But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold (Job 23:10 NIV).
Gold is precious. It is beautiful. It is of great value. It is cherished by one and all. Why is this so?
The reason is not difficult to find. Pure gold is got by having it passed through the fire. All impurities would be gone when it is tested in the fire. What remains is pure gold.
Therefore, it is the testing by fire that determines what is gold and what is impure and separates the two.
Job is here in distress. Nobody seems to understand his agony. Even God seems to be far away from Him. Yet he loses not his faith in God. Job perceives that his suffering is not without a purpose.
He shows his wisdom when he says that God knows the way he moves. He is in effect saying that there is a purpose in all the misery that has fallen on him; though at this point of time he has not understood its significance.
Here we also see another aspect that comforts Job. He is sure that there is a definite end to the testing. He knows that when God has done His work the testing will stop. He knows that the end result of all this will be glorious.
Just as the impurities are removed from gold while it is passed through the fires, the testing of him will end in his highest good. Out of the fires of his affliction, he knows, will emerge a better Job purged of all dross and impurities.
Like gold being used to make beautiful jewels and ornaments, Job coming out of the severe testing will be used by God to display His splendor and wisdom. This Job will have the luster of gold.
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