Exodus 30:17-21 (ESV)
The Bronze Basin
The LORD said to Moses, “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
The last piece of the outer Tabernacle, prior to the inner place (the Holy of Holies) was the above mentioned “Bronze Basin.” In the Tabernacle it was a smaller basin where the Priest, just before entering the Holy Place, would wash their hands. When Solomon constructed the Temple this Basin would be much larger (7.5 deep and 47 feet in circumference). In the Tabernacle the Priest would just wash their hands before they entered the Holy of Holies. But, in the Temple they would fully bathe. The point of the Bronze Basin was for the Priest (and the people) to realize that they had to be pure to meet with God. Purity in our relationship to our walk with God is the key to our understanding who He is. Our washing first is a key to understand who we are. When Jesus came to the earth to redeem us, He lived pure among us to that He might both cleanse us and represent us to His Father.
We read the following in the book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 4:14-16 (ESV)
Jesus the Great High Priest
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 10:22 (ESV)
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
We are not clean. We need the washing of Jesus’ body and blood to make us clean. As priest before God we are not exempt from washing ourselves before we come to find mercy and grace to God, even though we don’t have a Tabernacle or Temple. But, we no longer wash our hands and/or body in simple water as a symbol. We wash ourselves by faith in the Body and the Blood of Christ. That purifies us so that we can partake of God and enjoy fellowship with Him. Here is how Peter said the same thing:
1 Peter 2:1-4 (ESV)
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
We put away sin (washing in Jesus’ blood) so that we can enter the Holy of Holies (tasting and followshipping with God). Nothing has changed in the need for holiness and purity before we come to God. Only the method and provision has changed.
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