Ezekiel 22:18
“Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.”
And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye are all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.
As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you.
Counter-Arguments
The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.
Cross-References
“Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.”
“Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”
“When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.”
“Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:”
“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?”