Morning Watch Monday 12/28 Training Review-Exodus (3)

Transcription

1 Morning Watch Monday 12/28 Training Review-Exodus (3) Related verses Exo. 27:1 1 And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, a length of five cubits and a width of five cubits; the altar shall be square; and three cubits, its height. Gal. 1:4 4 Who gave Himself for our sins that He might rescue us out of the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, Gal. 5:24 24 But they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts. Gal. 6:14 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Col. 1:20 20 And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross -- through Him, whether the things on the earth or the things in the heavens. Heb. 9:14 14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Suggested daily reading The record concerning the altar in Exodus is very difficult to understand. As far as the tabernacle itself is concerned, the most difficult matter is the corner boards. No one has been able to solve the problem of these corner boards. The record concerning the altar is even more difficult to understand. However, we have a way to escape this problem: it is to follow the spiritual and experiential way. Literally, according to the record in black and white, certain points are extremely difficult for anyone to understand. But if we come into the realm of spiritual understanding and experience, we can be saved from this trouble. Therefore, I would remind you once again that our approach to the book of Exodus in this life-study is not doctrinal; on the contrary, it is experiential. This means that we want to consider every matter from the standpoint of our spiritual experience. If a particular matter does not apply to our Christian experience, I would prefer not to talk about it. What is the profit of speaking about something that has nothing to do with our experience of Christ? We do not want to speak in a vain way. Instead, we want to utter what is real and understandable according to our experience. Let us first consider the position of the altar. There were two altars, one inside the tabernacle, and the other outside the tabernacle, in the outer court. The altar inside the tabernacle was called the incense altar and was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It was much smaller than the altar of the burnt offering in the outer court. The incense altar was more vertical than horizontal; that is, it was taller than it was wide. At this altar those who came into God s dwelling place could have a very close relationship with God, for there the incense was burned to Him. At this altar there was no shedding of blood. Instead, there was the burning of incense to offer a sweet-smelling savor to God. At the altar of the burnt offering, however, sacrifices were offered with the shedding of blood. Furthermore, the offerings were burned there. The burning of the sacrifices at the altar in the outer court was for redemption, but the burning of the incense at the incense altar was for God s acceptance. It was necessary for fire to be brought in from the outer altar to burn the incense on the inner altar. Hence, these two burnings are by one kind of fire. The fire on the altar of the burnt offering burns the sacrifices; the fire at the incense altar burns the incense. One kind of fire, therefore, burns two kinds of substances. Since there were two altars related to the tabernacle, we need to understand what altar is referred to whenever we read about the altar in the Old Testament. In the Holy of Holies there was just one item of furniture the ark. In the Holy Place there were the table, the lampstand, and the incense altar. In the outer court the altar of the burnt offering and the laver were located. According to the interpretation given in the New Testament, the outer court signifies the earth, and the entire tabernacle, including both the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, signifies the heavens. Thus, to be in the outer court is to be on earth, but to be in the tabernacle is to be in the heavens. Do you know how you can be in the heavens? Do not listen to the superficial teaching that you can be in the heavens only after you die. Actually, the tabernacle is Christ. As long as you are in Christ, you are in the heavens. But whenever you are outside of Christ, you are on earth. Based on this principle, we may say that daily we may go to the heavens a number of times. Perhaps before coming to a church meeting you are, experientially speaking, on earth. But when you are in the meeting, you get into the heavens. If we consider a diagram of the tabernacle and the outer court, we see that the ark and the altar of the burnt offering are at two ends. In the universe there are actually just two parties: God and man. (Satan, who may be considered the third party, will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire.) The two ends are related to these two parties, to God and man. God s end is at the ark, and man s end is at the altar of the burnt offering. Does the record of the tabernacle in Exodus begin from God s end or from man s end? The record begins from God s end, for it begins with the ark. The description of the ark begins the divine record concerning the tabernacle. This indicates that the record begins from God and proceeds toward man. However, when man comes to the tabernacle, he does not begin from God s end. He begins at the altar, that is, he begins from man s end. Whenever a person comes to the tabernacle, the first thing he meets is the altar. God does not dwell at the altar, but He dwells at the ark, where the throne of grace is. Anyone who wanted to meet God would have to travel

