What is the meaning of Ezekiel 22:18? Son of man “Son of man…” (Ezekiel 22:18a) • God speaks directly to Ezekiel, reminding him of his human frailty contrasted with divine authority (Ezekiel 2:1; Daniel 8:17). • The personal address shows God’s relentless pursuit of communication with His people, even when judgment is coming (Amos 3:7). • By calling Ezekiel “son of man,” the Lord underscores that the message is not man-made but heavenly, carrying absolute weight (Jeremiah 1:9). The house of Israel has become dross to Me “…the house of Israel has become dross to Me.” (Ezekiel 22:18b) • Dross is the scum removed from molten metal—worthless refuse. Israel, once a treasured possession (Exodus 19:5), has degenerated into spiritual waste by idolatry and injustice (Ezekiel 22:2–12). • Isaiah used the same picture: “Your silver has become dross…” (Isaiah 1:22-25). Jeremiah echoed it: “They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt” (Jeremiah 6:28-30). • God’s assessment is final and objective; it is not an opinion but a verdict delivered by the Holy One (Psalm 51:4). • The statement reminds us that religious heritage cannot shield a people who persist in sin (Matthew 3:9-10). All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace “All of them are copper, tin, iron, and lead inside the furnace…” (Ezekiel 22:18c) • Each metal named was common and of lesser value than silver or gold—symbolizing moral degradation. • The “furnace” points to the heat of divine judgment; God is turning up the temperature through coming exile (Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Peter 4:17). • Refining imagery appears throughout Scripture: ‑ Psalm 66:10—“You tested us, O God; You refined us like silver.” ‑ Malachi 3:2-3—The Lord “will be like a refiner’s fire.” ‑ Zechariah 13:9—He will “refine them as silver.” • In love, God uses hardship to expose impurity, separating genuine faith from mere profession (James 1:2-4). They are but the dross of silver “…they are but the dross of silver.” (Ezekiel 22:18d) • Silver’s dross looks shiny but has no true worth—an apt picture of Israel’s external religiosity masking inner rebellion (Matthew 23:27-28). • Proverbs 25:4 urges, “Remove the dross from the silver, and a vessel comes forth for the smith.” God intends to purge so that a remnant may emerge purified (Isaiah 1:25-26; Romans 11:5). • Paul later applied the metaphor to individuals: “In a large house there are…vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay” (2 Timothy 2:20-21). The call is to cleanse ourselves, becoming useful to the Master. • The verse warns against complacency: when the refining fire arrives, only true holiness endures (Hebrews 12:14). summary Ezekiel 22:18 paints a sobering picture: God addresses His prophet, declares Israel spiritually worthless like dross, and foretells the refining furnace of judgment. The imagery urges every believer to pursue genuine purity, knowing that the Lord still refines His people, removing all that fails to reflect His glory. |
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