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+title = "Ezekiel 22:17–31"
+date = "2023-04-28"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel22.17-31)
+
+I have learned from Wikipedia that the smelting of ore is not merely heating up
+an ore rock until the metal melts out of it. There also needs to be a reducing
+agent such as coke or charcoal to extract the oxygen from the mineral and leave
+the base metal behind. Providentially, carbon-heavy agents like that are also
+really good fuel and can get the smelting furnace up to the required
+temperatures at the same time. Ores are generally not very pure, though, so
+even after smelting one will have a mixture of different metals at the bottom
+of the crucible. Unless they have alloyed together, which only happens in
+certain combinations and certain ratios, one has to separate the dross from the
+majority metal.
+
+The Lord tells Israel that they are no longer silver, but the dross, the
+useless mixture of tin, bronze, lead, and other compounds that have to be
+removed. (For the curious, the analogy is to silver and not gold because most
+of the gold found is already metallic and not bound up in a different chemical
+compound. No smelting needed.) This refining process, wherein the Lord pours
+judgement out on His people to purify them and extract out the righteous
+remnant, has been used several times in Israel's history.
+
+However, the land is not cleansed yet. The false prophets' visions encourage
+iniquity, violence, and greed. The priests do not do their duty to teach the
+people how the Lord wants them to live because they do not follow His ways
+either. The aristocracy pursue profit through the killing of their fellow
+countrymen while the prophets wink and nod, excusing their behavior with false
+visions. Injustice is rampant among those who have no power.
+
+Again the image of a man to stand in the breach of the wall against God's wrath
+is invoked, but this time the Lord can not find anyone to fill the gap.
+Therefore His indignation will be brought against the people who have done all
+these things.
+
+* * *
+
+All Your deeds are purposeful; You have saved a righteous remnant for Yourself;
+the same fires that burn up the dross also purifies the silver.