Remove the dross from the silver, and material for the silversmith will emerge. Proverbs 25:4 NLT

Dross refers to the impurities within a metal that can be separated from the pure element by extreme heat. The oldest method of gold purification requires the metal to be made molten, at which point all other non-gold metals and materials float to the surface and can be easily removed.

Whenever we attempt to “purify” something, we have to put it through some type of process to make it pure for some purpose. And while our definition of “pure” may vary depending on the usage, we typically mean something that comprises 100% (or pretty darn close) of a particular component. In the above example, pure gold is 24 karat, with anything less than that being a mixture of gold and other materials.

In the gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist says of Jesus,

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:12 NIV