2 Morning Watch Monday 12/28 through all the items of the tabernacle until he comes to the ark. However, God has already come to us. He came from the heavens to the earth, and the altar was the destination of His coming. Christ came from the heavens to the earth, and during His last hours on earth He went to the cross. On the cross He terminated the old creation and redeemed His chosen people. As we have pointed out, redemption implies termination, replacement, and being brought back to God. As the book of Hebrews indicates, Christ s coming to the earth in this way was once for all. But man s going to God is not once for all. Rather, it is a continual matter, a daily matter. When God came from His dwelling place to the earth and went to the cross, what was His main intention, His main goal? His main goal was to bring man to Himself. This means that God came out of the tabernacle to bring man into the tabernacle. However, most believers still linger around the cross; few have been brought into the tabernacle. Every week a great many sermons are given to Christians, yet few of these sermons are a means to bring saved sinners into the tabernacle. At best, such sermons may bring people to God at the altar. Some may argue that God is omnipresent and that as long as a person repents and believes in the Lord Jesus, he turns to God. In a sense, this is correct. But the New Testament indicates that if we are still around the altar, we are not in the tabernacle with God. We need to go to the showbread table, the lampstand, the incense altar, and eventually reach the ark. There on the ark we have the propitiation-cover, the throne of grace spoken of in Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for timely help. When we reach the throne of grace, we are not only in the presence of God we are even in God Himself. There we and God are one. In the words of Colossians 3:3, our life is hidden with Christ in God. The God who hides us is not at the altar; He is at the ark. Furthermore, we are hidden in God not at the altar, but at the ark. God has come out of the tabernacle in order to bring us into the tabernacle, to bring us to the very place where He dwells. The Lord Jesus came from heaven to earth and visited the earth for thirty-three and a half years. Although He visited the earth, He dwells in the Holy of Holies, and He wants to bring us there. He went to the altar, to the cross, with the intention that we, fallen sinners, might be brought back to Himself in the place where He dwells. To have this understanding is a great help to us in our experience. In Exodus the record concerning the incense altar is given last. The reason for this is that only after we have experienced all the other items can we have a full acceptance from God. This acceptance by God is the result of all the other items. Moreover, in the Bible it is not easy to tell definitely the position of the incense altar. It may be positioned outside the veil, in the Holy Place, or inside the veil, in the Holy of Holies. This indicates that our acceptance by God depends on our condition. How much we are accepted by Him depends on how close we are to Him. Perhaps at one time during the day the incense altar in your experience is very close to God. But at another time, it may be somewhat removed from Him. Then when you come to the meeting and exercise your spirit, spontaneously the incense altar in your experience comes close to God. The position of the altar of burnt offering is settled; it cannot be changed. But the location of the incense altar may change, based on our condition. Again I say, in our experience the incense altar appears only after we have passed through the altar of burnt offering, the laver, the showbread table, and the lampstand. Sometimes we may go to the ark and then go to the incense altar. The record in the Old Testament regarding the tabernacle with its furniture and utensils is very meaningful. It corresponds to the sequence of our experience. It is impossible for anyone to enter the tabernacle from the rear. There is no back door. But there is an entrance at the front of the tabernacle. We need to experience the items of the outer court and the tabernacle until we come to the Holy of Holies. To repeat, it is difficult to determine whether the incense altar is inside the veil or outside the veil, whether it is in the Holy of Holies or the Holy Place. (See note on Hebrews 9:4 in the Recovery Version of Hebrews.) If we have such a view of the tabernacle and the outer court, we are qualified to understand the altar of the burnt offering. This altar is the largest item of the tabernacle. All the furniture and utensils of the tabernacle the ark, the incense altar, the table, the lampstand, and the laver could fit inside the altar of burnt offering. This altar is five cubits in length and width and three cubits in height. The fact that the altar can contain all the items of the tabernacle indicates that the cross of Christ contains all the spiritual experiences. This means that the experience of the cross is the basis for all spiritual experiences. Our spiritual experience begins from the cross, from the altar. Furthermore, the principles related to all other spiritual experiences are implied in the experience of the cross. For example, even though you may not have received adequate instruction at the time, when you first believed in the Lord Jesus, you had some experience of the showbread, the lampstand, the incense altar, and even the ark. All these experiences are implied in the basic experience of the cross. Resurrection, anointing, and enlightening are all implied there. I often like to recall my experience when I was saved. I was fresh and new, and all the spiritual experiences were fresh and tasteful. Like many others, I surely had a sweet time with the Lord Jesus when I was saved. The reason for this is that all spiritual experiences are initiated by the experience of the cross and implied in that experience. Apart from the cross, we cannot have any experience in the Spirit. The cross is the base, the ground, the initial factor, of all spiritual experience. Thus, the cross is vitally important.

