The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 30:18-20,
"Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die."
In this chapter the Lord gives Moses direction on making an incense altar, the recipe for the incense, a method of census taking and taxation to support the tabernacle activities, a recipe for anointing oil with instructions for its use, and a bronze basin for washing.
The basin for washing was not a bathtub. It's purpose was not for hygiene but for ceremonial "cleanness." Aaron and his sons were to ceremonially wash their hands and feet in order to acceptably enter into the tent of meeting to carry on their responsibilities and for approaching the altar with food offerings. The importance of this is seen in the admonition that doing so would keep them from death, "so that they will not die."
A common theme in the Scriptures concern the "unclean" nature of lost and fallen sinful mankind. It makes no difference how often you may bathe, the sinful condition in our hearts makes us all "unclean" in a spiritual sense, before God. In the tabernacle, and later in the temple worship, ceremonial cleansing was required. It speaks of our sinful condition before our holy and righteous God, a condition mankind has inherited since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden.
In this age, following the payment of sins by our Savior, we are made clean in a better and permanent way. Paul tells Titus, "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7.
Becoming born-again by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit brings a permanent cleansing of us before God. "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7:14.
"Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die."
In this chapter the Lord gives Moses direction on making an incense altar, the recipe for the incense, a method of census taking and taxation to support the tabernacle activities, a recipe for anointing oil with instructions for its use, and a bronze basin for washing.
The basin for washing was not a bathtub. It's purpose was not for hygiene but for ceremonial "cleanness." Aaron and his sons were to ceremonially wash their hands and feet in order to acceptably enter into the tent of meeting to carry on their responsibilities and for approaching the altar with food offerings. The importance of this is seen in the admonition that doing so would keep them from death, "so that they will not die."
A common theme in the Scriptures concern the "unclean" nature of lost and fallen sinful mankind. It makes no difference how often you may bathe, the sinful condition in our hearts makes us all "unclean" in a spiritual sense, before God. In the tabernacle, and later in the temple worship, ceremonial cleansing was required. It speaks of our sinful condition before our holy and righteous God, a condition mankind has inherited since the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden.
In this age, following the payment of sins by our Savior, we are made clean in a better and permanent way. Paul tells Titus, "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7.
Becoming born-again by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit brings a permanent cleansing of us before God. "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7:14.
Aaron and his sons, as priests of Israel, had to be ceremonially cleansed each time they performed their duties. We, as believers that make up a priesthood in Jesus Christ, have been cleansed forever!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
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