Chapter 13
The Laver
And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: (Exodus 40:7-14)
In this portion of Scripture we see Aaron and his sons at the laver to be sanctified. This is a type of the believer in justification in the new birth with the water of regeneration, which is the Word of God. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5) In this text we have the cleansing power of the eternal Word and the Spirit of God who washes us, as it were, in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 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 3:4, 5) Here we have the waters of sanctification, the blood of Christ, and the work of the Holy Ghost. But let us continue on further and look at John 19:34 where we see the Roman soldier when he pierced the side of our Savior, and out flowed blood and water from His side. Thus, we have both the atonement at the brazen altar and sanctification at the laver. Therefore, the believer is sanctified, and justified at the cross of Christ, once and for all.
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (1 John 5:5-8)
The previous text witnesses to us that Christ came by water and blood. Husbands, love your wives, even as 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) We see the Word of God being used as a sanctifying vehicle. Now let us put this together. Starting with Aaron and his sons, we see that this washing was completed once and for all to set them apart for the Lord, and for the work of the tabernacle. Later there had to be a daily sanctification with the washing of their hands and feet before going into the holy place, or before offering up sacrifices on the brazen altar. This is what we call in the Christian walk, daily sanctification by the confession of our sin as seen in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thus, we are cleansed not only by the reading of the word of God, but also by daily confession. The believer is sanctified at the new birth once and for all by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ; and this by the washing of His blood and the water of the word applied by the Holy Spirit of God. We must wash at the laver, which is the word of God, in order to maintain day to day communion and fellowship with God.
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? {Peter saith: Gr. he saith}
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (John 13:4-10)
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 13:12-17)
Therefore, we need only cleanse our daily walk. The Lord Jesus told Peter that his feet only needed washing. Our service is controlled and sanctified by the Spirit of God, but ut us our walk which needs daily washing from the defilement of the world. The Lord Jesus told Peter that he was already washed, and that in the coming atonement of Christ’s death on the cross. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3) Here we have the cleansing power of the Word of God. The cleansing power of the Word of God can also be found in the Old Testament in Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. How can we cleanse our way? By taking heed to the Word of God.
1. We, like Aaron, are washed and sanctified and set apart before God once and for all by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. God will never cast us off because we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1, 2)
2. Like Aaron we too need daily sanctification for communion and fellowship with God. This communion and fellowship can be maintained by washing in the word of God, and lettering His Spirit reveal our sins to us.
3. Happy fellowship. We can have happy fellowship with God by confessing our sins because God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
In closing our study in the tabernacle, I wish to remind the reader that the types we have seen of Christ in the tabernacle are but small drops in the vast ocean of the glory of God’s Christ. Search the Scriptures, and learn more of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
© Copyright 2007, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)