The Laver Of Copper

by G. Prasher | Category: The Tabernacle | Nov 1958

This vessel stood on its base at the door of the tent of meeting. It was made of copper, and contained water for the cleansing of the priests.

It will perhaps be well for us to remark here that the brass in the text should really be copper, this we judge from the passage in Deuteronomy 8.9, where we read concerning the land into which God was bringing His people, that it is " a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass." It is well known that brass is not digged out of the ground, but that it is a mixture or alloy, and that what is referred to is copper, the ore of which is digged from the ground. Hence our use of the word copper instead of brass.

The instructions for making the laver are found in Exodus 30.17-21, and in 38.8. This latter portion says, "And he made the laver of copper, and the base thereof of copper, of the mirrors of the serving women which served at the door of the tent of meeting."

Here honourable mention is made of the women, who are spoken of time and again by God in connexion with His work. Paul wrote to the Hebrews, "God is not unrightsous to forget your work and the love which ye shewed toward His name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister" (Hebrews 6.10). This must have proved an encouraging message to the Hebrew saints, and it should have similar encouragement to all who seek to render service, however small, out of love to the name of the Lord Jesus. "And we desire," says the writer, "that each one of you may shew the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end."

POLISHED COPPER MIRRORS.

That the laver was made from polished copper mirrors affords us an interesting lesson, and, we judge, the laver speaks of the word of God. "If any one is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth, but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing" (James 1.23-25).

This views the child of God as using the mirror of the word of God, wherein he can see himself. This word also reveals the condition of the unsaved, as, for example, in Romans 3, 28, and Titus 3.3. This latter scripture says, "For we also were aforetime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another." Here is a true reflection of the natural man and his activities.

The copper speaks of judgement, and reminds us that the laver is the place of self-judgement. The copper altar was the place of divine judgement, since it was there that the judgement of God fell upon the spotless victim, but here at the laver the ever-failing servant of the Lord judges himself. "But let a man prove himself" (1 Corinthians 11.28). Dokimazo, is to prove, test, examine, to decide upon after examination, and visualizes the worshipper at the mirror of the word for examination prior to engaging in the solemn service of the remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. How true it is that if we judged ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world

This self-examination in the presence of God as helped by the mirror of the word should not be confined to the Lord's Day, but should be a daily practice. It is only as we allow the mirror to reveal our state that we can be truly exercised about our condition before God, and it is only as we are exercised thus that we will be seeking the cleansing that is provided for in the laver with its water.

THE INITIAL USE OF THE LAVER.

There are two distinct uses of the laver - the initial use, and the day-by-day use. In the initial use the priests, Aaron and his sons, were washed all over by Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant (Leviticus 8. 6). This was at the time of the consecration of the priests. It was done once only, and was something done for them by another; so it reminds us that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant, has bathed or washed every one who has truly believed on Him. He does not require to do this washing a second time, as the Preacher says, "I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever."

This work of the Lord Jesus is referred to in Titus 3.5, "According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing or laver of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." When the sinner believes on Christ at that moment he is regenerated, washed or bathed, and thoroughly cleansed by the Lord. Simon Peter said to the Lord, when He was about to wash his feet, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head," and was answered by the Lord, "He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all " (John 13.10). Judas Iscariot was there among them in his uncleanness, never having had the experience of being washed in the bath of regeneration.

We linger over the beautiful story of John 13. The teaching of the washing of the feet of the disciples has its relation to the ministry of the word of God, both in private and in public, and important truth is unfolded in the Master's words to Peter. Two words are used by the Lord, namely, nipto, and louo, the former meaning to wash some I)art of the person, as distinguished from louo, the significance of which is to bathe the body, and not merely the hands and feet. The eleven apostles had been bathed (louo), while the feet of the twelve had been washed (nipto). From this we glean how ineffectual is partial washing, if one has not known the bathing of regeneration. Judas Iscariot's sad end is revealed in the words of Acts 1.25, "That he might go to his own place." It may chance that some person who reads these lines has been trying to wash hands and feet, dropping off this bad habit and that, but if there has not been the new birth let such be assured this partial work will be unavailing in that terrible day when the Judge of all the earth will do right.

ETERNAL SANCTIFICATION IN THE BODY.

Ephesians 5.26 shows that when the believer in Christ is cleansed by the washing of the water with the word he is sanctified or set apart in the Church which is the Body of Christ. This is eternal sanctification, and should be carefully noted as distinct from the progressive sanctification in the life of the believer, as see 1 Thessalonians 5.23, which reads, "And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Encouraging are the following lines, "Faithful is He that calleth you, who will also do it."