3 Morning Watch Monday 12/28 The altar of the burnt offering typifies the cross of Christ. Referring to this, Hebrews 13:10 says, We have an altar, from which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle. The altar among the Israelites in ancient times was a type of the cross as the real altar. Today we have an altar. We are not speaking about something that we do not have. On the first day of every week, we come together to eat the sacrifice on this altar. This altar refers to the Lord s table. On this table we can see the shed blood and the slain body represented by the cup and the loaf. Concerning the table, the Lord Jesus said that we should take and eat of His body and drink of His blood. The altar is the cross, and the cross is the table for our enjoyment. We need to have a fuller comprehension of the significance of the Lord s table. Now we see that this table is an altar, not just a feast. In the Old Testament certain offerings, after being presented on the altar to God, became the food for God s people. When the children of Israel came together in ancient times to keep the feasts, what they feasted on was first offered to God and then it became food for their enjoyment. We need to realize whenever we come to the Lord s table that the table is an altar where Christ presents Himself to God. Then we may share in what Christ has offered. The altar was made of acacia wood (27:1a), signifying the Man Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5) being judged as our Substitute by God. At this point we need to ask an important question: Is the cross, the altar, a person, or is it a thing? The reason we must raise this question is that the substance of the altar is acacia wood, and acacia wood signifies the Lord s humanity. The acacia wood used in making the altar was overlaid with bronze. The basic substance, the basic material, of the altar, however, was acacia wood, not bronze. This acacia wood signifies the Man Jesus. This implies that the altar, the cross, is related to a man. Suppose there was an altar, but there were no sacrifices on it. Could the altar itself save anyone? Certainly not. In like manner, suppose that there was the cross, but no one dying on the cross for us. Could the cross in itself save us? Again, the answer is no. The saving element is not in the cross as a thing; it is in the Person who was crucified on the cross for us. In the same principle, when we come to the Lord s table, we do not partake of the table itself, but we eat the food on the table. We eat what is offered on the altar, the table. Thus, when we speak of the altar, we do not mainly refer to the altar itself; we mainly are speaking of what is offered on the altar. When we say that the cross saves us, we do not mean the cross as an instrument of execution used by the Roman Empire. Rather, we mean the Christ who died on the cross. Actually, it is not the cross itself that saves us. The One who saves us is the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered God s judgment for us. In typology, the Lord used acacia wood as the material for the building of the altar. This indicates that the effectiveness of the cross is not in the cross itself, but in that humanity which is related to the cross and which was crucified on it. This humanity is the same as that indicated by the ark, which was also made of acacia wood. Acacia wood is the essence and substance of both the ark and the altar. Only that humanity which is up to the standard of the ark can be our substitute on the cross to save us. This humanity, of course, is found only in the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the only One who has this humanity. Exodus 27:1 says, The altar shall be squared. To be square is one thing; to be squared, or made squared, is another thing. The fact that the Lord Jesus was squared means that with Him there was a great deal of testing or proving. To be made squared means that He was tested and proved. Not only was He square; He was squared. He was tested, He was tried, He was proved. To be square means to be upright, perfect, without any deficiency. One who is upright in this way would be called a square person. The Lord Jesus was square, and He was also squared. He was proved by means of many testings to be upright and perfect. Therefore, He was equipped to be our Substitute, qualified to be our Redeemer. He was qualified to fulfill the requirements of God s righteousness, holiness, and glory. God s requirements are related to His righteousness, holiness, and glory. Only by fulfilling all these requirements of God could the Lord Jesus be qualified to be recognized by God as the Substitute for us sinners. Oh, how we must thank and praise the Lord that He was tested and was found to be such a qualified One! By both man and God Christ was proved to be upright and perfect. Therefore, He was squared. According to verse 1, the altar was five cubits long and five cubits wide. Five times five signifies Christ bearing full responsibility on the cross to fulfill all the requirements of God s righteousness, holiness, and glory. Five is the number of responsibility, and five times five indicates full responsibility, responsibility upon responsibility. The Lord Jesus bore such a responsibility on the cross in fulfilling God s threefold demands. Verse 1 also indicates that the height of the altar was three cubits. Why was the altar three cubits high? Why was the height less than the length and the width? This is not easy to understand. The fact that the height is less than the length and width indicates that the Lord s redemption is spreading in a wide way. Furthermore, the altar is all-inclusive. If it were too narrow, it could not include so much. Also, if it were too high, we could not reach it. The number three refers either to the Triune God or to resurrection. I do not believe that the thought of resurrection is appropriate here. Thus, the number three here should refer to the Triune God. The redemption accomplished on the cross was not only by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; it was accomplished by the Triune God. Hebrews 9:14 says that the Lord Jesus offered Himself to God through the eternal Spirit. According to Colossians 2, God the Father was busy when Christ was crucified on the cross. While God the Son was

