Message 156
Scripture Reading: Exo. 30:17-21; 38:8; 40:7, 30-32
In this message we shall consider the laver of bronze described in 30:17-21. We may not realize how important the laver is. But it is crucial that we discover the significance of this item.
According to the record in Exodus, the laver comes immediately after the propitiation silver, and the propitiation silver comes after the incense altar. It is interesting to see that the incense altar is overlaid with gold, that the half-shekel of the propitiation money was silver, and that the laver is of bronze. Here we have three metals: gold, silver, and bronze. The silver and the bronze are for the gold. We go from bronze to silver and from silver to gold.
Here in Exodus 30 there is no mention of iron. But in the description of the great image in Daniel 2, we have gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream had a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet part of iron and part of clay (Dan. 2:32-33). With God’s building, with His testimony, there are gold, silver and bronze; however, there is neither iron nor clay. The lowest of the metals in the building is bronze.
We need to be impressed with the gold, the silver, and the bronze in Exodus 30. Surely these metals go together. In Exodus 30 first we have the incense altar overlaid with gold, then a heap of silver pieces, and then a laver made of bronze.
It is easy to study the typology in chapter thirty of Exodus, but a great deal of experience is required in order to understand it and apply it. First, we need to touch the spirit of the writer. In matters of typology this is not easy to do. Second, we need sufficient experience in order to interpret the types. Certainly the types of the bronze, silver, and gold in Exodus 30 are related to one another.
The incense altar is for intercession, and intercession is for God’s move, God’s operation. What makes it possible for God’s testimony, the ark, and also for the entire tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, to move on earth? How can Christ as God’s testimony and the church as God’s dwelling place move on earth? The ark and the tabernacle, Christ and the church, move by means of the army.
The tabernacle is God’s dwelling place. Viewed from the standpoint of a dwelling place, the tabernacle is God’s dwelling. But viewed from another perspective, the tabernacle is a camp related to an army. In the books of Exodus and Numbers we see the camps of God’s army. These camps are for fighting. The tabernacle is the central camp, and around the tabernacle the twelve tribes of Israel were formed as camps. Therefore, the twelve tribes camped around the camp of Jehovah, the tabernacle. When the children of Israel traveled, six camps went ahead of the camp of Jehovah, and six camps followed it.
The incense altar is for God’s move, and God moves by the army. But how can the army be formed? The army is formed by drafting the eligible ones. Today in different countries there is a military draft. When young men reach a certain age, they are drafted into an army. Hence, to be eligible for the draft into the army depends on growth. A little child cannot be drafted to serve in the army. Rather, a child needs to be fed, nourished, and cared for. If someone is to be drafted into the army, he must first reach the minimum age. As we have seen, the minimum age in Exodus 30 was twenty. All the males twenty years of age and upward were numbered and had to pay the half-shekel of the propitiation silver. This census and payment of the propitiation silver were for God’s move.
The propitiation silver was also for God’s building. The one hundred sockets for the pillars of the tabernacle were made of the propitiation silver. The crowns of the pillars, the hooks, and the fillets were also made of this silver. This indicates that the propitiation silver was for the building of God’s dwelling place. The males aged twenty and upward paid the propitiation silver and were drafted to form the army to fight for God’s move. But the half-shekel paid was for God’s building. Whoever was qualified and paid the half-shekel could be in the army to fight for the move of God’s testimony on earth. Therefore, both the incense altar and the propitiation silver were for God’s move.
The laver is for the tabernacle’s operation. In the outer court there were the altar and the laver; in the Holy Place, the table, the lampstand, and the incense altar; and in the Holy of Holies, the ark. Without the army, the tabernacle could not move. But without the laver, nothing in the tabernacle or in the outer court could operate. For the operation of the tabernacle it was necessary for sacrifices to be offered at the altar. These sacrifices included the burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering. Unless these offerings were offered to God, there would be no way for the tabernacle to operate. It was also necessary for the priests to come into the Holy Place to arrange the bread on the table and trim the lamps. It was also necessary for them to intercede at the incense altar. All this is involved in the operation of the tabernacle. Whenever the priests were to come to the altar to offer something to God or were to come into the tabernacle to serve, they first had to go to the laver to wash their hands. Unless the priests washed in the laver, there was no way for the tabernacle to operate. Without the army, the tabernacle and everything related to it would be at a standstill; it would have no way to move. But without the laver, the tabernacle would not be in operation. If the laver were removed from the outer court, everything else in the tabernacle and outer court would still be complete. However, there would not be any way for those things to operate.
