The Fuller’s Soap But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall

stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:Malachi 3:2

The background of this text isa spirit of discontent and murmuring that prevailed among the post-exilic people of

Israel. Many had taken the prophetic predictions regarding the coming messiah and interpreted them as sure promises of material prosperity and national supremacy. But when they

compared these alleged promises with their own sad circumstance, things didn’t measure up.

They believed God to be unjust. They convinced themselves that their continuing observance of the ceremonial elements of the Law should have brought some positive result, but hadn’t.

Failing to recognize the superficiality of their worship, this faithless multitude formulated the erroneous view that the problem wasn’t on their side of the equation, but God’s. In truth they weren't worshiping Him, but wearying Him. Mal.

2:17. That, my friend, is quite an accomplishment!

The response• 1 ¶ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare

the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

• 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

• Malachi speaks of two messengers and the implications of their arrival. The first reference is to John the Baptizer who would prepare the way, Mal. 3:1a. The second is the Lord, Mal. 3:1b. But His arrival will involve more than they imagine. It will mean judgment, not just for the wicked outside Israel, but for the wicked inside as well, Mal. 3:2

• He will act as a refiner’s fire and as the fuller’s soap in order to purify the “sons of Levi”, vs. 3, so there might be an acceptable priesthood to carry out His sacred work in the correct spirit and with the proper action. The fact that this purification process will not be pleasant is evidenced by two illustrations:

Illustration #1• The first is a familiar image. On numerous occasions the Bible

uses the picture of refining precious metals. Jer. 9:7; Zech. 13:9; 1 Pet. 1:6,7

• 7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

• 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

• 6 ¶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

• 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

• The objective is to purify the metal by heating it to its melting point in a furnace, thus allowing the lighter dirt and impurities to float to the top. The “dross” is then skimmed from the surface and the process is repeated several times. Eventually the metal becomes so pure the refiner’s reflection can be seen on its liquid surface.

• Though a negative procedure, it had positive results.

Illustration #2• Though similar in nature, the second image is not nearly as familiar. The

mission of the fuller (launderer) was to cleanse cloth and process raw wool and other fibers. Like refining metal, this process appeared rather brutal.

• The fuller would stomp the clothing with his feet or beat the wool with rods or rocks. This was no gentle hand washing. At the same time he also bleached the material with cleansing agents in order to make it a pure white. But this “fuller’s soap” applied during the laundering process was not detergent we would recognize.

• It was typically comprised of a variety of items such as alkali, potash, lye, sulfur, the ashes of certain desert plants, and putrid urine.

• Many believe the fuller’s field was located outsid ethe city for a very good reason since the odor would have been offensive to anyone who happened to get caught downwind. 2 Kngs. 18:17; Isa. 7:3

• 17 ¶ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.

• 3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;

Results• While this was no pleasant task, there was a beneficial result: a

garment of glistening white. • Mark employs this same imagery in his description of Jesus during

the transfiguration. Mk. 9:3• 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so

as no fuller on earth can white them.• For a moment, let’s personify the metal being refined and the wool

being cleansed. • If they could speak, what do you think their feelings would have

been on the matter? Both processes would have been incredibly painful. In the middle of the procedure it would have been easy for them to believe they were enduring something that would eventually destroy them. If given a choice, wouldn’t they have begged to be left alone. To escape what seemed to be pointless agony? The prospective of the metal and wool is very different from that of the refiner and fuller.

• Where one sees only the hardship and brutality of their present situation, the other focuses their attention on the benefit of an increased value in the material.

Present application• When James says we are to “consider it all joy” as we

experience trials, the joy is not derived from the rigors of the process, but by concentrating on the results in the end. Jms. 1:2-4

• 2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

• 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.• 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be

perfect and entire, wanting nothing.• As we move through hardship toward greater spiritual

maturity, we must never forget that the refiner’s intention is to sharpen His reflection in us; that the goal of the fuller is to purify us to a brilliant white.

• Though unpleasant, the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap are being skillfully used by the Master to produce a beneficial result!

• Have you been made pure?