Brazen Laver. Christ our Sanctification. Part 1

By Charles Feinberg

Charles Feinberg:

And this is the third message on God's panorama of redemption the tabernacle in the wilderness by Dr. Charles Lee Feinberg dean and professor of Old Testament at Talbot Theological

Seminary in La Mirada California. I study, now our third study, the first study was the introduction to the entire Tabernacle study. Then the second message was on the bronze altar

Christ our justification. Now the bronze Laver Christ Our sanctification through the working of the Spirit of God and the word. Now the bronze laver instructions for it are to be found in

Exodus the 30th chapter beginning with Verse 17 Exodus 13:17-21.

And we're reading that portion now, "and the Lord spoke unto Moses saying thou shall also make a laver of bronze and its foot also of bronze with which to wash and thou shall put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar and thou shall put water there in for Aaron and his son shall wash their hands and their feet there at when 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. 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. Now in the last chapter of Exodus, the fortieth chapter verses 30-32 we read and he set the laver, Moses set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar its place now very important he set The laver between the tent of the congregation and the Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 altar and put water there for washing and Moses and Aaron and his sons wash their hands and their feet there at when they went into the tent of the congregation and when they came near under the altar. Both times, they watched as the Lord commanded Moses.

Then the bronze Laver the brazen laver in the authorized version but more correctly we believe the bronze laver mentioned in Exodus 30:17-21, Exodus 40:30-32, we read those two passages but the Laver is also mentioned in the thirty eighth chapter of Exodus and the eighth verse, the thirty ninth chapter and the thirty ninth verse, the fortieth chapter, verses 7 and 11. It is sad but is true friends that in the minds of many untaught, uninstructed Christians, all they need Christ for is pardon from the guilt of their sins. They want insurance and assurance that they are going to heaven and that's all. That's a wonderful thing, to have pardon, to have forgiveness, to have remission from the guilt of their sins. But in their minds that's all they need Christ for. With that accomplished, they feel they have no further need, they can live their lives the way they want.

They don't need to study the word further. There's nothing deeper are necessary for them. But if that were the way of God's thinking, then why did God have pictured for us so much more, great deal more in the plan and in the scheme of the tabernacle? Each item has a meaning and you can find it for instance in that great cathedral of the faith that great handbook that great volume if you will that great tome on the gospel of redeeming grace for the believer, the explanation of it in

Romans. What do you have in Romans? Look at Romans and see if you'd need only the bronze altar. In Romans 1-5, you have man's sin and God's provision and all the wonderful benefits that accrue demand through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wonderful way in which the Spirit of God goes from condemnation in Romans 1:18 after the introduction to the first 17 verses in the first chapter. The Spirit of God goes in Romans 1:18 to

3:20, shows all have sinned come short of the glory God shows that whatsoever things the law

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 says it says to them there under the law that every mouth may be stopped in Israel and then of all the world might become guilty before God and then the way of salvation. But now how the righteousness of God without the law been manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets goes on to specify how it's done by faith through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on

Calvary and it gives full honor, and full credit to the law and fulfills it, its demands it's righteous claims. And then in the fourth chapter of Romans, proof that it was witnessed by the law in the case of Abraham and the Prophets, David. And then in the fifth chapter all the benefits therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ we have not only peace, we have access, we have wonderful steadfastness, we have hope we have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given unto us, all these wonderful things in Romans 5. So Romans 1-5, well it might well be covered. It could well be equated as parallel with what we have in Christ our justification the need and its provision in Christ the bronze altar. But does Romans end at the fifth chapter? No. Six, seven, and eight ah, there are some of the most difficult passages, especially 6 and 7, in the whole Bible. But a wonderful portion. That's Christ, our sanctification, and as Colossians 2 tells us, "as ye have received Christ

Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him". How is Christ received by faith? Is justification for us by faith? "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him", how is the walk to be?

By faith as well, that's six, seven, and eight. And if Roman's 1-5 indicate Christ our justification,

6-8 Christ our sanctification.

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1

The truth found in the laver. Each item I say has a meaning. The Tabernacle shows us plainly there is more in the Christian life than forgiveness pardon of sins, as precious as that fact is and always will be to the heart of a sinner.

The first item, interesting thing, the first item of interest with regard to the laver, is the absence of all measurements such that we found with the bronze altar. There they were quite fully and detailedly specified. Now that seems to speak of two wonderful definite truths. God's provision for cleansing is unlimited.