The service of the priests in the outer court and in the tabernacle depended on their washing in the laver. No one would go several days without washing his hands. But spiritually speaking, Christians may go a very long time without washing in the laver. For example, some sisters may pray quite often both privately and in the meetings. I am concerned about their service of prayer. Sisters, before you pray, do you wash your hands in the laver? Do you have a spiritual washing before you enter into the service of prayer? Some may reply, “We confess our sins, trespasses, failures, and shortcomings. Is this not a kind of washing?” Yes, to confess our sins to the Lord is to experience one kind of washing. However, this is the washing by the blood, not the washing by the water in the laver. In order to wash away our sin, sins, trespasses, and transgressions, we need the blood. We also need the blood to wash us of our mistakes, failures, defects, defeats, and shortcomings. We need the blood to cleanse us of all these things because they are sinful. However, when the Lord Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He used water. That kind of washing did not require blood. The feet of the disciples were dirty and needed to be washed with water. The problem was not one of sin, but of dirt, of defilement.
If we tell a lie or lose our temper, we commit a trespass. But if we become defiled through the earthly touch, we have not committed anything sinful. We should not try to use the blood to cleanse away that kind of dirt. For example, hands that are dirty from touching the floor need to be washed with water. Likewise, if we become defiled because of the earthly touch, we need to be washed by the water in the laver.
I am concerned by the fact that due to our religious background and to the atmosphere that surrounds us, most Christians do not have much consciousness of being dirty spiritually. They may think that to be defiled or unclean is always a matter of sinfulness. The Bible, however, speaks of two kinds of defilement: the defilement that comes from sin and the defilement that comes by the earthly touch. If we lie or steal, we commit sin and become defiled by these transgressions. But we may be defiled in another way by means of the earthly touch, by having contact with the things of the world.
I always wash my hands before eating because I realize that on this earth there is dirt everywhere. Our hands may become dirty even by touching our clothing. In the same principle, we can easily be defiled spiritually by having contact with earthly things. Simply by living and walking on this earth, we become defiled. In order to be defiled, it is not necessary to contact evil people. We can be defiled even through contact with good people. Although we are so easily defiled, we may not have any realization, any consciousness, of the kind of defilement that comes from the earthly touch. Subconsciously we may have the thought that we are not wrong in any way, since we have not lied or stolen. We may have been good, humble, honest, and patient. Nevertheless, we may have been defiled simply by going to a restaurant or a department store.
Years ago I visited some saints in Las Vegas. Certain ones encouraged me to visit a gambling casino just to observe it. I said to them, “I would not go to such a place. I know that by visiting there one time, I would be defiled. Then I would not be able to pray for a period of time.” Whenever we are defiled by the earthly touch, we need to be washed not by the blood, but by the water in the laver.
You may confess your sins, failures, shortcomings, and defeats to the Lord, but you may not have the awareness that you need to be washed by the water in the laver. Washing in the laver will remind us to be careful not to get our hands dirty. Just as washing our hands with soap and water reminds us of the need to keep our hands clean, so washing in the laver reminds us of the need to keep ourselves from the defilement by the earthly touch. Those who do not have the consciousness that they need the washing of the water in the laver may feel that there is nothing wrong with going to a worldly place just to see what is happening there. They may not do anything sinful, but they will be defiled. We may also be defiled by listening to the conversation of worldly people. Although we may not join in their conversation, we are defiled just by listening to them. Even though we may not commit sin, we still may become defiled. Because the entire world is unclean, it is very easy for us to be defiled.
