The purpose of the laver was for the priests to "wash their hands and their feet thereat: (Ex. 30:19). The Christian life is referred to repeatedly as a "walk". Believers are told to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Eph. 4:1); "walk as children of light" (5:8); "walk in love" (5:2); and "walk circumspectly" (5:15), to name just a few of the admonitions about their walk. In the book of Acts, the Christian life also is spoken of several times as the "way". In the short distance from the altar to the tabernacle, the priests would get their sandal-shod feet dirty and would need them washed before entering into the holy place to minister. In our walk we sin and get our feet dirty and need them cleansed so we need the laver, which pictures Christ cleansing us from the world's defilement (1 Jn. 1:9)
A wonderful explanation of this principle is in John 13, about foot-washing. When the Lord came to Peter to wash his feet, Peter said, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me: (v. 8). The word for "part" has the idea of fellowship or partnership in activity, nothing of relationship. Peter wanted fellowship; he already had a relationship with Jesus. Therefore he said "Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head: (v. 9). Jesus answered, "He that is washed (or "bathed", as the Greek word louo means) needeth not save to wash (Greek, nipto) his feet, but is clean every whit" (v. 10).
Greek scholars for years have pointed out that the first word for washed is louo, which means "to bathe all over." The second is nipto which means "to wash just a part of the body,: such as the hands and feet.
These words accurately fit the functions of the brazen altar and laver. He that has been bathed from his sins at the altar in salvation does not need to be bathed again, but simply needs to wash his feet at the laver from the defilement of sins before entering the holy place of worship and service. Jesus was showing Peter that He was going to forgive him for the denial even before he committed the act, as foretold in v. 38. Today we practice foot-washing as we "wash one another's feet" (Jn. 13:14) when we forgive one another.
YOU are loved by God and me ABC Sumner
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