the Blacksmith's Shop

Preface

Tinkering at blacksmithing has taught me a variety of lessons, I’ve learned life skills, I’ve learned about history, I’ve learned about metallurgy, but some of the most important lessons were lessons learnt about the creator. The Lord Jesus was in the beginning the Word, and he made all things, it is no surprise we can draw illustrations and pictures from the blacksmith, applicable the mastersmith of the universe.

Purchase

The interesting thing about the blacksmith is the source of a large number of the materials. Quality steels can easily be sourced from the local scrap yard, or even from the off-cut and waste section from a millwright or steel supply. The majority of these scraps are deemed worthless, they are relatively unusable, they are flawed, broken or too small and insignificant to the usual consumer to be of value.

Look at our own lives, we can examine our sin, our faults, and failures. We are by no means valuable by our own merit. The Bible teaches we’ve come short (Rom. 3:23), we don’t meet God’s standards. We can look at the universe, the complexity of nature, the planets, the stars and the galaxies. Like the psalmist we marvel and say “what is man that thou art mindful of him?”(Psa. 8:4) We see and understand a little of our lack of value and unworthiness, yet we read “for God so loved the world(human race), that he gave his only begotten Son”.(John 3:16) The scriptures can say that we are precious in his sight.(Isa. 43:4)

What a marvel that God would pay the ultimate price for us, that the scriptures can say it is because he loves us, and that he has a purpose for us and wants to produce something new from us.

Production

However the production process is not always easy and certainly puts a large amount of stress on the workpiece. The flames of a forge are hot and somewhere around 2200℉. The steel is quickly moved under the force of a heavy hammer, finished and smoothed out with a small lighter hammer, then heat treated and tempered again in the forge.

Sometimes in our own lives we can feel the heat, the stress is high and we can't plainly see where God is leading. Yes this happens, its not always easy but it is important to trust God in these circumstances, the believers in Philippi were told “that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”(1:6) The thought here is that he will perform, or that he will finish or perfect. God the mastersmith is doing a work in us, he’s bought us and has a purpose for us. He is working in us to refine us, the evidence of his work is often times that he is turning up the heat, he is striking heavy blows, and yes it will put stress upon us, but his goal is to refine us like gold in the fire.(Zec. 13:9)

Purpose

The smiths spends relentless hours working and perfecting the piece on the anvil, and finally it is finished. The piece possibly a pair of tongs or a hammer is placed in the tool rack and waiting for the next shift, maybe its a hook quickly mounted on the wall were the smith intends to hang his coat and hat, the piece was made and is set aside for a purpose.

God is working in us and he has a purpose for us. A tool created by the smith has a specific shape to fulfil a specific work. We’ve been given spiritual gifts from God to fulfil specific roles, some pastors, some teachers, some evangelists, and so on.(Eph. 4:11) God wants us to work for him in this life and to glorify him. In 1Corinthians 6:20 Paul reminds us “ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” The goal of every christian should be to glorify God and to complete his will for them. We need to exercise our gifts and seek to serve God and to worship him.

However God has not stepped away from the anvil yet, he is continuing to work in us, he has an ultimate purpose going beyond this life. There is a day when we shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, fitted for a new and heavenly purpose (1Cor. 15:52). There is a day coming when we shall see his face, we shall be set aside for a new purpose to glorify him around that eternal throne, and forever sing his praise. (Rev.224)

What a day to look forward to!