When we pray to offer something to the Lord, we first need to wash our hands and even our feet in the laver. To come to the meeting to function is actually to come into the tabernacle to serve the Lord. Before we serve the Lord in the tabernacle, we need to wash. However, in the Christian life of many believers and in their service to God there does not seem to be a laver. When they come to the altar to make an offering to God, they have unclean hands. They may come into the church meetings and serve without washing their hands in the laver. This kind of service brings in death. This is the reason 30:21 says, “Then they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die.”
We should be careful not to touch God’s service unless we have first washed our hands in the laver. If we try to serve God in the tabernacle with unclean hands, we shall die, spiritually speaking. How much death there is among Christians today! The more they serve, the more death they have because they serve with unclean hands. Praying and serving with unclean hands brings in death.
If we do not pray in the meetings or function, in a sense we may be somewhat living. But if we pray or function without washing in the laver, we shall bring death to ourselves and also spread death to others. Death is the result of our trying to pray or serve without washing in the laver.
The propitiation silver is for God’s move, and the laver is for the operation of God’s dwelling place. Without the propitiation silver, God’s dwelling place cannot be built up and it cannot move. There will be a shortage of silver to make the sockets, caps, hooks, and fillets. There will not be the adequate number of persons drafted to form the army to fight for God’s move. In the same principle, without the laver there is no way to have the operation of the tabernacle. Even if we have God’s dwelling place and all its furniture, we shall not have a way to put these things into operation. Without the washing in the laver, no one is qualified to serve in the tabernacle. It is unfortunate for emphasis to be given to the altar, the table, the lampstand, the ark, and the incense altar, but not so much to the laver. We must experience the laver for the operation of God’s dwelling place.
In location the laver is after the altar, but in function the laver is before the altar. When the priests came to minister at the altar, they first had to wash at the laver. They also had to wash at the laver before going into the tabernacle to minister. By this we see that the function of the laver comes before that of the altar.
The location of the laver indicates that it comes out of the altar. The altar was overlaid with bronze, and the laver was made of bronze. In typology bronze signifies God’s judgment. The altar typifies the cross of Christ. At the altar, at the cross, God’s judgment was exercised to the fullest extent. Out of the judgment of God exercised at the altar, the laver was produced. The bronze on the altar signifies judgment, but the bronze on the laver signifies the result, the issue, of God’s judgment. This result is the washing power. This means that the washing power of the laver comes out of God’s judgment.
According to the New Testament, the washing power of the laver is the life-giving Spirit. Titus 3:5 speaks of the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. This verse reveals that the life-giving Spirit, the Spirit of life, is the washing power. Hence, the laver signifies the washing through the life-giving Spirit.
The laver typifies the washing power of the life-giving Spirit brought forth by the death of Christ. The altar signifies Christ’s redemption, and the laver signifies the life-giving Spirit’s washing. At the altar we see Christ’s redeeming, and at the laver we see the life-giving Spirit’s washing. However, this life-giving Spirit is not someone other than Christ. The life-giving Spirit is actually Christ Himself. After passing through God’s full judgment and entering into resurrection, the crucified Christ became the life-giving Spirit who washes us.
The bronze used to overlay the altar came from the censers of the two hundred fifty rebellious ones who were judged by God. After these rebellious ones were judged, the Lord said to Moses, “Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel” (Num. 16:37-38). This indicates that the bronze on the altar should remind God’s people of His judgment upon the rebels. Therefore, the bronze used to overlay the altar became a reminder of God’s judgment on rebellion.
The bronze on the laver came from the looking glasses of the women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting (Exo. 38:8). The Hebrew word for “assembling” in 38:8 means to assemble by troops. This is another indication that all the camps of the children of Israel were troops. The women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting assembled to serve as troops. In other words, their service also was part of the military service. The looking glasses of these women were used to make the laver of bronze. This implies that the laver of bronze was a looking glass, a mirror, that could reflect and expose. Whereas the bronze on the altar was a reminder of God’s judgment, the bronze on the laver was a mirror to expose God’s people. It indicates that the judgment suffered by Christ on the cross has the power to expose us.
