A) WHAT THE LAVER MADE OF.

B) WHAT THE LAVER WAS USED FOR.

C) THE FOOT OF THE LAVER.

D) BEFORE WE ENTER.

E) THE ACT OF FOOT WASHING.

F) CHRIST’S MINISTRY AND THE LAVER.

G) JUSTIFICATION IN THE COURTYARD.

 

 

A) WHAT THE LAVER MADE OF

 

 

Although some Bible commentators believe the Hebrew word “chosheth” is used to refer to “bronze,” which is a mixture of copper and tin, there is good reason to believe that the Laver was made of the more glittering and reflective metal of “brass,” which is an alloy of copper and zinc.  The Bible states that the Laver was made from “the looking glasses of the women,” Exodus 38:8.  And since the “looking glasses” were made of “brass,” we can be certain that it was “brass.”

 

A mirror reveals imperfections or uncleanness, of which God asks us to dispense with, “go, and sin no more,” John 8:11.  By contrast, this cannot be done unless the reflection of Christ is seen in our individual mirrors.  And we must learn to be as one body of believers as were the women of Israel who gave of their “looking glasses” for the glory of the Lord.  And since God’s Law is likened unto a mirror in that it “is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass,” James 1:23, so also the priests, when washing at the Brazen Laver made of “looking glasses,” where to notice their characters and whether or not they met the standards of God’s Law or not.  In other words, do we reflect our Lord Jesus in our lives?

 

After washing in the “Laver of brass,” Exodus 30:18 & 38:8; the priests were then to look into it, just like we use mirrors today, to see their reflections and identify if there was any uncleanness left upon them.  Once clean, then they could administer any other services that were required of them.  Do we start our day with (God) prayer before beginning it?

 

In a side note:  We are not given the dimensions of this article of the Sanctuary.  Various conjectures have been made for Its size.  But since the Bible does not discuss it, I will not speculate.  Some use Solomon’s Laver, but he exaggerated everything.

 

 

B) WHAT THE LAVER WAS USED FOR

 

 

It is here at the Laver that the priests would wash their hands and their feet preparatory to any service to be rendered in the Sanctuary proper (Exo. 29:4; 30:17-21; 38:8).  “Washing” was absolute and required before entering into the Holy Place, for it was twice stated, “that they die not,” Exodus 30:20-21.  Thus, cleanliness, which correlates to Holiness, is a true requirement of God in order for entry into His Sanctuary, or better, His “rest,” i.e., Heaven (Hebrews 4:1).

 

David referred to this cleansing when he admonished:  “I will wash mine hands in innocency; so will I compass Thine Altar O Lord.”  Psalm 26:6.  And God, “(5) according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (6) Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”  Titus 3:5-6.  “(25) Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; (26) That He might sanctify and cleanse It with the washing of water by the Word,” Ephesians 5:25-26.  This is how we are cleansed daily from the defilement of sin, by “the washing of water by the Word.”

 

Therefore, what is a “mirror” used for?  Just as we take showers and then look into the “mirror” in order to find imperfections that we might clean up before going out into the world, so the Laver provided the cleansing needed before entering into the Sanctuary Proper.

 

 

C) THE FOOT OF THE LAVER

 

 

Whenever the Laver is mentioned, it is usually stated, “and his foot also,” Exodus 30:18 & 28; 31:9; 35:16; 38:8; 39:9; 40:11; Leviticus 8:11 (see also Exo. 40:7, 30; 1Ki. 7:30 & 38; 2Ki. 16:17, for when it is not).  Jewish writers interpreting this Hebrew word, “ken,” i.e., “foot,” interpret it as “stand.”  In fact, this Hebrew word is translated in other places of God’s Word as “base,” “pedestal,” and “stand” (see 1Ki. 7:27 & 37 as examples).  This indicates two distinct parts that the Levites had to dismantle and carry to its next location.

 

No specific description is given as to the size or shape of either the Laver or its “foot.”  In fact, this and the Golden Lampstand are the only pieces in the Sanctuary in which we are not given any particular measurements.  They thus becomes symbolic of the limitless cleansing power and ability to shine out in our lives of our Lord.  However, in Solomon’s temple the Laver was described as being round (2Ch. 4:2).

 

The washing was not done IN the Laver, but “Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat,”Exodus 30:19 -- or more literally, “therefrom.”  Therefore, some sort of spigot must have been on it (or one reached into it; unlikely), while the “foot” would catch the residue.  Remember, the ground on which they were standing was “holy ground.”  And just as the “foot” captured any blood from the sacrifice that the water from the Laver cleansed, so “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin,” First John 1:7, which keeps the ground holy, and from being defiled -- thus keeping us on a firm foundation.