4 Morning Watch Monday 12/28 dying an all-inclusive death, God the Father was very active. As we pointed out already, the evil spirits were also busy. Hebrews 9:14 shows that the Triune God was involved in the accomplishing of redemption: It tells us that Christ offered Himself to God through the Spirit. This is the Triune God signified by the three cubits as the height of the altar. Thus, the Triune God is the standard of redemption. Redemption was accomplished by the Triune God according to the standard of the Triune God. The three parables in Luke 15 also show that the Triune God is involved in man s redemption. The Son, signified by the shepherd, seeks out the lost sheep; the Spirit, signified by the woman lighting a lamp, searches for the lost coin; and the Father, signified by the father of the prodigal son, receives the returned prodigal, covers him with the best robe, and feeds him with the fatted calf. Here we see that the Triune God is involved in receiving back a repentant sinner. This is the significance of the height of the altar being three cubits. From our experience we know that the Triune God was involved in our redemption. When as sinners we heard the gospel, the Spirit was working within us. When we repented, we began to appreciate the Lord Jesus. At the same time, the Father also was working. Thus, the Spirit, the Son, and the Father all worked together to redeem us, bring us back, and accept us. This is the meaning of the height of Christ s redemption. The three cubits as the height of the altar signifies that it is built by the Triune God and according to the Triune God. I believe that this is the true significance of the height of the altar. The redemption accomplished on the cross was by the Triune God, by the Son, the Spirit, and the Father. Verse 2 says, And you shall make its horns upon its four corners. The horns upon the four corners of the altar signify the power of the cross of Christ (see Psalm 92:10a) to reach the four corners of the earth. The horns at the corners were sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifices (Lev. 4:25, 34). I believe this was the reason someone could take hold of the horns of the altar and be forgiven. An example of this is found in 1 Kings 1:50. In contrast, another verse, Exodus 21:14, says that even if a certain kind of sinful person does lay hold of the horns on the altar, he will not receive forgiveness. The horns signify strength, and in typology the four corners signify the four ends, or corners, of the earth. This means that the redemptive work of Christ is so effective that it can spread throughout the earth. It has the strength, the power, to reach the four corners of the earth. In history, especially today, it has been seen that the efficacy of Christ s redemption has reached the uttermost part of the world. This indicates the power of the redemption of Christ. Therefore, the horns on the four corners of the altar signify the power and strength of Christ s redemption. Verse 2 says that its horns shall be from it. This indicates that the horns were one with the altar. The horns were not made separately and attached to the altar. Instead, they were made of one piece with the altar. This indicates that the power and strength of Christ s redemption cannot be separated from Christ s cross. Without the altar there would be no horns, no power or strength. Do not think that you can have any strength or power in the spiritual realm apart from the cross of Christ. This power can never be separated from the cross. The horns must be one with the altar. Verse 2 says concerning the altar, And you shall overlay it with bronze. This signifies God s righteous judgment on Christ as our Substitute (Num. 16:37-38). In Numbers 16 we see that the bronze used to overlay the altar came from the censers of two hundred fifty rebellious ones who were judged by God with fire. After God judged them, He charged Moses to take the bronze censers and use them to overlay the altar. Thus, the bronze overlaying the altar indicates judgment. In typology, copper, bronze, and brass all signify God s judgment. When Christ was on the cross, He was a man, signified by the acacia wood. But He was overlaid with bronze, with God s judgment. Unlike the ark, which was overlaid with gold signifying God s nature, the altar was overlaid with bronze, signifying God s righteous judgment. Thus, as the Man who died on the cross, Christ was fully judged by God as our Substitute. He bore for us the judgment which we should have borne. He was fully covered, overlaid, by God s judgment. On the cross He was the Man judged by God. Verse 3 says, And you shall make its pots to remove its ashes, its shovels, and its sprinkling bowls, and its flesh-forks, and its fire pans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. The pots for receiving ashes, the shovels for removing ashes, the sprinkling bowls for receiving blood (Zech. 9:15), the flesh-forks for turning meat, and the fire pans for containing charcoal were all made of bronze, the same material as that used to overlay the altar. The fact that all the utensils were made of bronze signifies that all things related to the cross are for God s judgment. Life Study of Exodus, #104 Living Stream Ministry, 2015, used by permission

5 Morning Watch Tuesday 12/29 Related verses Exo. 30: You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing. And you shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it. 19 And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet with water from it; 20 When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah, 21 Then they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die. And it shall be a perpetual statute to them, for him and for his seed throughout their generations. Exo. 38:8 8 And he made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. 