Those who came to the laver had their uncleanness exposed. In this way they would realize their need to wash. I remember a time years ago when my children refused to admit that they were dirty and needed to wash. I picked up a mirror and held it in front of them. When they saw themselves in the mirror, they were convinced that they were dirty and they were willing to wash themselves. Likewise, the bronze of the laver is a mirror reflecting our condition and exposing our dirt. Therefore, the bronze at the altar reminds us of God’s judgment, and the bronze at the laver reminds us that we are dirty and need to wash.
At the laver we have the bronze, the mirror, and the water. When we are at the laver, the bronze should remind us that whatever is sinful, earthly, and fleshly has been judged by God on the cross. But although we may confess our sins, we may not realize how much we are still worldly and fleshly. In the sight of God we have been redeemed, but we still need to be washed. Having been redeemed by the blood at the altar, we need to be washed by the water in the laver.
Among Christians today not many messages have been given telling the believers that, even though it is wonderful to be redeemed through the blood of Christ, we still need to be washed by the life-giving Spirit. Although we have confessed our sins, we still need to deal with defilement, with the dirt that comes from the earthly touch. We also need to deal with the defilement that comes from the flesh and the natural life. Therefore, we need to be washed by the life-giving Spirit.
Every day we first need to offer Christ as the sin offering and the trespass offering. On the one hand, this will lead us to experience Christ as our life supply and as the food that is offered to God. On the other hand, it will lead us to the realization that we need the washing of the life-giving Spirit.
The more we walk in the Spirit and live in the mingled spirit, the more we shall be washed. Each washing will be a reminder not to go to certain places, contact certain persons, or be involved in situations that will defile us. Even though we may not do anything sinful, we may touch something worldly and natural and thereby be defiled. If we remain in a condition of defilement, we shall not be able to pray, serve the Lord, or function in the meetings. If we try to function without washing away the defilement in the laver, we shall experience death.
I can testify that this understanding and interpretation of the significance of the laver corresponds to our experience. What we have said regarding the laver in this message can be confirmed by our experience.
Exodus 30:18 says, “And you shall make a laver of bronze, and its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar; and you shall put water in it.” The base of the laver signifies steadfastness. The laver was put between the tent of meeting and the altar to continue the work of the altar for the entrance into the tabernacle. The water put into the laver signifies the washing of the life-giving Spirit (see Eph. 5:26).
Verse 19 continues, “And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it.” As we have pointed out, this washing signifies the washing away of the defilement that comes from the earthly touch (John 13:10).
Verses 20 and 21 say, “When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah, then they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die. And it shall be an eternal statute to them, to him and to his seed throughout their generations.” The priests were to wash in the laver in order to be kept away from death. Today we need the washing of the life-giving Spirit to avoid spiritual death.
The priests needed to wash in the laver when going into the tent of meeting or coming to the altar to minister. As the last part of verse 21 points out, this was to be an eternal statute, an eternal principle for all generations.
According to Exodus 30, immediately after the incense altar, we have the silver for God’s building and God’s move, and then the laver of bronze for the operation of God’s dwelling place. Without the propitiation silver, there would not be a way to have God’s dwelling place built up or a way for God’s dwelling place to move. Furthermore, if there were no laver of bronze, there would not be a way to have the operation of God’s building. Without the laver, God’s building would come to a standstill, and everything related to it would be quiet.
Now we can understand why the propitiation silver and the laver of bronze immediately follow the golden incense altar. We need the silver for the building up of God’s dwelling place and for its move. We need the bronze for the operation of God’s dwelling place. This means that the actual operation in the church life depends on the laver of bronze.
As we shall see, in Exodus 30 we also have the ingredients of the ointment and of the incense. The ointment and the incense belong with the propitiation silver and the laver of bronze. Therefore, after the incense altar we have four items: silver, bronze, ointment, and incense. After we have the silver and the bronze of the laver, we need the ointment to anoint us, and we also need the incense to burn on the incense altar for intercession.
I would encourage you to pray about the propitiation silver and the laver of bronze and to have fellowship concerning them. The proper understanding of these matters requires much prayer and fellowship.
