. It is the Christ Who comes, accompanied by the Angelic Host, and sits down on the throne of His Glory, when all nations are gathered before Him. Then the final separation is made, and joy or sorrow awarded …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Shepherd of Our Souls.
"I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."--John x. 11. Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. "David My servant shall be king over them," says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: "and they all shall have one Shepherd." And in the book of Zechariah, "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Warning
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad. Howbeit, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou today, even this night, before the cock crow twice, shalt deny me thrice. But he spake exceeding …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting "Seek First the Kingdom of God," &C.
Matt. vi. 33.--"Seek first the kingdom of God," &c. It may seem strange, that when so great things are allowed, and so small things are denied, that we do not seek them. The kingdom of God and his righteousness are great things indeed, great not only in themselves, but greater in comparison of us. The things of this world, even great events, are but poor, petty, and inconsiderable matters, when compared with these. Yet he graciously allows a larger measure of these great things relating to his kingdom …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning His Future Work
The Lord Jesus Christ, who finished the work on earth the Father gave Him to do, who is now bodily present in the highest heaven, occupying the Father's throne and exercising His priesthood in behalf of His people, is also King. To Him belongeth a Kingdom and a kingly Glory. He has therefore a kingly work to do. While His past work was foretold by the Spirit of God and His priestly work foreshadowed in the Old Testament, His work as King and His glorious Kingdom to come are likewise the subjects …
A. C. Gaebelein—The Work Of Christ Judas' Betrayal and Peter's Denial Foretold.
(Jerusalem. Evening Before the Crucifixion.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 21-25, 31-35; ^B Mark XIV. 18-21, 27-31; ^C Luke XXII. 21-23, 31-38; ^D John XIII. 21-38. ^b 18 And ^d 21 When Jesus had thus said, ^b as they sat and were eating, ^d he was troubled in the spirit, and ^b Jesus ^d testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. ^b even he that eateth with me. ^c 21 But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. [The foreknowledge of Judas' crime …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Christian's Peace and the Christian's Consistency
PHILIPPIANS i. 21-30 He will be spared to them--Spiritual wealth of the paragraph--Adolphe Monod's exposition--Charles Simeon's testimony--The equilibrium and its secret--The intermediate bliss--He longs for their full consistency--The "gift" of suffering Ver. 21. +For to me, to live is Christ+; the consciousness and experiences of living, in the body, are so full of Christ, my supreme Interest, that CHRIST sums them all up; +and to die+, the act of dying,[1] +is gain+, for it will usher me in …
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa. …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Zechariah
CHAPTERS I-VIII Two months after Haggai had delivered his first address to the people in 520 B.C., and a little over a month after the building of the temple had begun (Hag. i. 15), Zechariah appeared with another message of encouragement. How much it was needed we see from the popular despondency reflected in Hag. ii. 3, Jerusalem is still disconsolate (Zech. i. 17), there has been fasting and mourning, vii. 5, the city is without walls, ii. 5, the population scanty, ii. 4, and most of the people …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Zechariah 13:9 NIVZechariah 13:9 NLTZechariah 13:9 ESVZechariah 13:9 NASBZechariah 13:9 KJV
Zechariah 13:9 Commentaries
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