1 Kings 19:18-21 English Standard Version

18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

The Call of Elisha

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

Tell me you can see any symbolism.

Signs and wonders abound if we know what to look for. Having the Holy Spirit to help us is such a blessing.

Rather than speaking to what symbols I see, let me ask you a question about following Jesus.

When we come to a crossroad, do we know which path to take? Do we turn left, or right, or continue straight ahead?

Isaiah 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Ezekiel 3:10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.

Ezekiel 40:4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

Take the Word to heart that we might hear.

When I ask Dr. Keith Lamb about Isaiah 30:21 he answered, “To hear the voice one needs to be moving.”

That was a lesson I took to heart.

Malachi 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

Since this message was given somewhere around 460 B.C. is there any part of this message that is directed at us?

Jesus had not come at the time of Malachi, He did appear later. Is this matter of “His appearance” during His earthly ministry or at His second coming? I understand what a refinery is and does but I had to look up the meaning of fuller. A fuller prepares and installs horseshoes. 

As with all things, context matters.

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.

This comes down to an understanding of what the sons of Levi means.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

This is who Peter was writing to in his opening address.

1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Are we sanctified by the Holy Spirit?

John 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Romans 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

His Word says we are, so the issues of the refiner’s fire and fullers soap can be considered to apply to us all. Do we fully understand the application of His Word? Can we go through the application of the process without understanding?

Since His Word is true and He holds true to His Word and nothing has been stated at this time that our understanding or cooperation is required, I would say understanding is not required. God does what God does and He said it is done. What is done cannot be undone. Faith moves us even when we do not see what is around the next bend.