The Tabernacle Courtyard With the Altar and Laverby abairrn
30:19Exodus 30:19
For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and their feet at the bronze laver that stood in the court between the altar and the tent of meeting whenever they entered to come before the Lord or to minister at the altar. The washing, done in sight of the people with shoes left behind, removed every particle of dust and defilement because God is so high and holy that to approach Him unclean would bring death. Its object was to give the people an exalted idea of God and His requirements and to keep their awe and reverence for His holy work. It requires order and cleanliness with nothing slack or impure in those who appear before God, and purity of heart with personal bodily cleanliness in ministers and all who profess godliness, which God requires no less now than of Israel in the wilderness. The outward foot-washing itself was part of the ceremonial requirements fulfilled by Christ's death so that it no longer has force, and making removal of shoes on entering worship a duty now is a fanciful non-essential theory.
The Washing and Its Meaning
The bronze laver stood in the court beside the door of the tabernacle, set between the altar or tent of meeting and the congregation. There Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet whenever they entered the tent to come before the Lord. The same washing was required whenever they ministered in the tabernacle or at the altar, before entering the sanctuary to minister. It was a required preparation for entering the place where God's glory was revealed, and for acceptable worship in His presence.
The washing was done in sight of the congregation, with shoes left behind in the court. It removed every particle of dust and all impurity and defilement. In this way the sanctuary hallowed by God's revealed glory would not be desecrated, and dust would be kept from defiling the holy place. Leaving the shoes in the court and washing were special preparations required of all who officiated where His glory was revealed.
The requirement was given because God is so high and holy that approaching Him without meeting it would bring death. Neglecting it brought the stated consequence of death, lest His sacred holiness consume those who dishonored Him by coming into His presence unprepared.
Its object was to make a right impression upon the people, giving them an exalted idea of God and His requirements. By being done openly it taught that every particle of dust must be put away before entering God's presence, and it kept their awe and reverence for God and His sacred service. The carefulness and reverence required showed that His work is holy and that impurity was to be put away, teaching the people to honor Him and His sacred service.
Cleanliness and Reverence Today
Those who appear in God's holy presence must allow nothing slack, untidy, impure or unclean, for the laver set between the altar and the congregation where Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet in sight of the people before coming before the Lord taught that every particle of dust must be put away, since God is so high and holy that failure to meet His conditions would bring death. As God distinctly specified particular garments for priestly service in the holy place, so this washing requires ministers and all who profess godliness to be pure and holy, clean and orderly in body, dress, houses and premises, careful of appearance and never neglectful, because disorder and untidiness dishonor God and defilement must be put away from those who approach nigh to Him whose work is sacred. Its object was to make a right impression upon the people, giving them an exalted idea of God and His requirements and keeping their awe and reverence for Him and His sacred service, and it teaches the same now that person, actions, apparel and deportment be right and perfectly proper, neat, orderly and tasteful, so that by neat apparel and example dress itself recommends the holy truth as sacred and exalted and not on a level with common things.
God required the priests of Israel to make special washing preparations before coming into His presence, lest His sacred holiness consume those who dishonored Him. The requirement means He demands purity of heart and personal bodily cleanliness from those who minister in sacred things, and the mighty God of Israel is still a God of cleanliness who requires the same now. If He enjoined such cleanliness on Israel while journeying in the wilderness in the open air nearly all the time, He requires no less of those who live in ceiled houses, where impurities are more observable and have a more unhealthful influence.
The washing of hands and feet before entering the tabernacle to minister before God was a required preparation for sacred service. To enter to minister with mouths polluted by tobacco would dishonor the sanctuary, and like the offense of Nadab and Abihu, to enter polluted would bring judgment.
The required washing of the priests entering the sanctuary, with removal of dust and of dust-covered sandals, was part of Israel's ceremonial requirements for cleanliness. That outward ceremony illustrated care to avoid impurity and the need for carefulness and purity. It is not a duty for God's people now, for Christ's death fulfilled the ceremonies so they no longer have force, and performing outward washing cannot cleanse the heart from sin or recommend anyone to God or take the place of cleansing the heart.
Those who ministered anciently in sacred office were required upon entering the sanctuary to remove their sandals and wash their feet. The claim that believers now should remove their shoes when entering the house of worship because of that requirement is a non-essential, fanciful theory from minds unlearned in the first principles of the gospel, by which the enemy strives to eclipse the great truths for this time.
Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and their feet at the bronze laver that stood in the court between the altar and the tent of meeting whenever they entered to come before the Lord or to minister at the altar. The washing, done in sight of the people with shoes left behind, removed every particle of dust and defilement because God is so high and holy that to approach Him unclean would bring death. Its object was to give the people an exalted idea of God and His requirements and to keep their awe and reverence for His holy work. It requires order and cleanliness with nothing slack or impure in those who appear before God, and purity of heart with personal bodily cleanliness in ministers and all who profess godliness, which God requires no less now than of Israel in the wilderness. The outward foot-washing itself was part of the ceremonial requirements fulfilled by Christ's death so that it no longer has force, and making removal of shoes on entering worship a duty now is a fanciful non-essential theory.
The Washing and Its Meaning
The bronze laver stood in the court beside the door of the tabernacle, set between the altar or tent of meeting and the congregation. There Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet whenever they entered the tent to come before the Lord. The same washing was required whenever they ministered in the tabernacle or at the altar, before entering the sanctuary to minister. It was a required preparation for entering the place where God's glory was revealed, and for acceptable worship in His presence.
The washing was done in sight of the congregation, with shoes left behind in the court. It removed every particle of dust and all impurity and defilement. In this way the sanctuary hallowed by God's revealed glory would not be desecrated, and dust would be kept from defiling the holy place. Leaving the shoes in the court and washing were special preparations required of all who officiated where His glory was revealed.
The requirement was given because God is so high and holy that approaching Him without meeting it would bring death. Neglecting it brought the stated consequence of death, lest His sacred holiness consume those who dishonored Him by coming into His presence unprepared.
Its object was to make a right impression upon the people, giving them an exalted idea of God and His requirements. By being done openly it taught that every particle of dust must be put away before entering God's presence, and it kept their awe and reverence for God and His sacred service. The carefulness and reverence required showed that His work is holy and that impurity was to be put away, teaching the people to honor Him and His sacred service.
Cleanliness and Reverence Today
Those who appear in God's holy presence must allow nothing slack, untidy, impure or unclean, for the laver set between the altar and the congregation where Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet in sight of the people before coming before the Lord taught that every particle of dust must be put away, since God is so high and holy that failure to meet His conditions would bring death. As God distinctly specified particular garments for priestly service in the holy place, so this washing requires ministers and all who profess godliness to be pure and holy, clean and orderly in body, dress, houses and premises, careful of appearance and never neglectful, because disorder and untidiness dishonor God and defilement must be put away from those who approach nigh to Him whose work is sacred. Its object was to make a right impression upon the people, giving them an exalted idea of God and His requirements and keeping their awe and reverence for Him and His sacred service, and it teaches the same now that person, actions, apparel and deportment be right and perfectly proper, neat, orderly and tasteful, so that by neat apparel and example dress itself recommends the holy truth as sacred and exalted and not on a level with common things.
God required the priests of Israel to make special washing preparations before coming into His presence, lest His sacred holiness consume those who dishonored Him. The requirement means He demands purity of heart and personal bodily cleanliness from those who minister in sacred things, and the mighty God of Israel is still a God of cleanliness who requires the same now. If He enjoined such cleanliness on Israel while journeying in the wilderness in the open air nearly all the time, He requires no less of those who live in ceiled houses, where impurities are more observable and have a more unhealthful influence.
The washing of hands and feet before entering the tabernacle to minister before God was a required preparation for sacred service. To enter to minister with mouths polluted by tobacco would dishonor the sanctuary, and like the offense of Nadab and Abihu, to enter polluted would bring judgment.
The required washing of the priests entering the sanctuary, with removal of dust and of dust-covered sandals, was part of Israel's ceremonial requirements for cleanliness. That outward ceremony illustrated care to avoid impurity and the need for carefulness and purity. It is not a duty for God's people now, for Christ's death fulfilled the ceremonies so they no longer have force, and performing outward washing cannot cleanse the heart from sin or recommend anyone to God or take the place of cleansing the heart.
Those who ministered anciently in sacred office were required upon entering the sanctuary to remove their sandals and wash their feet. The claim that believers now should remove their shoes when entering the house of worship because of that requirement is a non-essential, fanciful theory from minds unlearned in the first principles of the gospel, by which the enemy strives to eclipse the great truths for this time.