1 Corinthians 6.11 may be noted here as containing both aspects of the truth of sanctification that which is accomplished for us by the Lord Jesus, and the day by day cleansing wherein we have responsibility. "And such were some of you; but ye washed yourselves, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God" (R.V.M.). Some in the church in Corinth had been guilty of the sins mentioned in the previous verses, but they had been justified. This was the work of God in grace, "Being justified freely by His grace (Romans 3.24); " being now justified by His blood" (5.9) (Christ's work) ; "Being therefore justified by faith" (5.1) (the believer's part). With this justification was sanctification, an eternal setting apart, eternally cleansed; and so these in Corinth who had known this work of God are said to have washed themselves. The marginal reading of the R.V. in this passage gives the correct rendering. We would not readily believe that a person was saved who continued in the old life of sin. There are things that accompany salvation.

NECESSARY FOR ENTRANCE INTO THE HOLIES.

The majesty of the Person of Christ, the efficacy of His work, and the glories of His offices, are the burden of the epistle to the Hebrews. These are fitly set forth by the Spirit of God ere the way of approach for the people of God as a holy priesthood is presented, and the exhortation given: "Let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our body washed with pure water: let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for He is faithful that promised" (Hebrew 10.22, 23). The washing of the body here has its type in Leviticus 8.6, where we read: "And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water." This, as we have already mentioned, was a once-for-all washing, and is performed for us by the Mediator, without which there can be no entering into the Holies in divine worship. Many, we fear, attempt to worship God without knowing this cleansing through the laver of regeneration, but all such, like Judas Iscariot, will have a rude awakening unless they are aroused to their need of cleansing, and avail themselves of the provision in Christ. Let us who know the cleansing exult in the greatness of the blessing.

"Clean every whit! Thou saidst it, Lord!

Shall one suspicion lurk?

Thine, surely, is a faithful word,

And Thine a finished work."

THE DAILY WASHING.

Aaron and his sons were commanded to wash their hands and their feet at the laver: "When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an 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 for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations." This, it will be observed, was a work they had to do for themselves. If acceptable service was to be rendered to God, their hands and feet must be cleansed from defilement. "Be ye clean, ye that bear the vessels of the LORD (Isaiah 52.11), is a word in agreement with this; and we are taught that to serve God aright the hands, indicating what we do, and the feet, indicating our walk, must be cleansed day by day with the water of the word of God.

An important reference to this is found in 1 Timothy 2.8: "I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing." Here, we understand, those in the house of God are seen together in the prayers, lifting up holy hands. If hands that are holy or clean are to be lifted up in assembly exercises, then it must needs be that the laver of the word be used.

"He that hath clean hands" is part of the requirement which David mentions in Psalm 24, for the person that would ascend into the hill of the LORD. This was specially true of the Lord Jesus, whose hands were ever clean; but God would have us all who seek to serve Him attend to this requirement of His word, and serve Him with clean hands. "I will wash mine hands in innocency; so will I compass Thine altar, 0 LORD: that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, and tell of all Thy wondrous works" (Psalm 26.6, 7), is in keeping with the truth of God relative to the cleansing of His servants.

Frequent reference is made to the feet, and we quote from Psalm 17.4, 5, which seems most fitting here: "As for the works of men, by the words of Thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent. "My steps have held fast to Thy paths, my feet have not slipped." Then Psalm 119.9 has a clear voice for us in this matter: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word."

"Thy word is light; its beaming rays Do cleanse and sanctify our ways, Conforming us to Thy blest Son, The undefiled, the Spotless One."

THAT THEY DIE NOT.

Neglect of the provision of God in the laver with its water rendered the priest liable to death. "Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: when they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering unto the LORD: so shall they 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).

This daily washing was at the laver, not in it. Little information is given us as to how the washing was done, but the base may have been used in connexion with the washing, while the laver itself may have been a receptacle for holding the water. No measurements are given for the size of the laver, but as it speaks of the word of God this may be the reason, since His "commandment is exceeding broad" (Psalm 119.96). Those who are ruled by the Lord's commandments are not narrow-minded, but rather truly broadminded; though such are often spoken of as narrow because they cannot go beyond the things that are written. It is good to remember that it is what God thinks that matters, and not what men may think and say.

Some of the saints in the church in Corinth through failure to judge themselves came under the judgement of God. Some were weak and sickly, and not a few had slept, or died. This is a solemn matter, and should cause us deep exercise that we attend to the washings at the laver of the word of God day by day. To discern or judge ourselves in the light of the word of God is a healthy and profitable exercise. When it is others we are judging let us do it kindly, remembering the words: "Who art thou that judgest the servant of another? to his own lord he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand." If peradventure we are using the water of the word to wash the feet of another, as it has been remarked, "Let us not use too hot water." "Let all that ye do be done in love" (1 Corinthians 16.14).

The use of the laver, it should be noted, is expressly in connexion with the services of the house of God. We fall short in our interpretation of the laver and its water if we assume that it only refers to cleansing in relation to the normal life of a believer without regard to the house of God.

G. Prasher | Nov 1958
The Tabernacle