1 Cor. 6:11 11 And these things were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Eph. 5: That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, 27 That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. Titus 3:5 5 Not out of works in righteousness which we did but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, Suggested daily reading In this message we shall consider the laver of bronze described in 30: We may not realize how important the laver is. But it is crucial that we discover the significance of this item. According to the record in Exodus, the laver comes immediately after the propitiation silver, and the propitiation silver comes after the incense altar. It is interesting to see that the incense altar is overlaid with gold, that the half-shekel of the propitiation money was silver, and that the laver is of bronze. Here we have three metals: gold, silver, and bronze. The silver and the bronze are for the gold. We go from bronze to silver and from silver to gold. Here in Exodus 30 there is no mention of iron. But in the description of the great image in Daniel 2, we have gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream had a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet part of iron and part of clay (Dan. 2:32-33). With God s building, with His testimony, there are gold, silver and bronze; however, there is neither iron nor clay. The lowest of the metals in the building is bronze. We need to be impressed with the gold, the silver, and the bronze in Exodus 30. Surely these metals go together. In Exodus 30 first we have the incense altar overlaid with gold, then a heap of silver pieces, and then a laver made of bronze. It is easy to study the typology in chapter thirty of Exodus, but a great deal of experience is required in order to understand it and apply it. First, we need to touch the spirit of the writer. In matters of typology this is not easy to do. Second, we need sufficient experience in order to interpret the types. Certainly the types of the bronze, silver, and gold in Exodus 30 are related to one another. The incense altar is for intercession, and intercession is for God s move, God s operation. What makes it possible for God s testimony, the ark, and also for the entire tabernacle, God s dwelling place, to move on earth? How can Christ as God s testimony and the church as God s dwelling place move on earth? The ark and the tabernacle, Christ and the church, move by means of the army. The tabernacle is God s dwelling place. Viewed from the standpoint of a dwelling place, the tabernacle is God s dwelling. But viewed from another perspective, the tabernacle is a camp related to an army. In the books of Exodus and Numbers we see the camps of God s army. These camps are for fighting. The tabernacle is the central camp, and around the tabernacle the twelve tribes of Israel were formed as camps. Therefore, the twelve tribes camped around the camp of Jehovah, the tabernacle. When the children of Israel traveled, six camps went ahead of the camp of Jehovah, and six camps followed it. The incense altar is for God s move, and God moves by the army. But how can the army be formed? The army is formed by drafting the eligible ones. Today in different countries there is a military draft. When young men reach a certain age, they are drafted into an army. Hence, to be eligible for the draft into the army depends on growth. A little child cannot be drafted to serve in the army. Rather, a child needs to be fed, nourished, and cared for. If someone is to be drafted into the army, he must first reach the minimum age. As we have seen, the minimum age in Exodus 30 was twenty. All the males twenty years of age and upward were numbered and had to pay the half-shekel of the propitiation silver. This census and payment of the propitiation silver were for God s move. The propitiation silver was also for God s building. The one hundred sockets for the pillars of the tabernacle were made of the propitiation silver. The crowns of the pillars, the hooks, and the fillets were also made of this silver. This indicates that the propitiation silver was for the building of God s dwelling place. The males aged twenty and upward paid the propitiation silver and were drafted to form the army to fight for God s move. But the half-shekel paid was for God s building. Whoever was qualified and paid the half-shekel could be in the army to fight for the move of God s testimony on earth. Therefore, both the incense altar and the propitiation silver were for God s move.

6 Morning Watch Tuesday 12/29 The laver is for the tabernacle s operation. In the outer court there were the altar and the laver; in the Holy Place, the table, the lampstand, and the incense altar; and in the Holy of Holies, the ark. Without the army, the tabernacle could not move. But without the laver, nothing in the tabernacle or in the outer court could operate. For the operation of the tabernacle it was necessary for sacrifices to be offered at the altar. These sacrifices included the burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering. Unless these offerings were offered to God, there would be no way for the tabernacle to operate. It was also necessary for the priests to come into the Holy Place to arrange the bread on the table and trim the lamps. It was also necessary for them to intercede at the incense altar. All this is involved in the operation of the tabernacle. Whenever the priests were to come to the altar to offer something to God or were to come into the tabernacle to serve, they first had to go to the laver to wash their hands. Unless the priests washed in the laver, there was no way for the tabernacle to operate. Without the army, the tabernacle and everything related to it would be at a standstill; it would have no way to move. But without the laver, the tabernacle would not be in operation. If the laver were removed from the outer court, everything else in the tabernacle and outer court would still be complete. However, there would not be any way for those things to operate. The service of the priests in the outer court and in the tabernacle depended on their washing in the laver. No one would go several days without washing his hands. But spiritually speaking, Christians may go a very long time without washing in the laver. For example, some sisters may pray quite often both privately and in the meetings. I am concerned about their service of prayer. Sisters, before you pray, do you wash your hands in the laver? Do you have a spiritual washing before you enter into the service of prayer? Some may reply, We confess our sins, trespasses, failures, and shortcomings. Is this not a kind of washing? Yes, to confess our sins to the Lord is to experience one kind of washing. However, this is the washing by the blood, not the washing by the water in the laver. In order to wash away our sin, sins, trespasses, and transgressions, we need the blood. We also need the blood to wash us of our mistakes, failures, defects, defeats, and shortcomings. We need the blood to cleanse us of all these things because they are sinful. However, when the Lord Jesus washed His disciples feet, He used water. That kind of washing did not require blood. The feet of the disciples were dirty and needed to be washed with water. The