 

 

D) BEFORE WE ENTER

 

 

In a side note, after washing at the Laver, and before entering into the Holy place, “They were to leave their shoes in the court before entering the Sanctuary, and also to wash both their hands and their feet before ministering in the Tabernacle or at the Altar of Burnt Offering.  Thus was constantly taught the lesson that all defilement must be put away from those who would approach into the presence of God.”  PP:350.

 

It was the duty of the Levites to keep the Laver filled with water, thus representing the free and unlimited supply of Christ’s cleansing power.  Because Christ “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” First John 1:9.  Immediately after the death of Christ, symbolized at the Brazen Altar, was His burial and resurrection of which baptism is a memorial (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22-24).

 

 

E) THE ACT OF FOOT WASHING

 

 

Baptism is a washing away of sin, and washing at the Laver in the Mosaic dispensation corresponds to the Christian dispensation, not only to the ordinance of baptism, but to the ordinance of “foot washing,” as instituted by Christ Himself in John 13:12-17.  Remember, a failure of a priest to wash first at the Laver meant death certain (Exo. 30:20-21).  So also, would it have been for Peter’s refusal of Christ to wash his feet (John 13:8).

 

We learn from DA:646 that:  “The service that Peter refused was the type of a higher cleansing.  Christ had come to wash the heart from the stain of sin.  In refusing to allow Christ to wash his feet, Peter was refusing the higher cleansing included in the lower.”  Thus we learn a Biblical truth, that by refusing to be baptized -- as the Bible clearly teaches us that we must do in order to be saved (Mark 16:16; John 3:5; 1Pe. 3:2) -- the “stain of sin” remains upon us.  Let us consider John 3:5 more closely, which states:  “Except a man be born of water [baptism] and of the Spirit [conversion], [JESUS SAYS] HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”

 

 

F) CHRIST’S MINISTRY AND THE LAVER

 

 

Christ’s earthly ministry is summed up in the Laver.  In regards to the foot washing service, Jesus says, “He that is washed needeth not [to wash the entire body] save [or only] to wash his feet,” John 13:10.  The Laver, with its continual supply of water, corresponds to the ordinance of foot washing, in that it provides for a continual cleansing by renewing our baptismal vows.  The righteousness of Christ is once more imputed to us, through faith.  “This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.”  First John 5:6.  The “blood” refers to the Brazen Altar sacrifice; while the water refers to the Laver; which is the cleansing process.  Now maybe you can better understand what I stated in “The Sanctuary Layout” section, about the first square of the Sanctuary illustrating Christ’s earthly ministry.

 

In regards to the “blood” and the “water,” John is our witness as he watched the soldier pierce Jesus with his spear:  “forthwith came there out blood and water,” John 19:34.  Notice how when John recognized God’s order of things, he first mentioned the “blood,” corresponding to the Brazen Altar, then the “water,” representing the Laver.  Zechariah 13:1 reminds us of the Laver’s properties by stating:  “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”  A “fountain” of cleansing of sin.

 

As in the earthly court, all the sacrificing and cleansing must be done before taking the blood into the Sanctuary proper.  So also, all our cleansing must take place here and now in order to enter into the Heavenly home (the second phase or square of Christ’s ministry), where no cleansing will take place.  If we are not clean now, we will not enter into Heaven later.

 

From Romans 5:10 we read:  “If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son [illustrated at the Brazen Altar], much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life [the reconciliation being illustrated at the Laver].”  For the Christian, God says “He shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of silver:  and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness,” Malachi 3:3.  As the refiner of brass works with the precious metals such as gold and silver, the purpose is to refine until Christ’s image is reflected in the molten mass, such that “Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple.”  DA:827.  The only way to “purify” gold and silver, is through extreme heat.  If one is not prepared to live for Christ, the Refiner will find out.

 

 

G) JUSTIFICATION IN THE COURTYARD

 

 

Thus, the picture of the sinner’s justification becomes clear in the courtyard.  Before God gave the Israelites the responsibility of giving His Law of Ten Commandments to the world, He saved them from slavery in Egypt; the symbolization thus being the freeing of them from the slavery of sin.  How?  By virtue of their faith in the Passover Lamb, which is symbolized by the Altar of Burnt Offering, and then He baptized them in the Red Sea (1Co. 10:2), which is represented by the Laver.  To refuse to be washed (baptized), is to dismiss the power of the Holy Spirit in your life after baptism.  From Ev:472.2 we read, “Self must be buried with Christ, and we must be baptized with the Holy Spirit of God.  Then will be revealed in speech, in spirit, and in our manner of labor the fact that the Spirit of God is guiding.”

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