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Daily Devotions

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 
Day 
Day 234

"Israel has become dross to Me"

Text: Ezekiel 22:18

A SEVERE WORD EMPLOYED

The Lord sent a word to Ezekiel to be delivered to Israel. The word He used was “dross”. Israel had become nothing more than “dross”.

“The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
‘Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me;
they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead,
in the midst of a furnace;
they have become dross from silver.
Therefore thus says the Lord God:
‘Because you have all become dross,
therefore behold,
I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.””
Ezekiel 22:17-19

1. The meaning of the word “dross”.

a) It is the scum of waste material in metals that are smelted.

b) Figuratively it described:

i) That which is impure.

ii) That which is worthless.

iii) That which is simply rubbish.

iv) Dross is discarded as useless.

2. Types of metal used in ancient Israel:

a) Bronze

b) Tin

c) Iron

d) Lead

e) Silver

3. The process of smelting.

a) All metals are put into a furnace.

b) In the process, dross (scum) appears and floats to the surface.

c) These are impurities that must be removed from the metals.

d) They are then discarded.

4. Israel through the furnace of fire.

a) The word “all” is a reference to the fact that many in Israel had become dross.

b) Only a remnant may be salvaged as “silver”.

c) The Lord would gather the dross and discard them.