We can come again and again and again. And the more often we come the better to keep our lives pure and cleanse to keep the avenues unclogged for communion, for adoration, for worship, service. God's provision for cleansing is unlimited.And then the purity of heart and holiness of

God. That he requires that purity has no limit "be ye holy even as I, the Lord your God am holy",

1 Peter 1:16.

We said the bronze altar was for judgment upon sin by sacrifice. Christ our justification. The bronze Laver, friends, is the cleansing of the believer. This is not for an unbeliever now, this, a believer is cleansed this way. The unbeliever comes first of all, by way of the altar by way of the

Cross. The Bronze laver is the cleansing of the Believer through the word. You see God has two single words with reference to sin, for the unsaved world, and then for the saved world. For the unsaved world it's believe. "Whosoever believeth in him" believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved. If you believe not that "I be he you shall perish in your sins", you shall die in your sin. It's believe, that's the word for the unbeliever with reference to sin. With the believer, it is confess. Believe at the altar; confession for cleansing at the laver, Christ our sanctification through the Spirit of God in the application of the word.

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1

Now the laver was to be made also of bronze and we have revealed to us the source of the laver.

Notice it in Exodus 38:8. It's a gem in itself, "and he made the laver of bronze, and the foot of it of bronze of the looking glasses that's the mirrors of the women serving, the women who served about the tabernacle, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation". That's it. He made the laver of the mirrors of the women. It was made of the mirrors that belonged to the women who were engaged in the weaving of the curtains of the tabernacle.

These mirrors as today are instruments of self-gratification, set forth that which springs from our human ordinary desires. These were surrendered to God's work. They were used in that which so beautifully speaks of holiness and service for God.

Again, if we think more deeply on the matter it can draw out our thoughts and remind us too, we either see ourselves in the light of our own polished mirror, so that we look as good as possible to ourselves, we either see ourselves in the light of our own polished mirror, or we do it in the light of God's word. And we have a beautiful example of that in a parable. In Luke 18:9-14 and that parable was given by our Lord Jesus Christ himself. And what a revealing, what an unveiling it is of the things that go on in the human heart. This parable has never, never been improved upon to show the proper and improper attitudes with reference to prayer. It's a parable on prayer and Luke 18:9 and he spoke, this is our Lord Jesus this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. This is what he said, "Two men went up into the temple to pray". Now what's the, what is the key sentence there to begin the parable? It's with reference to certain ones who thought they were so righteous in themselves that they despised other people. Two men went into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. One who wasn't thought of very well at all. Publican, a public servant despised by his own co-religionist, his own fellow countrymen. The fallacy stood and prayed thus with

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 himself, "God I thank thee that I'm not as other men are, extortionate, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess". My, look at him, he is not even using the proper form of prayer, let alone praying. He prayed thus with himself.

That's not the way you pray, you don't just talk to yourself. And yet he mentions God. "God I thank thee". That's no way to pray to God, just say God, just say God, I thank thee. He was in a mood to give himself all kinds of rewards, to pat himself on the back. He was just trying to tell

God how marvelous he was. But the tax collector, you see, he was looking what? Praying with himself? No question about it, he was looking at himself in the light of his own polished mirror and he was blind as a bat. The tax collector standing afar off, oh he wouldn't stand anywhere near that Pharisee, the Pharisee made sure of that. He separated himself. He wouldn't have the hem of

His garment contaminated by being near a publican, a tax collector for the hated Roman power standing afar off, he wouldn't lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven. Notice the humility of this man. But he smote upon his breast saying, "God be merciful to me, a sinner". He didn't pray with himself. Says our Lord Jesus, "I tell you this man went out to his house justified rather the other, for every one that exalted themselves shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted". Yes. We either see ourselves as the Pharisee looking in his own mirror, or the publican who looked in God's mirror. And the Apostle James has a very interesting word if you will pay special note to the original language there in James 1:23. It has a bit of the humorous there. In

James 1:23, 22 had said, "but be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving your own selves for if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like a man beholding his natural face". In the original that's the face with which he was born. He sees his natural face in a mirror, he beholds himself, sees himself, and goeth his way immediately forgetteth what manner of man he

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 was. Looks into the mirror doesn't even pay any attention to what he sees there, and goes off.

Why? Because he is not looking at himself continuously as God sees him.

We must see ourselves in the light of God's word, in the light of God's standards. And a lot of folk today, they look into a perfect law of Liberty, you see, but they don't do anything.

They don't do anything to accomplish what God wants with reference to that looking into the word. When we look into the word of God we see our defects. If a person looks in a mirror and sees his face is dirty or has a smudge on it he doesn't try to wash off the smudge with a mirror.