problem was not one of sin, but of dirt, of defilement. If we tell a lie or lose our temper, we commit a trespass. But if we become defiled through the earthly touch, we have not committed anything sinful. We should not try to use the blood to cleanse away that kind of dirt. For example, hands that are dirty from touching the floor need to be washed with water. Likewise, if we become defiled because of the earthly touch, we need to be washed by the water in the laver. I am concerned by the fact that due to our religious background and to the atmosphere that surrounds us, most Christians do not have much consciousness of being dirty spiritually. They may think that to be defiled or unclean is always a matter of sinfulness. The Bible, however, speaks of two kinds of defilement: the defilement that comes from sin and the defilement that comes by the earthly touch. If we lie or steal, we commit sin and become defiled by these transgressions. But we may be defiled in another way by means of the earthly touch, by having contact with the things of the world. I always wash my hands before eating because I realize that on this earth there is dirt everywhere. Our hands may become dirty even by touching our clothing. In the same principle, we can easily be defiled spiritually by having contact with earthly things. Simply by living and walking on this earth, we become defiled. In order to be defiled, it is not necessary to contact evil people. We can be defiled even through contact with good people. Although we are so easily defiled, we may not have any realization, any consciousness, of the kind of defilement that comes from the earthly touch. Subconsciously we may have the thought that we are not wrong in any way, since we have not lied or stolen. We may have been good, humble, honest, and patient. Nevertheless, we may have been defiled simply by going to a restaurant or a department store. Years ago I visited some saints in Las Vegas. Certain ones encouraged me to visit a gambling casino just to observe it. I said to them, I would not go to such a place. I know that by visiting there one time, I would be defiled. Then I would not be able to pray for a period of time. Whenever we are defiled by the earthly touch, we need to be washed not by the blood, but by the water in the laver. You may confess your sins, failures, shortcomings, and defeats to the Lord, but you may not have the awareness that you need to be washed by the water in the laver. Washing in the laver will remind us to be careful not to get our hands dirty. Just as washing our hands with soap and water reminds us of the need to keep our hands clean, so washing in the laver reminds us of the need to keep ourselves from the defilement by the earthly touch. Those who do not have the consciousness that they need the washing of the water in the laver may feel that there is nothing wrong with going to a worldly place just to see what is happening there. They may not do anything sinful, but they will be defiled. We may also be defiled by listening to the conversation of worldly people. Although we may not join in their conversation, we are defiled just by listening to them. Even though we may not commit sin, we still may become defiled. Because the entire world is unclean, it is very easy for us to be defiled. When we pray to offer something to the Lord, we first need to wash our hands and even our feet in the laver. To come to the meeting to function is

7 Morning Watch Tuesday 12/29 actually to come into the tabernacle to serve the Lord. Before we serve the Lord in the tabernacle, we need to wash. However, in the Christian life of many believers and in their service to God there does not seem to be a laver. When they come to the altar to make an offering to God, they have unclean hands. They may come into the church meetings and serve without washing their hands in the laver. This kind of service brings in death. This is the reason 30:21 says, Then they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die. We should be careful not to touch God s service unless we have first washed our hands in the laver. If we try to serve God in the tabernacle with unclean hands, we shall die, spiritually speaking. How much death there is among Christians today! The more they serve, the more death they have because they serve with unclean hands. Praying and serving with unclean hands brings in death. If we do not pray in the meetings or function, in a sense we may be somewhat living. But if we pray or function without washing in the laver, we shall bring death to ourselves and also spread death to others. Death is the result of our trying to pray or serve without washing in the laver. The propitiation silver is for God s move, and the laver is for the operation of God s dwelling place. Without the propitiation silver, God s dwelling place cannot be built up and it cannot move. There will be a shortage of silver to make the sockets, caps, hooks, and fillets. There will not be the adequate number of persons drafted to form the army to fight for God s move. In the same principle, without the laver there is no way to have the operation of the tabernacle. Even if we have God s dwelling place and all its furniture, we shall not have a way to put these things into operation. Without the washing in the laver, no one is qualified to serve in the tabernacle. It is unfortunate for emphasis to be given to the altar, the table, the lampstand, the ark, and the incense altar, but not so much to the laver. We must experience the laver for the operation of God s dwelling place. In location the laver is after the altar, but in function the laver is before the altar. When the priests came to minister at the altar, they first had to wash at the laver. They also had to wash at the laver before going into the tabernacle to minister. By this we see that the function of the laver comes before that of the altar. The location of the laver indicates that it comes out of the altar. The altar was overlaid with bronze, and the laver was made of bronze. In typology bronze signifies God s judgment. The altar typifies the cross of Christ. At the altar, at the cross, God s judgment was exercised to the fullest extent. Out of the judgment of God exercised at the altar, the laver was produced. The bronze on the altar signifies judgment, but the bronze on the laver signifies the result, the issue, of God s judgment. This result is the washing power. This means that the washing power of the laver comes out of God