The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Work of Restoration, #84

After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner. And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. (Nehemiah 3:31,32)

The "Goldsmiths"

There are the goldsmiths, the Nethinim (temple servants), the merchants, the Gate Miphkad (Muster Gate), and the Sheep Gate.

The "goldsmiths" bring to our mind the pure gold, the tested, transparent faith and character of the saints of the holy city.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw; (I Corinthians 3:12)

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (I Peter 1:7)

We came naked into this world. We shall leave this world laden with eternal gold if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.

The faith wrought in us is infinitely more precious than the gold mined from the earth. But the gold of our faith must be purified in the fires of tribulation until it is clear as glass. Our faith in God and Christ must be purified in the fire.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; . . . . (Revelation 3:18)

The advice in the preceding passage was given by the Lord Jesus to the church in Laodicea. The church in Laodicea is the church in which the religion of humanism has made inroads. Laodicea always responds to the comforts and desires of people. It is not God-centered.

Unlike the other six churches of Asia, the church in Laodicea received no word of praise from Christ.

To those who would be victorious and come out from among the lukewarm, the nauseous, from those who love the rights of people more than the rights of God, the Lord Jesus counsels: "Buy of me gold tried in the fire."

The believer of the church of the Laodiceans who decides to become one of the Lord's remnant, a true overcoming saint, indeed will be persecuted. His gold will become so pure as to be transparent. His faith will be purified in the fires of affliction. Each saint who thus conquers the lukewarmness of Laodicea will be raised to sit on the throne of Christ (Revelation 3:21).

Those who suffer shall rule. Those who share the sufferings of Christ will share also the incorruptible, indestructible, resurrection life of Christ.

The way of the Wife of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem, is the way of faith tested and purified in the fires of tribulation until it becomes so pure as to be transparent.

. . . and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. (Revelation 21:21)

To be continued.