The people of Israel could see all that took place in the court of the tabernacle, but not that which transpired within the pavilion. Nevertheless in the laver there was one important object which associated together the services of the priests in the court and in the pavilion. It was an inflexible law, the transgression of which was death (Ex. 30:19-2119For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 20When 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: 21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations. (Exodus 30:19‑21)), that the ministering priests should wash their hands and their feet in the water of the laver, both on entering and on leaving the pavilion. The object lesson was therefore before all Israel, teaching that Jehovah required of His servants clean hands and feet, that is, purity in action and in walk. “Holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, forever” (Psa. 93:55Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever. (Psalm 93:5)) was stamped upon the whole service of the tabernacle, whether upon the high priest’s diadem, or upon the steps of the ordinary priest. Though the priest was once for all consecrated, his purification was needed daily, both for entrance into God’s presence and for service. There was one immersion (Ex. 29:44And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. (Exodus 29:4)) on entering the priestly service, but there was constant cleansing to enable the priest to serve. Christ Himself washes His disciples’ feet, He renders them fit for His presence as He teaches us; “He that is washed (immersed) needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit” (John 13:1010Jesus 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 13:10)).
The brazen altar contained fire, the brazen laver contained water. One was designed to consume the sacrifice through which the worshipper who drew near to God was accepted, the other was designed to supply the cleansing water by which the priest who drew near to serve was made acceptable. The one effected atonement for the person; the other purification of the person.
In the description of the laver and its foot, one great peculiarity is noticeable: no dimensions are given. But, on the other hand, the source whence the material was obtained from which the laver was formed is carefully noted. “He made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the brazen glasses” (margin) “of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation” (Ex. 38:88And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Exodus 38:8)). The copper (rather than brazen) mirrors came out of Egypt, and they were in very many cases dedicated to the goddess of personal ornament. The women piously dispensed with that which they prized as aiding their personal adornment, and God appropriated their gift in such a way as to render His priests personally fit for His presence in the Holy place. Thus the mirrors which had been devoted to self inspection became the vessel of self purification.
The laver and its foot, or stand, had to be filled with water in order to render their service applicable to man. Such texts as “the washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:55Not 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 washing of water by the word” (Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)), are more than hints enabling us to arrive at the spiritual meaning of the symbol. The laver is a figure of the Holy Spirit of God, and the water is a figure of God’s cleansing word, which the Holy Spirit communicates to men, and the purifying effects of which enable the worshipper to serve God acceptably in His holiness. Practically Christ takes us to the laver, by whose water He fits us for passing in to God, and for passing out into service.
Entering the first chamber of the pavilion, facing west, on the north side, the right hand, stood the holy table. This is mentioned first when the tabernacle is spoken of in the Book of Exodus, whether the occasion be that of the instruction given on the mount for its formation, or that of its being placed in position in the Holy. Hence, attention is called first to the table when the Holy is in view. Let us first consider the purpose for which this table was made. It Nvas to stand in the Holy and to bear up before Jehovah’s face twelve loaves. These were to be set out “in two rows, six in a row, upon the pure table before Jehovah” (Lev. 24:66And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. (Leviticus 24:6)). These loaves were termed shewbread, which means literally, bread of faces, for they were continually before the face of God. Of these Jehovah Himself said, they shall be “before Me alway” (Ex. 25:3030And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before me alway. (Exodus 25:30)). Twelve in number, they were a presentation of the twelve tribes of Israel, that is, of all the people of God amongst whom He dwelt. As the names of all the tribes were before Jehovah’s face, in the breastplate of the high priest, so were all the people before Him as figured in the loaves laid out upon the holy table. The loaves were either sprinkled over with frankincense (Lev. 24:77And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (Leviticus 24:7)) or had it attached to them in golden saucers. Upon the table were two golden bowls, which were used for the wine of the drink offering. Thus the bread of satisfaction, the wine of joy, and the frankincense of delight were before the face of Jehovah. For the time period of seven days the loaves remained before Jehovah, and then the frankincense was burned as a sweet savor, and the loaves were eaten by the priests.
The table stood upon the bare earth which we traverse, not upon a golden base, as was the case in the vision of the Revelation in the golden street of the city (Rev. 21), and the lessons, with their comfort, are for this earth.