s judgment. According to the New Testament, the washing power of the laver is the life-giving Spirit. Titus 3:5 speaks of the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. This verse reveals that the life-giving Spirit, the Spirit of life, is the washing power. Hence, the laver signifies the washing through the life-giving Spirit. The laver typifies the washing power of the life-giving Spirit brought forth by the death of Christ. The altar signifies Christ s redemption, and the laver signifies the life-giving Spirit s washing. At the altar we see Christ s redeeming, and at the laver we see the life-giving Spirit s washing. However, this life-giving Spirit is not someone other than Christ. The life-giving Spirit is actually Christ Himself. After passing through God s full judgment and entering into resurrection, the crucified Christ became the life-giving Spirit who washes us. The bronze used to overlay the altar came from the censers of the two hundred fifty rebellious ones who were judged by God. After these rebellious ones were judged, the Lord said to Moses, Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed. The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel (Num. 16:37-38). This indicates that the bronze on the altar should remind God s people of His judgment upon the rebels. Therefore, the bronze used to overlay the altar became a reminder of God s judgment on rebellion. The bronze on the laver came from the looking glasses of the women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting (Exo. 38:8). The Hebrew word for assembling in 38:8 means to assemble by troops. This is another indication that all the camps of the children of Israel were troops. The women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting assembled to serve as troops. In other words, their service also was part of the military service. The looking glasses of these women were used to make the laver of bronze. This implies that the laver of bronze was a looking glass, a mirror, that could reflect and expose. Whereas the bronze on the altar was a reminder of God s judgment, the bronze on the laver was a mirror to expose God s people. It indicates that the judgment suffered by Christ on the cross has the power to expose us. Those who came to the laver had their uncleanness exposed. In this way they would realize their need to wash. I remember a time years ago when my children refused to admit that they were dirty and needed to wash. I picked up a mirror and held it in front of them. When they saw themselves in the mirror, they were convinced that they were dirty and they were willing to wash themselves. Likewise, the bronze of the laver is a mirror reflecting our condition and exposing our dirt. Therefore, the bronze at the altar reminds us of God s judgment, and the bronze at the laver reminds us that we are dirty and need to wash.

8 Morning Watch Tuesday 12/29 At the laver we have the bronze, the mirror, and the water. When we are at the laver, the bronze should remind us that whatever is sinful, earthly, and fleshly has been judged by God on the cross. But although we may confess our sins, we may not realize how much we are still worldly and fleshly. In the sight of God we have been redeemed, but we still need to be washed. Having been redeemed by the blood at the altar, we need to be washed by the water in the laver. Among Christians today not many messages have been given telling the believers that, even though it is wonderful to be redeemed through the blood of Christ, we still need to be washed by the life-giving Spirit. Although we have confessed our sins, we still need to deal with defilement, with the dirt that comes from the earthly touch. We also need to deal with the defilement that comes from the flesh and the natural life. Therefore, we need to be washed by the life-giving Spirit. Every day we first need to offer Christ as the sin offering and the trespass offering. On the one hand, this will lead us to experience Christ as our life supply and as the food that is offered to God. On the other hand, it will lead us to the realization that we need the washing of the life-giving Spirit. The more we walk in the Spirit and live in the mingled spirit, the more we shall be washed. Each washing will be a reminder not to go to certain places, contact certain persons, or be involved in situations that will defile us. Even though we may not do anything sinful, we may touch something worldly and natural and thereby be defiled. If we remain in a condition of defilement, we shall not be able to pray, serve the Lord, or function in the meetings. If we try to function without washing away the defilement in the laver, we shall experience death. I can testify that this understanding and interpretation of the significance of the laver corresponds to our experience. What we have said regarding the laver in this message can be confirmed by our experience. Exodus 30:18 says, And you shall make a laver of bronze, and its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar; and you shall put water in it. The base of the laver signifies steadfastness. The laver was put between the tent of meeting and the altar to continue the work of the altar for the entrance into the tabernacle. The water put into the laver signifies the washing of the life-giving Spirit (see Eph. 5:26). Verse 19 continues, And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it. As we have pointed out, this washing signifies the washing away of the defilement that comes from the earthly touch (John 13:10). Verses 20 and 21 say, When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah, then they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die. And it shall be an eternal statute to them, to him and to his seed throughout their generations. The priests were to wash in the laver in order to be kept away from death. Today we need the washing of the lifegiving Spirit to avoid spiritual death. The priests needed to wash in the laver when going into the tent of meeting or coming to the altar to minister. As the last part of verse 21 points out, this was to be an eternal statute, an eternal principle for all generations. According to Exodus 30, immediately after the incense altar, we have the silver for God s building and God s move, and then the laver of bronze for the operation of God s dwelling place. Without the propitiation silver, there would not be a way to have God s dwelling place built up or a way for God s dwelling place to