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 Page 2 of 13 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. Page 3 of 13 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. Page 4 of 13 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.