Out Of the Iron Furnace

Deuteronomy 4:20

But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

Israel was delivered out of the iron furnace of oppression and bondage by the LORD. The furnace is where the purification begins, preparation for receipt of His promises according to His covenant. Until the human heart is purified it cannot receive the promise of God. That is why He has promised a new heart and a new spirit.

Genesis 15:17

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

The Abrahamic covenant began with this vision of a furnace, and God's promise of the land. The burning lamp represented the LORD Himself walking through the blood of the sacrifice to establish His covenant with Abraham. We can partake of this same covenant by faith in God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 31:9

And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

God specifically calls Jerusalem His furnace. All the nations of the earth will be purified in this furnace. Those outside of Christ will dwell eternally in Satan's furnace. As it is written,

Matthew 13:37-42

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

I pray that you have ears to hear. Cast away all confidence in anything else, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

See also Eye to Eye; Depart From Evil; The True Tabernacle

Related Scriptures: Deuteronomy 4:1-20; Genesis 15:1-21; Isaiah 31:1-9; Matthew 13:34-53