The law of God may show us, and does show us how far short we fall. Shows us our failures, our shortcomings, our sins, our transgressions. But then we don't take the law to wash away those sins. It's got to be the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and that alone. Think of that woman of

Samaria in John 4, all she was looking at her own mirror first. Oh, how should we worship? She was going to go to a great theological controversy, great theological disputation. She was going to carry on quite a panel discussion with our Lord Jesus on which was the place either in

Jerusalem or up there in the north as the Samaritans had at Mount Garos.

The Lord said you that are not keep looking at your own mirror, your own theological framework. You better look at the fact of what God said in the law, go call your husband, bring your husband. What about those basic facts of life?

Paul is also a good example. When he looked in his own mirror it was tremendous.

Born a Hebrew of Hebrews, circumcised the eighth day. A Pharisee, zealous concerning the law, persecuting the church, and all the rest of that. Tremendous that all when he looked in God's mirror, "Those things that I count as gain I now count as loss, refuse". And not only did I count it that way but I still count it. And I always will. Oh what a difference. World of difference friends.

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1

Whether you see yourself in the light of your own polished mirror or in the light of the word.

Now the laver and the base were to be made of one metal say metal bronze or copper as a comparatively imperishable metal as we saw with reference to the altar, a burnt offering. The word of the Lord is imperishable. It endureth forever. Heaven on earth may pass away but God's word shall never pass away. Forever oh Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Men have attacked it. What has that done? It's only shown every attack has only shown the steadfastness, the fixedness, the firmness, the validity of the word of God. The laver was on a broad base. Yes our salvation and our sanctification, both of them are on a very, very broad base. 1 Peter 1 and verse

23 we find out exactly what that it is was born again. Not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible with the word of God which liver and abideth forever. Yes durable. They tell us that there's a tablet on the Bible house in the city of San Francisco California that passed through the earthquake in the early part of our century, passed through the earthquake and even the fire unharmed.

This is what that plaque had, and still has, the word of the Lord endureth forever. That's a symbol. It certainly is a visible symbol of the indestructibility of the Bible.

You probably have heard the poem many times it bears repeating. Last eve I paused beside a blacksmith's door and heard the anvil ring the vesper chime. Then looking in I saw upon the floor, old the hammers worn with beating years of time. 'How many anvils have you had', said I,

'to wear and batter all these hammers so'? 'Just one', he answered. Then with twinkling eye, "the anvil wears the hammers out, you know". And so I thought, the anvil of God's word for ages sceptic blows have beat upon. Yet though the noise of falling blows were heard, the anvil is unworn, the hammer gone. Now the base, ah the laver seems to have been directly connected with purifying. I think it's probably more than just a support, there are some students of the

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 tabernacle who think it was nothing more than a support. May have been, but I rather think it was a smaller vessel at the bottom of the larger one because there had to be the cleansing of the feet also. And if we have it just with the water at the base and you have a priest getting in a somewhat indecorous position, especially if the brazen or bronze Laver is quite wide you see, as it would need to be for so many priests washing. So we think then that the base was a smaller vessel at the bottom of the larger one which could be taken to a side and where the feet of the priest could be washed.

What was its position? You remember Exodus 30 and Verse 18 does not leave that to Moses' imagination. The position of these things is important. So in Exodus, the 30th chapter, and in the eighteenth verse we've read it, we reread it, notice and thou shall also make a laver of bronze and its foot. Also of bronze with which to wash. Thou shall put it, here is its position, thou shall put it between the tabernacle of the congregation, that's the holy place and the holiest of all, that's called the tabernacle proper, because all this, the bronze alter and the bronze Laver were in the outer court Hatzair the outer court. Thou shall put it, that's the Laver, between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar. Thou shall put water there in for Aaron and his son shall wash their hands and their feet there at. Its position between the altar and the Tent of Meeting is the provision for our need now between the cross, the altar, and the glory inside the veil.

There was a blood connection between the laver and the altar.

They both were sprinkled with the blood of atonement. The Laver couldn't be used until after the blood had been shed. And friends, it is of more than ordinary importance. It is of eternal

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 importance, and unless, and until we have come to Christ for the remission of sins, the teaching of the Laver does not apply to us. And friend listening, if you've never truly received the work of

Christ indicated in the altar then do not think that you are going to bypass that and that you are going to come to the teaching of the laver and finding something that applies to you. It does not apply to you. This applies to people in the household of faith. This is for believers to receive its benefits. The value of the blood must first be received. What was the purpose of the laver for washing and cleansing? Not for drinking purposes, of course. It wasn't for beautifying purposes of the landscape or anything of that kind. It wasn't some kind of fountain such as we see in our country or abroad in Europe. Beautiful fountains artistically worked out with lights and all on, no, the purpose of this laver was for washing and cleansing. God means for judicial declared righteousness as he declares us righteous as in a courtroom. God expects that to be followed with personal righteousness, a lived out righteous. In other words justification is supposed to be, it must be, followed with sanctification. The separated walk, the godly life. Righteousness imputed, reckoned is to be followed by righteousness imparted. Righteousness imputed, 2

Corinthians 5:21, "him who knew no sin God made to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him". That is righteousness imputed. Now how is righteousness imparted all along this Pilgrim pathway? It is imparted according to the wonderful words of

Romans the eighth chapter and the fourth verse. Notice it that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, the righteous ordinance of the law.

