02.21. THE BRAZEN LAVER

THE BRAZEN LAVER THE laver was a bason of brass set on a stand or pedestal, called the “foot.”

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and his seed throughout their generations.” (Exodus 30:17-21.) The laver was made from the mirrors used by the women.

“And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the looking-glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Exodus 38:8.) The looking-glass in Scripture is a symbol of the written Word of God; as it is written:

“If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner he was.” (James 1:23-24.) The fact of looking into the Word of God is compared to looking into a glass, the glass is plainly compared to the Word of God. The Laver made of the looking-glasses is a symbol of the written Word of God. The laver was filled with water and the priests were commanded to wash in it when performing the service of the Tabernacle. As the Laver was a symbol of the Word, to wash in the laver and apply the water signifies to wash in and apply the Word of God.

Scripture tells us there is a washing in and by the written Word.

“Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:25-26.)

Just as there is a washing by water that cleanses and purifies, so there is a washing in, an application of, the Word of God that cleanses morally and spiritually; as it is written:

“Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3.) There is a washing of water by the word that is called the washing of regeneration:

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5.) The word” washing” should be rendered” laver.” The literal reading would be:

“According to his mercy he saved us by the laver of regeneration.” The laver at the door of the Tabernacle is the symbol of regeneration. No one could be admitted to that Tabernacle except he wash in the laver. The symbol is full of enormous accent. The Tabernacle is a symbol of the Church. Is there any difficulty in understanding it? There ought to be none. As it was impossible to enter into the Tabernacle except by washing in the laver, so is it impossible to enter into and become a living member of the Church of Christ except by and through regeneration.

Every day that laver in the midst of Israel was saying what our Lord said to Nicodemus:

“Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5.) Literally:

“Except a man be begotten out of the water and out of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Water when spoken of in connection with the Spirit signifies the Word in and under the operation of the Spirit; wherefore it is written:

“The washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Renewing and regeneration are here in the same category.

Regeneration is not only in and by the laver-the Word of God-it is by the operation of the Holy Ghost in applying the Word. The Word is the instrument, the Holy Spirit is the Agent. The Apostle says:

“Our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Not in the water of baptism, not in any baptismal pool or font as a laver, but through the written Word and’ by the Spirit only can a human being be begotten again and become a child of God.

Let it be remembered then, this Brazen Laver at the door of the Tabernacle, though voiceless, proclaimed in unmistakable accents the tremendous legislation of the Son of God to all who would enter the Church of Christ:

“Ye must be born again.” The priest who would serve in the Tabernacle must daily wash his hands and feet in the laver.

“So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not.” (Exodus 30:21.) Hands are for service.

Feet are for walk. The Christian who would serve the Lord effectively must walk before the Lord acceptably.

Both his walk as well as his service must be clean.

However much by grace through faith we become the children of God, the Lord will not fellowship us in any uncleanness, whether by deed or word or thought. The Christian can be kept clean in walk and service only as he applies the Word of GM to his daily life, walking according to its rule and surrendering to its demands. We can be clean only as we apply the truth to heart and conscience.

There is one thing the Christian must do if he would keep in spiritual health and purity:

He must take a bath every day in the Word of God; every day he must wash in this laver of regeneration. The Christian who fails to do this will sooner or later find the inherent uncleanness of the flesh manifesting itself uncomfortably to himself in his spiritual experience and uncomfortably to others.

Keep the hands and the feet clean, the walk will be honoring and the service effectual.

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” (Psalms 24:4.).

There is a very solemn warning in connection with the laver. The priests are exhorted to wash hands and feet therein, “lest they die.” The spiritual application is clear enough. The Christian who is not walking according to the Word of God, who is not going according to His mind and will revealed therein, who is unwilling to apply the truth of God to his own life, will sooner or later lose the consciousness of the Spirit in his own soul and seem, indeed, as one spiritually dead.