THE laver occupied an important place in the service of the sanctuary of Jehovah. It was situated between the brazen altar at the entrance of the court, to which all Israel had access, and the entrance to the holy place where only priests could approach.
The material of which it was made was the looking-glasses of the women who were in the habit of attending the tent that had been temporarily set up for worship. That therefore which had been used for adorning the flesh was formed into a vessel to be used in cleansing it.
In the laver, then, we see God’s provision for cleansing the priests of old from defilement, and in this respect it is a type of what the Lord Jesus is now doing on high for every Christian.
When He hung upon the cross a soldier pierced His side and forthwith came there out blood and water (John 19:3434But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34)). The blood was to justify and the water to sanctify the soul. The priests of Israel were first washed at the door of the tabernacle to consecrate them to God’s service (Ex. 29:1-51And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, 2And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. 3And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams. 4And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. 5And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: (Exodus 29:1‑5)). After that they needed only to wash their hands and feet at the laver, in order to maintain their fitness for worship and service. To His disciples the Lord Jesus said, “Now [or, already] ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:33Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3)). Again, “He that is washed 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 first washing of the priests is evidently a figure therefore of the complete cleansing through which the sinner passes when he is saved. The blood of Christ is applied to the person by the Lord Himself, through the word, and by the instrumentality of the Holy Ghost. Hence we have in Rev. 1:5,5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5) “Unto him that loves us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” This washing is never repeated, because the efficacy of the blood ever remaineth the same (Heb. 9:12, 2812Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)
28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)).
Further, the priests of old were constantly defiling their hands and feet with the sacrifices in the court, and with the dust of the desert. Therefore their need of cleansing for the work of the sanctuary. Having washed at the laver, however, they were admitted to all the joy and blessing of the holy place; for the food, light, and communion were the portion of the priests only.
The Christian is in an analogous position to-day. In his pilgrimage down here he is called to pass through a scene where all is directly opposed to God, and everything that is of God in himself. The world is his enemy. The old nature is still within him. Satan is as busy as ever he was. He and the world act upon the old nature, with the result that the mind and conscience become defiled; for it is a solemn fact that an unhallowed aspiration, a covetous desire, a self-willed action, will interrupt communion, obscure the glory to which we are called (1 Thess. 2:1212That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:12)) and spoil our joy.
Thus the need is seen of our feet being continually washed by Christ. This He does by the application of the word. “When we sin the Lord undertakes our cause with the Father. He thereon exercises the office of the advocate (1 John 2:11My 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: (1 John 2:1)). The result to us ward is that the Spirit of God bins, in God’s clue time, to deal with us about it—to bring the sin to our remembrance, to apply the word to our consciences, to produce thereby in us self-judgment, leading us on to confession of our sin, God is then faithful and just to forgive us our sins, etc. (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)). Thus we are restored” to a sense of complete pardon, we are brought back again into fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and the enjoyment of all its blessedness. He brings to our apprehension by the Holy Ghost what we are as seen in Him, and enables us to rejoice in it. Thus does He ever continue to wash our feet. Let us remember, however, that perfect as is the provision made in case of failure, it gives no license to sin; on the contrary, an apostle reminds us that he wrote in order that we should not sin (1 John 2:11My 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: (1 John 2:1)).
Again, the priests themselves washed their hands and feet. And it is well to remember that the Christian is responsible to diligently maintain personal holiness, because it is written, “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:1616Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16)). This holiness however can only flow from the action of the word of God on our works and ways. “By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer,” and by that same word our practical sanctification is carried on. The apostle calls on the saints to cleanse themselves (2 Cor. 7:11Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)), and this can only be done by taking heed or watching according to God’s word (Psa. 119:99BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9)). Let us, then, seek to have the dividing and discriminating power of the word brought to bear upon our lives and conduct, so that what is not of it may be discovered and removed (Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)). Thus shall we be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:2222But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)).
W.T.H.