It is literally that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. It's walking after the Spirit, walking in sanctification through the spirit of the word. So the laver was for the use of those already belonging to the family of Aaron or the tribe of Levi, belonging to the priestly family. Cleansing of the laver is for those who are

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 already God's children. We're not emphasizing that too much because we couldn't. Notice in

John 13, you have the truth of the laver. John 13:10 explains beautifully the need of the laver and the function of the laver and why the laver suffices for the present need of a believer and he does not need some other way. Remember when the Lord Jesus came, poured water in a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, to wipe them with a towel which he was guarded when he came to Simon Peter. Peter was amazed the others allowed Christ to do this for them. Peter saith to him, "Lord dost thou wash my feet? Why that's a menial task". That's a humble task Jesus answered and said unto him, "what I do know 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". Notice that, "If I wash thee not". Peter was a believer, but you need washing. He didn't say "if I wash thee not thou hast no life in me", that's not true. That wouldn't be true. He did have life already. But if I wash thee not, thou hast no part. No partnership, no fellowship. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him, "Lord, if that's the case, not my feet only but also my hands and my head let me go". No no no no no no.

You've got it wrong now, Peter. You made a mistake before, not realizing it. Now you've gone to the other end of the pendulum. Jesus saith to him, "he that is washed, needeth not except to wash his feet". The one who has received the bath of regeneration does not need except to wash his feet. He is entirely clean you're clean, but not all of you. And that he was speaking of the one when he said not all of you, he was thinking of that miserable traitor Judas who betrayed him.

That explains the type in John 13 we need after the bath of regeneration we need continual cleansing. All they say of Dr. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that on occasion he would be seen going down the crowded streets of London. Then on occasion he would step aside, away from the main flow of traffic on the street on the sidewalk and he would take off his broad brimmed

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 hat and he seemed bowed in prayer. When asked what he was doing. He said, "as I go along the stream of life there's so much pollution, so much of corruption, and I must seek to have my heart and mind cleansed and brought ever and always into fellowship, closer fellowship, with the

Lord. Yes you have the laver in Titus 3:4-5, "if we're truly bathed then the washing of the feet".

First salvation, then this laver for communion and for cleansing. Now this Laver was used when they went in to the altar.

When they went to the altar, and after going to the altar also before going to worship in the holy place, to remove the dirt from contact with the earth. Now there is an interesting expression in

Exodus 28 that bears right on this subject. In Exodus 28:38, we have a phrase that has troubled many readers of the Bible and probably even many students of the word. It's Exodus 28 verse 38 and [inaudible], "It shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things". This is this plate, this holy crown, "thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and engrave upon it the engravings of a signet”. Holding this to the Lord, thou shall put it on a [inaudible] that it may be upon the miter, this is the miter for the forefront of the miter it shall be, it shall be upon Aaron's forehead that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of

Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts and it shall be always upon his forehead that they may be accepted before the Lord".

Now whatever is the meaning of iniquity of the holy things? Do you mean that there is iniquity in holy things? It seems as if we have a contradiction in terms. Ah, but there is an iniquity that is shown up and made evident when we engage our self with the holy things. That's it. They washed as they went in from defilement that they had from outside the camp.

Then when they came back and washed, it was because all the time that they had occupied themselves with holy ministrations, these priests were conscious of how unworthy and how

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Feinberg: Brazen Laver. Christ Our Sanctification. Part 1 sinful they were and so they washed again. The iniquity that is brought to light by the holy things. There is an interesting expression found in rabbinical literature with reference to the canonical books. A book that was canonical was said to defile the hands. A non-canonical book, a non-authoritative book was never said to defile the hands. Well you see I think that's just the opposite. Books that are not worthy, books that are smutty, books that are obscene, why they file the hands. You feel as if you want a complete bath.

But the Bible doesn't define your hands, does it? Moody said, "Sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin". Ah but the rabbis still were right. They had it in another sense when they spoke of canonical books as defiling the hands, they meant the very handling of the canonical books, the authoritative books showed up our sins and showed the defilement in our hands, there is the point.

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