move. Furthermore, if there were no laver of bronze, there would not be a way to have the operation of God s building. Without the laver, God s building would come to a standstill, and everything related to it would be quiet. Now we can understand why the propitiation silver and the laver of bronze immediately follow the golden incense altar. We need the silver for the building up of God s dwelling place and for its move. We need the bronze for the operation of God s dwelling place. This means that the actual operation in the church life depends on the laver of bronze. As we shall see, in Exodus 30 we also have the ingredients of the ointment and of the incense. The ointment and the incense belong with the propitiation silver and the laver of bronze. Therefore, after the incense altar we have four items: silver, bronze, ointment, and incense. After we have the silver and the bronze of the laver, we need the ointment to anoint us, and we also need the incense to burn on the incense altar for intercession. I would encourage you to pray about the propitiation silver and the laver of bronze and to have fellowship concerning them. The proper understanding of these matters requires much prayer and fellowship. Life Study of Exodus, #156 Living Stream Ministry, 2015, used by permission

9 Morning Watch Wednesday 12/30 Related verses Exo. 30: When you take the sum of the children of Israel, according to those of them who are numbered, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to Jehovah, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. 13 This they shall give, everyone enrolled with those who are numbered, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a heave offering to Jehovah. 14 Everyone enrolled with those who are numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the heave offering of Jehovah. 1 Cor. 16:13 13 Watch, stand firm in the faith, be full-grown men, be strong. Eph. 1: And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the operation of the might of His strength, 20 Which He caused to operate in Christ in raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, 21 Far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come; Eph. 4:13, Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 15 But holding to truth in love, we may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, Christ, Eph. 6:10 10 Finally, be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Heb. 6:1 1 Therefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us be brought on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God, Suggested daily reading In this message we come to a new item the propitiation silver. Apparently this is easy to understand. Actually, the matter of the propitiation silver is not simple. In order to see into the depths of the truth related to the propitiation silver, we need to find out the reason this item is mentioned in Exodus 30 immediately after the record concerning the incense altar. In understanding any kind of writing we need to consider the context. If we would understand a particular paragraph, we need to know what precedes this paragraph and what follows it. We should not try to understand the paragraph merely as a unit in itself. We need to follow this principle in seeking to understand the significance of the propitiation silver. It is not easy to understand how the incense altar and the propitiation silver are related. In a simple way we may say that the relationship between them indicates that Christ s ministry of intercession is based upon His redemption. But even this explanation is mysterious and difficult to understand, for many things are implied by it. Therefore, we need to find out the relationship between the incense altar and the propitiation silver. We also need to ask why, at this juncture, the children of Israel needed a ransom, or why they needed the propitiation silver. Had they not already been redeemed? Yes, they certainly had been redeemed. Their redemption had taken place nearly a year before. Not too long after the children of Israel had been redeemed by the Passover lamb, they came to Mount Sinai. It is not easy to explain why the children of Israel needed the propitiation silver in Exodus 30 since they had already been redeemed. Not long after I was saved, I read an article that said that the propitiation silver, the ransom silver, was a type of Christ s redemption. This is correct; however, this understanding is superficial. The propitiation silver is related to the redemption of Christ. But why did God s redeemed people need something further related to redemption? They had been redeemed in Egypt by the Passover lamb less than a year before. Why, after such a short time, did they need something further? The redemption of God s people in Egypt was accomplished by the blood of the Passover lamb. The lamb was slain, and the blood was applied to the doorpost. In this way the children of Israel experienced the Passover and were redeemed. However, in Exodus 30 redemption is not related to the blood; neither is it related to anything of the animal life. Rather, in this chapter redemption is related to silver, which is a mineral. Christ s life has three basic elements: the animal life, the vegetable life, and the minerals. Christ is a lamb. Here we have the element of the animal life. Christ is also wheat. Here we have the element of the vegetable life. Furthermore, Christ is the minerals, for with Him there are gold, silver, and precious stones. Why is the redemption in chapter thirty not related to the blood of the animal life but rather related to silver? Some would say that the silver signifies the price paid for our redemption. According to their understanding, the silver in Exodus 30 signifies the preciousness in the sight of God of the blood of Christ shed for our redemption. Christ paid a high price to redeem us the price of His own blood. In the sight of God, this price is precious and thus it is signified by silver. However, we need to see something further. Another important question related to the propitiation silver is why it is called a heave offering. Verse 13 speaks of half a shekel as a heave offering to Jehovah. Verses 14 and 15 also refer to the propitiation silver as a heave offering. I am glad to know that the Hebrew text here uses the word for heave offering. Most translations simply use the word offering ; others use the word contribution, something the redeemed ones pay to God. But these versions do not indicate that