The table had crowns or wreaths of gold round about it (Ex, 25:2). We must conclude that there were two such ornamental wreaths – one round the slab of the table; the other round the rim that was under the slab. Thus the position of the loaves was secured by a wreath or crown of glory. “In Christ,” that most frequent New Testament description of the true place of security before God of all God’s people, seems to be a comment upon the instruction of this symbol. “In Christ,” is the present position of the whole church (the twelve loaves) – “in Christ,” determines the position of each member of the whole Church, though it be upon earth and Christ be in heaven. And for all the week of its pilgrimage on earth” in Christ” is the secured position before God of the Church. Should one of “the loaves” fall from its place, the “crown” of glory would thereby suffer loss.
Next in the divine order was the golden lampstand. This was formed “all of one beaten piece of pure gold” (Ex. 25:3636Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. (Exodus 25:36)) and it branched out into seven arms. As in the case of the laver no dimensions of it are given. The number of its lamps was seven, and these were “lighted before Jehovah” (Ex. 40:2525And he lighted the lamps before the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 40:25)). We cannot fail to recall the words of the Book of the Revelation, “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God” (Rev. 4:55And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Revelation 4:5)).
The position of the lampstand indicates its special purpose, it was placed so that its lamps should cast their combined light directly upon the holy table (Ex. 40:2424And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward. (Exodus 40:24)), while also giving light to the Holy place generally. The priests who served Jehovah in the Holy place were constantly engaged with its light, and in that light it was theirs to see how God viewed the shewbread.** This light made evident to the men who served Jehovah within the Holy what His mind was. In this way God’s people, like the priests, should hold forth the word of life, and in the power of God the Holy Spirit minister in the Church the great realities God has made known. True priestly service ever engages itself’ with the revealed thoughts of God’s goodness respecting His Church and all its members; and the frankincense of praise ascends most frequently from such as best recognize the divine will concerning God’s people.
(* “The golden lamp (called the ‘golden candlestick’ in the authorized version) was eighteen palms, or nearly forty-eight inches, high..... Maimonides says that the lamp nearest the vail was inscribed with the word ‘one,’ and the others in order; number seven being the eastward lamp.” Conder, A Handbook to the Bible”, p. 111.)
In the tent of the divine sanctuary, such light as the heavenly bodies render was carefully excluded, and save for the lampstand all would have been darkness. The light of divine truth pouring out its glory by the Holy Spirit is here symbolized; nature may, indeed, illustrate, but does not give, the light of the truth of the spiritual kingdom. The oil of the lamps is figurative of the Holy Spirit.
We now turn to the incense, or golden altar. Its position was close to the vail of separation dividing the Holy from the Holiest – in front of the vail which hung before the ark of the testimony, “where,” Jehovah said to Moses, “I will meet with thee” (Ex. 30:66And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. (Exodus 30:6)). Its spiritual connection with the Holiest is noted in the epistle to the Hebrews, which speaks of the Holiest as having the censer (Heb. 9:44Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (Hebrews 9:4)). Burnt offerings, oblations, and sin offerings were not to be offered upon it. Emphatically, the golden altar was not for such uses as the brazen altar, but “a perpetual incense” before Jehovah (Ex. 30:88And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. (Exodus 30:8)) was consumed – caused to ascend – upon it daily.
The golden altar, like the holy table, was composed of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold, and this referred to its top, sides, and horns. Like the brazen altar, it was square, and thus in it is presented teaching similar to that conveyed by the brazen altar as to universality and power. It looked out, as it were, towards all the world, and the excellence of its incense, its figuratively intercessory character, was for all.
Its position within the Holy was in contrast with that of the brazen altar, in the open court. Israel’s eye could not see the one, while the other was ever open to view. As the brazen altar and its sacrifice combined to figure Christ and His cross, so the golden altar and its incense combined to figure Christ and His intercession. As that one was for all to see, so was the other hidden from the general gaze. It was visible to none save by the lights of the lampstand. Christ suffered on earth, He intercedes in heaven.’ Historically all may know of His cross, but of His intercession we can know only that which the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God enables us to understand.
As there were three leading teachings in the court of the tabernacle, so were there three in the Holy place. Three great symbols were there ever before the presence of Jehovah, and all referred to His people. The symbols were food, light, and fragrance, The diagram indicates the position of the lampstand, holy table, and golden altar, and the dotted line connects the Holy in moral order with the laver, the service of the priests within the Holy being possible only by the washing of their hands and feet in its water.