August 23

Ezekiel 22
It was kind of an eerie glow. The molten aluminum glowed in the dark. Working second shift at Mercruiser, I would on occasion walk back into the die cast department during break. There was no second shift, so the lights would be out. It was too inefficient to turn off the vats that fed the molten aluminum into the machines, so they would remain heated through the night. The glow from the vat was beautiful. It was almost transparent. There was no impurity, no dross, nothing to fowl the aluminum. It was enchanting.
Listen to what the KJV Commentary says of this passage.
A stronger indictment against a city, people, and land wholly gone into moral decay could not be expressed. They have served idols instead of the Lord; by bloodshed they have despised the sanctity of life; by sexual perversion they have despised the highest form of creation, man’s body; by seeking material gain at any cost, they have put the material above the spiritual. They have done all of this because they have forgotten the Lord GOD.
All segments of the social structure have become involved in this decay: prophet, priest, prince, and people. Therefore, the Lord must bring judgment by dispersion to a remnant, and fire, sword, and plague to the others. God’s holy purpose in this is to purge out filthiness and dross, appease His wrath against sin, and bring His people back to Himself. . . . He must deal with His sinful people in judgment.
The fire of God’s wrath produces that which is beautiful. They nation was so corrupt that there was no one to “stand in the gap and close up the wall.” There was nothing left to do but to melt the nation down consume the dross and inject the molten metal into a new mold. I am so thankful that the Lord is melting me down. He consumed my dross on the cross. He is injecting me into a new mold, one that looks like His Son. It is sometimes painful, but he has promised not to leave me nor forsake me. What remains will be beautiful. Someday I will glow because of what He has done. Some say that I’m already kind of eerie, but I don’t think they mean it in a good way. Anyway, if there is any glowing it will be from Him for He is the beautiful One. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john