chosen thee in the furnace of affliction

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction

Introduction:

The Literal interpretation of this verse pertains to the nation of Israel - God the chosen nation. Today it is the Christian who is the chosen people of God.

The verse said "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" – why in the furnace of affliction. Why God did not chose us while we were studying in the Bible school. Why He did not chose us while we are teaching or preaching. Or why He did not chose us when He saw some of our good characters and good conduct and talents – but why in the furnace of affliction God has chose us or why we need this furnace of affliction in order to be chosen by God?

Affliction means depression and misery.

By the way, In v.9 and 11 God has called you and chosen you not for your sake but for His own sake.

And let us be always reminded that whatever happened in our life God is worthy of our praise, service and sacrifice.

You have no right, you have bought with a price therefore glorify God - 1Cor. 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The question why God has chosen you in the furnace of affliction?

Because God wants to prepare you! 
I. The PREPARATION
The Bible say “I have refined thee…”
God wants you to accomplished great things. He wants you to enter into His Holy Land. Into a land flowing with milk and honey but before that God wants you to be prepared. He wants you to live a victorious kind of living. A supernatural kind of life. A life of peace and productivity. A life of fruits that remain while on earth and a reward in heaven. But God wants to prepare you…

- Look at Our Lord Jesus Christ preparation - He can began His public ministry at 12 years of age. In Jewish customs, a boy of 12 or thirteen years can go with his father’s business. That’s why when He was about 12 years old he wants to do his Father’s business (reading, studying, teaching, and preaching the Bible) but still He subject Himself to his earthly parents, Joseph and Mary for a different kind of preparation.

How about David’s Preparation – He was prepared by the suffering and danger he went through. Painful as it was, he needed to learn through this if he was to be saved from failing in the same ways Saul had failed.

If God wants to greatly used you, you need to be prepared because God will going to prepare you.

How about Joseph’s Preparation –

And the strangest person but God greatly favoured or chosen - Jacob or Israel – many verses in the whole Bible says He chose Jacob or Israel. Very strange! The chosen nation of God named after Jacob the most dishonest of all the patriarchs but God still choose him because he stayed, prayed and wait upon God during the difficult situation in his life.

1Cor. 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

Because this base things know how to stay, how to wait upon God, how to pray hard. They can be trained and be prepared.

Illustrate: The Training of Eaglets, Making of sword

Why God has chosen you in the furnace of affliction?

Because God has purpose in your life!
II. THE PURPOSE

The Bible says I have chosen thee…

What is God’s purpose? To Glorify His Name – in v.9 and v.11
God created you to glorify Him. The sad thing is that God does not glorified in our easy, convenient, comfortable kind of life. How will you glorify God – glorify Him in the fires… Isa 24:15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires,…

Illustrate - Allan Brainerd purpose – Went to American Indian at a very young age of 24 or 25 and died at the age of 29. Suffered great difficulty while in the field. Hungered, suffered a lot of sicknesses until he died. Why who is to be blamed? …but after they read his diary, a great revival happen Christians felt new fervor in missions and in prayer. That’s his purpose why he suffered such afflictions.

Illustrate – Joseph’s Purpose – Gen. 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

b. Transform into the image of Christ… In 48:10 “I have refine thee, but not with silver…”
Illustrate: The making of the pure silver …It needs a fire furnace to reach its boiling point

God needs you to suffer in the furnace of affliction because God is choosing you with a great purpose.

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

When the Israelites traveled from Egypt and in wilderness going to the Promised Land, they did not see nor hear what kind of Land it is. All they knew, it is the land flowing with milk and honey.

I do believe that the land flowing with milk and honey is the place and time in your life wherein you feast in this blessed book – the milk and honey of your soul.


Why God has chosen you in the furnace of affliction?

Because God wants you to prosper!
III. The PROSPERITY

God’s ultimate plan in our life – to be
a. Prosperous – v. 15
b. Profitable - v.17
c. Peaceful – v.22

But these things can only happen after great trials and afflictions.

Joseph and David became only profitable, prosperous and live a peaceful life after more than 10 years of life in agony in prison and in wilderness.

Apostle Paul wrote about 75% of NT books and established more than 50 local churches. But only after years and years of agony.

When Joseph was elevated to rule over the Egyptian kingdom, he revealed some profound truths gained from the experiences of his years of adversity. He named his first son, Manasseh for, he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household” (Gen. 41:51b). His second son was named Ephraim because, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction: 1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and 2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.

Conclusion:

Read Matt. 20:1-16
The literal interpretation of these passages is the goodness of God in the gentile nation after His chosen nation Israel did not accepted Him.

If we are in the last days then we are the laborers called at the eleventh hour therefore all hard works were finished –

God is giving us so many privileges in the last days
Great privileges, the goodness of God, His kindness and mercy. Look at your Bible – so many lives taken just to preserved it but we just take it for granted. 

That why the Bible says in John 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. That why the Bible says there is a great harvest but few labourers

But only few are chosen. Why because only few see the goodness of God, only few see the privileges, and only few passed the test, only few stay, only few continue. Only few finish the course.

I do believe we need to make a Commitment. A commitment to stay and wait upon God until God has thoroughly finish in preparing for us, until he see his image in us, and until we can truly know that God hath really prospered us.

2Tim. 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

2Tim. 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.



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