Silver

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Ps. 12:6).

The Lord uses the picture of refined silver to emphasize to us the purity of His Word. This silver is not only tried in a furnace, but it is purified seven (not a random number!) times. In what way is it pure?

It is free from error. Over time skeptics have mocked the Bible, ridiculing, for example, its assertions that there was writing in the time of Moses, or that the Hittites existed. But while the cynics were mocking, other people were digging. And again and again the Bible has been proven true, forcing the critics to search for a new straw to grasp at. Its flawlessness makes it absolutely trustworthy. And not just as a source of facts, but as the foundation of the only life worth living. Over the centuries countless thousands have built their lives upon the rock of the Word of God. And not one has ever been disappointed. While the world flits from theory to theory, believers remain safely on the solid, unchanging, dependable ground of God’s perfect Word.

It is free from corruption. The Bible is utterly undefiled. After the bombardment of the filth of this world, how refreshing to turn to the pure, incorruptible springs of the Word of God! Paul urges us to drink deeply from these springs when he writes, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things” (Phil. 4:8). The holy Scriptures are God’s alternative and antidote to the defilement of the world.

But silver is also valuable. The Bible is a treasure fit for a king—and more than a king. David declared that the Scriptures are “more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold” (Ps. 19:10). No earthly treasure can compare in worth to the Word of God—the treasured possession of the seed royal of heaven.

And what value do we assign to such a treasure? In our minds we know that its value is infinite. But the value we practically place on the Scriptures is easily measured by considering the place we give to them in our daily lives – both in our conduct and in our time. We are exhorted to “buy the truth, and sell it not” (Prov. 23:23). How do we buy it? We can’t purchase it with money for “it cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof” (Job 28:15). We buy the truth with hours, not with gold; with obedience, not with silver.

How much did we invest in the Bible this week?