CLEANSING WAS DONE AT THE ALTAR

SERIES: THE TABERNACLE

TEXT: EXODUS 30:17-21; EXODUS 38:8

We have seen that DECISION had to be done at the gate. The door was God’s provision for sinful man. ACCEPTACE was at the altar of sacrifice. The altar was made of wood coated with brass. Today we come to the third step in the approach of man to God, namely CLEANSING at the LAVER-Exodus 30:17-21.

• The laver was a basic of brass set on a stand or pedestal, called the “foot.” Let us learn:-

1. FOR THE PRIEST

• For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet there at-Exodus 30:19.
• God has purposed that Israel should be “A kingdom of priests”-Exodus 19:6 “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.”
• Israel broke God’s law so the priestly office was shut up to Aaron and his sons-Exodus 28:1.
• A priest is a person who has access to God, he stands before God in his behalf and on behalf of others.
• Today, through the rent veil of Christ’s body-Heb. 10:20 all believers have access to God.
• Today all believers are now priests-1^st Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

1. THE MATERIALS.

• The material in the wall, the gate and the altar of sacrifice have been very significant to our study, the same is true of the laver. “And he made the laver of brass, and the feet of it brass, of the looking- glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation”-Exodus 38:8
• THE PURPOSE.
• In their priestly service the hands and the feet of the priest became solid.
• The laver provided a place of cleansing.
• Water was placed into this receptacle of brass.
• The looking glasses were used to show defilement. Brass always speaks of judgement.
• The looking glass in scripture is a symbol of the written WORD of GOD (Bible) because it is written: “If any be a hearer of the word, not doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straight away forgeteth what manner he was”-James 1:23-24.
• Looking into the word of God is compared to looking into a glass.
• The laver made of looking-glasses is a symbol of the written word of God.
• 2^nd 3:1-8 says “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the spirit of the Lord.
• As we look into the mirror of God’s word we should be changing from glory to glory or from character to character.
• God’s word should be changing us, that is changing us to be more like Jesus Christ.
• We should read God’s word and see ourselves just as if we looked into a mirror.
• God’s word reveals to us the need we have to clean the dirt from our face and so we wash it off.
• Getting mad at the mirror and smashing it for revealing the mess on our face would be insanity.
• God’s word should bring repentance to our lives.
• When the doctor tells you bad news-typically you don’t hit the doctor but you listen to him if you want to get well.
• When the word of God tells you that you are living in sin, then you should change your ways.
• Rather than getting mad at the preacher of the gospel and God you should repent.
• The laver was filled with water and the priests were commanded to wash in it when performing the service of the tabernacle.
• As priests unto the Lord we should wash in and apply the word of God to our life daily.
• Jesus Christ washed the church-Eph. 5:25-26.
• There is washing by water that cleanses and purifies.
• So, there is washing in the word of God that cleanses morally and spiritually.
• Jesus said there is a washing in the word of God that cleanses, “You are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”-John 15:3.
• There is washing of water also by the word that is called the washing of regeneration-Titus 3:5.
• The word “Laver” means washing the laver of regeneration.
• As it was impossible to enter into the tabernacle except by washing in the laver so it is impossible to enter into and become a child of God except by and through the New Birth-John 3:5.
• “Except a man be begotten out of the water and out of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
• The “Water” and the “Spirit” signifies the word under the operation of the spirit.
• The washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.
• Renewing and regeneration go together.

1. THE POSITION

• The laver stood in direct line with the gate, the altar of sacrifice, the altar of the incense, the ark of the covenant, mercy seat and the glory cloud in which God dwelt.
• Cleansing from defilement of sin is necessary in approach to God-Psa. 66:18.

1. THE HANDS AND FEET WERE TO BE WASHED.

• A Methodist once said that the laver represented consecration, but Aaron and his sons were consecrated when inducted into office.
• A Presbyterian said it represented the sprinkling of infants, but those who washed here were grown up men.
• An Anglican and Methodist said it stood for confirmation but they did this for themselves and others.
• Lastly, the Baptist said it was for immersion baptism, but there was not enough water for immersion.
• All denominations were wrong!!
• The explanation is simple, the hands represent service and our walk must be clean.
• We are walking and working in a world of sin. We become defiled and need daily cleansing.
• The laver is beautifully pictured in John 13:1-10……..”He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit.”
• Peter had been bathed in the water of regeneration once for all; he needed the cleansing from defilement of sin. Peter found out this very truth that very night.

1. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE ALTAR AND THE LAVER.

• Mark the contrast between the altar of the sacrifice and the laver of cleansing.
• The altar spoke of what Christ did for us on calvary.
• The laver spoke of our daily needs of His intercession at the throne and our cleansing by the washing of the water by the word and the spirits enabling power, whose sword is the word of God.
• By the work of Christ on the cross we are saved from the penalty of sin once and for all.
• By the Holy Spirit and the word of God we should be daily cleansed from the power of sin.
• Suppose the priest had said, “I washed this morning, I have no further need for I am clean.” He would be deceiving himself-1^st John 1:8.

“If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

• Sin defiles us everyday, we need cleansing through confession daily and moment by moment.
• WARNING TO THE PRIESTS.
• It was not a matter of opinion for Aaron and his sons to wash or not to wash at the laver. The command was “When you go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not”-Exodus 30:20-21.
• The New Testament command is 1^st 11:31, “For if we would judge ourselves we shall not be judged.”
• Those who fail to judge themselves become weak, sickly and die-1^st 11:30.
• The word is the instrument, the Holy Spirit is the agent-1^st 1:5.
• A priest who would serve in the tabernacle must daily wash his hands and feet in the laver.
• Christians who would serve the LORD must effectively walk before God acceptably.
• Both your walk as well as service must be clean. Apply the word daily, walk daily in the Holy Spirit.
• Let us not be like Samson of old, he woke up one day to find out that the Spirit of God had departed from him-Judges 16:20.

CONCLUSION

• Keep your hands and feet clean, the walk will be honoring and service effectual-Psa. 24:4.
• Wash your feet (walk) and your hands (service) or you will die-spiritually and physically.