Last week we finished with the sea
of bronze used for the washing of the priests. Today we will start
to look at the ten water basins used for washing the burnt
offerings. These ten water basins are so full of symbolism we will
need to spend the next couple of weeks on them. Today I would like
us to start at looking at the reason why these water basins were
used as well as the symbolism of the number.
"He made ten lavers, and put
five on the right side (of the Temple) and five on the left, to
wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering
they would wash in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash
in." 2 Chronicles 4:6
Okay so these ten water
basins/lavers were used to wash the burnt offerings in. The
symbolism here for me is that whatever we bring to the Lord as a
sacrifice, we can wash with the water of the Holy Spirit. God wants
us cleansed of all wrong doing. That is why Jesus came to shed His
blood for us, so that we can be cleansed of all sin and washed with
the water of the Spirit. So that we can stand up and be free and
liberated from the old lives we used to live and that we can walk
as the new creations that we are. We need to put on our armor,
amongst others, the breastplate of righteousness. Whose
righteousness? Jesus's! He has done it all for us. He was our burnt
offering. We simply need to wash ourselves clean by His Spirit and
put on His breastplate of righteousness.
There are ten water basins. Ten is
the number representing amongst other things, the Ten Commandments.
It therefore represents righteousness before God if you follow His
law. And the Temple was the perfect place to follow the Law and to
be reminded of it. But as we've seen, we are now redeemed from the
Law. Jesus gave His righteousness to us in exchange for our
sins.
"For He made Him who knew no
sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God
in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
We are the righteousness
(blamelessness) of God IN Christ, not out of our own strength, but
HIM shining and living through us. Out of our own strength we will
get tired and drained, but through Him anything is possible!
And what is amazing to me is that
the ten water basins were split in two, five on the left of the
Temple and five on the right. I suppose it was practical to have
water basins both sides, but with God nothing is just 'practical'.
There is always a deeper meaning in the Bible to everything He did
and ordained to be. For five is the number of grace. Isn't it
wonderful? While ten represents the Law, five represents grace. So
God was in fact telling His people then already, that though they
are performing the Law and bringing their sacrifices, there will
come a day where it will be all grace!
Are you not glad that we are living
in the grace period? What a wonderful privilege! Can you imagine
going to the Temple and taking the animal and sacrificing it there?
Can you imagine doing that on a regular basis? I for one am
certainly glad that we have been freed from that! The one positive
from having to bring one's sacrifice regularly forced one to think
of God and of drawing closer to Him. Today, a whole number of
Christians do not even think of God on a regular basis. They know
that they believe and that they are saved, but that is it. They do
not draw closer to Him; they do not truly appreciate the Sacrifice
made. Let us not all fall into this trap. But let us all hunger for
more and more of Him. Let us forever be grateful for what He has
done for us. In His righteousness we can have access to the Father
and we can have a real intimate relationship with Him, something
this world can never provide.
Father, thank you for all the
symbolism locked in Your Temple. It is truly amazing and we can
learn so much from it today. Thank you for the Sacrifice of Your
precious Son. We are eternally grateful and look forward to a life
spent with You. Amen