Laver
A vessel for washing; a large basin; in scripture history, a basin placed in the court of the Jewish tabernacle, where the officiating priests washed their hands and feet.
— KJV Dictionary
Laver is a word we don’t use much these days. It was a fundamental piece of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was a sacred tent that housed the presence of God in the Old Testament. You can find many parallels to the Tabernacle dating back from the Garden of Eden to today’s world. As I have been studying about this “meeting place,” I am finding that this Tabernacle, or “meeting place,” seems full of mysteries. In my exploration of the book, I discovered that the items constructed within the Tabernacle, also known as the Tent of Meeting, appear similar in fashion to what our Christian walk looks like today. The artifacts held within this meeting place symbolize our paths of becoming redeemed, righteous, and justified through Jesus. Simply put—to be forgiven, cleansed, restored, refreshed, and renewed. This mobile shrine built by Moses under the instructions of God was His way of allowing those of old to be near Him. Today through Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, we become the Tabernacle—the place that houses the presence of God.
Of the seven furnishings within the Tabernacle, one of the most valuable pieces of equipment was the Laver. The Laver is one of the preparational ways within the tent to draw close to God. It served the purposed of washing away the contamination of the priests, for preparation of the sacrifices offered up in exchange for worldly sins committed. This was the way of Israelites of the Old Testament. Today through Jesus, the One Lamb that was slain for all, came as a one-time atonement for all our sins.
God instructed Moses to use alloy bronze—a material made up of metals including copper and tin—to construct this basin. Bronze acts as mirrors do for us today. When light hits this precious metal, a reflection is seen. In the case of the Tabernacle, when the priests were preparing for a sacrifice, they would first need to come to the Laver for cleansing. They could not prepare the sacrifice nor enter into the presence of the Lord without being clean. This ancient “sink” consisted of an upper and lower bowl. As the priests approached and were greeted by their reflection, it is possible that it reminded them of the sins for which they and all the people needed atonement.
As I have studied the Laver, I am stunned to see how similar the ancient Laver is to how we prepare ourselves today to come to the Lord. The water is a cleansing agent. When we choose Jesus as our Savior, one of the first steps of obedience is to be baptized. Baptism is the outward illustration of our belief of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection—dying to ourselves as Jesus takes on our impurities, to purify and prepare us in becoming mirror images of Him. Even as we approach coming to Jesus when we make that choice, we recognize our sins just as the priests saw their reflections and were reminded of the year of sins. Through this engagement, we have the opportunity to reflect and repent.
In the Old Testament, the priests were the only ones given permission to prepare and make the offerings along with entering into the Holy of Holies to meet with God. They were not only responsible for their own sins but for the sins of the Israelites too. The only way to be forgiven back then, was to meet at this sacred place once a year and atone for the whole year! We, through Jesus, are forgiven one time when we come to Him and after that, we have the opportunity through our new relationship to approach Him, asking for forgiveness as we desire, even in our daily convictions. It is the greatest gift of all! None of this can take place until we make the choice to be forgiven and to be pardoned for our sins which starts with the ceremonial washing. It is all a process that does not stop at the Laver. Each day is a new day offered up to us as we have sacrificed our old lives to live a new life in God. We could never get to this place without stopping at the Laver to be washed.
Christ was the spotless Lamb, and in our daily walk, we are all called to resemble the One who gave His life for us. The difference between the Laver of the Old Testament and the Laver of the New Testament is that in the old days, one day each year was set aside to make amends for all the sin that occurred throughout the year. That day is called Yom Kipper, the Day of Atonement. We who have chosen Jesus are no longer slaves held captive to the act of the Old Testament Laver. We have been made to be New Testament priests through the tearing of the veil in the inner room, the Holy of Holies. Before Jesus, only a Levitical priest could make a pardon for the people. They were considered holy. Jesus died for us today to grant us direct access to God, making us all holy. He opened the way for us to exercise our new identities as part of His order of New Testament priests. To be a priest in the kingdom of God we always have a direct line of communication with our Father. There is no longer a process to be forgiven for our sins. This connection through being forgiven and washed allows us to walk out our lifeline in direct communion with God. The Laver is no longer a step to move forward in the Tent of Meeting, but an eternal purity within us to draw near to God. God’s word becomes the Laver when we accept Jesus. He continually cleanses us so that our fellowship with Him will never be hindered.
To enter into the Presence of God we must be clean. When we become washed by the water of baptism, we learn a new way of living that removes the contaminants from our lives to be able to move in the way God has always intended for us. When all the distractions of the sin in our lives are removed, we can enter in to the Holy of Holies and be consumed by the atmosphere of heaven. The tabernacle begins within us when we choose Jesus, and is shone like a beacon of light to the world through us. With clean hands, hearts and minds, we can receive all of the living water that God has for us through His Spirit. Only then will it come alive in us when we truly understand the blessing at the Laver.
May God Bless you!