Timeless treasures skillfully crafted
from God’s precious gift of silver.
The Silversmith
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
His Image
In all His infinite glory and wisdom, God took the dust of the earth and created mankind in the image and likeness of Himself. He has blessed us with God-like qualities that are meant to display His glorious luster. He skillfully crafted our bodies and minds to withstand the crucibles in life that He uses to purify and refine us.
In Genesis, the Bible tells how God created the Earth and all of its inhabitants. The creation story is the most magnificent and sacred of all time, describing how God used his supreme authority and wisdom to bring the world to life. But, amongst all his diverse and beloved creations, he only created one species in his likeness – us.
His Artistry
God took the dust of the Earth and formed human beings, much like the way silver artisans take raw silver ore and turn it into objects of beauty. And as silversmiths cherish their work, God cherishes mankind.
Silver has been favored for centuries by craftsmen for its lustrous white metallic sheen, resistance to oxidation & corrosion, and malleability. God designed us to shine with the lustre of his love, to resist the temptation of sin and to learn to live in the glory of His word.
Humans are God’s greatest master-work.
He blessed us with intelligence and consciousness so that we may reflect his Almighty nature. He skilfully crafted our bodies, minds and souls to withstand the challenges that he sets in our way to purify us and build our spiritual character.
His Crucible
To think of God as a silversmith and humankind as His silver is a way to comprehend the trials and tribulations we all face in life. Each and every one of us is placed in God’s crucible. We feel the heat of personal challenges, the burning temptation to engage in sinful behavior. The scorching fires of difficulty and suffering are God’s way of testing and refining our character, of helping us become more like Him in the process.
“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
Malachi 3:3
The Silversmith Collection celebrates God’s gift of silver.
Each heirloom quality, investment-grade statue is hand-crafted using old-world techniques as a timeless and beautiful reminder of His blessings to us, and a symbol of courage to live each day in a manner that brings glory to Him.
The Silversmith
On one particular afternoon, as the ladies of a bible study take turns reading aloud and discussing the meaning of the holy words, they came to Malachi Chapter 3, Verse 3. “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
They discuss what this scripture is telling them about God, but knowing nothing of silver refining, find it confusing. Then, one of the women offers an idea. She proposes to visit a silversmith, and find out more about the refining process. This will better help them understand the lesson of Malachi 3:3.
At the next meeting, the woman reports back. She visited the local silversmith and watched him at work. Without mentioning the verse that sparked the curious visit, the woman simply explained that she wants to know about the art of silver metalworking.
“Why do you hold the silver in the heart of the fire?” she enquired.
The silversmith replied that exposing the silver to the hottest part of the flame burns away impurities and refines the metal. He explained that he has to watch intently the whole time, for burning just a few moments longer than necessary could damage the precious silver. The woman paused in relating her tale to the group and smiled.
“Now I see the meaning of the verse. When we are feeling the stress of challenges in our lives, that is God working to refine us. Like the silversmith holding metal in the fire, God keeps the flame of hard times on us to cleanse away our impurities.”
The other women nodded and smiled, excited by their new insight about the Scripture. The group agreed that the verse was a beautiful reminder that difficult times are given to us by God as part of his plan.
“But here’s the best part. As the molten metal began to pool in the crucible, I asked the silversmith how he knows the refining is done. And I’ll never forget what he said. He gave me a big, toothy grin and says:
‘I know the silver is ready when I can see my image reflected in it.”
Each of us comes upon times in our life when we feel the heat of trials and tribulations. Understanding that hardships in life are part of God’s plan to cleanse us of impurities, we know that he is watching over us at every moment, bringing us strength in challenging times. Like the craftsman carefully refining silver, God holds us in the crucibles of life only until we are cleansed of sin and reflective of His image.
The Crucibles of Life
cru·ci·ble [kro͞osəb(ə)l]
1. a vessel used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat.
2. a test, place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development.
The sinful nature inherent to all mankind inevitability places each of us in the crucible many times throughout our lives. These definitions give us valuable insight into the tremendous change taking place in our spiritual lives when we find ourselves under the intense pressures of the world and overwhelmed with temptation. It is during these challenging times that the Holy Spirit develops our character and grants us the wisdom of comprehension.