It's time. Well, you can't choose your family,
can you? I remember those who requested
prayer. Debbie Lindsey passed this week. Remember her? Does
she have any family left? Give me a brother, remember him
in your prayers. And I seek the others also that
have been mentioned. I've got, Hannah called me with
a couple names, but we'll have them on Sunday's list. Let's
begin our worship service tonight, hymn number one. We'll worship
the king. Oh, worship the king, all glorious
above, and gratefully sing. ? His power and his love ? ?
Our shield and defender ? ? The ancient of days ? ? Pavilion
in splendor ? ? And girded with praise ? ? O tell of his might
? ? O sing of his grace ? His robe is the light whose canopy
space His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form And dark
is his path on the wings of the storm My bountiful care, what
tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines
in the light. He sits to the plain and sweetly
distills in the dew and the rain. Well, children of dust and feeble
as frail, In thee do we trust, nor bind thee to fail. Thy mercies, how tender, How
firm to the end, our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. Hymn number
268, How Firm a Foundation, Ye Saints of the Lord. How firm a foundation, ye saints
of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent Word. What more can he say than to
you he hath said, to you forever. Fear not, I am with thee. Oh, be not dismayed, for I am
thy God. I will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, by my gracious, omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters
I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow,
for nigh will be with thee thy troubles to bless, and sanctify
to thee thy deepest distress, when through thy The flame shall not hurt thee,
I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. The soul that on Jesus I will not, I will not desert
to his foes. That's so, though all hell should
endeavor to shake. I'll never, no never, no never,
no never, no never, If you have your Bibles, turn with
me to Exodus 30. I'm going to read verses 17 through
21. Exodus 30, verse 17, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver
of brass, and his foot also shall be of brass to wash withal. Thou shalt put it between the
tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, that is, the burnt-offering
altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons
shall wash their hands and their feet thereat. And when they go
into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water that
they die not. or when they come near to the
altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord, so
shall they wash their hands and their feet that they die not. And it shall be a statute forever
to them, even to him and to his seed throughout all their generations. Let us pray. Now, Father, we
bless you and thank you for your goodness and kindness and tenderheartedness
towards your chosen people. We know, Father, that we don't
deserve the least of your favor, and yet you have abounded toward
us in grace and mercy. We thank you for the shed blood
of Jesus Christ that washed away our sins. We thank you that mercy is for
us new every day. We confess our sin, they are
many, but we know that you are just to forgive us and cleanse
us of all unrighteousness. Not because we have confessed
it, but because you are just by the blood of Jesus Christ
to justify them that believe on him. We are thankful, Father,
that we can come into your presence and speak to you from our hearts.
We pray for those who are sick, those who've lost loved ones.
We pray you'd be with them and comfort them as only you can. This world is a sad place. Often
sorrows touch every one of us. We know that the trials and tribulations
that come our way are about ordination, and they are necessary. We know
in our frailty and our weakness, we often take our eyes off of
Christ. Judge things by circumstance.
Help us, Lord, to judge all things by your sovereign will. Knowing
indeed that you are our omnipotent Lord, who rules and reigns in
all things, we thank you for your word. I pray that you give
us heart for it. give us a love for him. Help
us now to worship you, to bow down before you, to praise
you and thank you for all you are and all you've done for us.
Help us now, we pray in Christ's name and for his glory, amen. I thought of my message tonight
as the labor Brass labor here that was placed
in the outer quarter of the tabernacle. It was a very interesting piece
of furniture. It was the only piece of furniture that had no
specifications as to width, height, or depth. It was made from the
looking glasses of the women of Israel. Look over at Exodus
chapter 38 verse 8. It says, and he made the labor
of brass, and the foot of it of the brass, of the looking
glasses of the women assembling, which were assembled at the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation. Looking glasses in those days
were made of polished brass. And the rendering of these objects
of vanity, which is what a looking glass is, it's a vanity, reveals
the singular interest of the women of Israel at that time
and of the church, which is the bride of Christ. He must increase
and I must decrease, said John the Baptist. So this represents the humility of the church and
sets forth the fact that it looks to Christ and not to itself It's
vanity. They destroyed their looking
glasses in order to build this piece of furniture. Jewish scholars have said that
the priest did not wash in the basin. It was a basin. I don't know how large it was.
I've seen pictures that men think they've drawn. It seems to be
fairly some size, maybe three or four feet across of a big
basin made of brass. but it was to be washed. It wouldn't need to be that big
because most of the scholars, the Jewish scholars say that
they did not actually wash in the basin but washed at the basin.
There were some kind of outlets or faucets or spigots on it attached
whereby the priest could wash his hands and feet without dipping
his hands actually into the basin itself. It was filled with water. It was placed after the altar
of burn offering. between that altar and all the
remaining furniture that was the arena of the priest's ministry.
Now before the priest trimmed the wicks and lit the lamps,
before he supplied the table of showbread, before they burned
incense on the golden altar, and before the high priest entered
the Holy of Holy on the days of atonement, they first had
to wash their hands and feet at this labor. Now the application
of the labor and the water within are numerous. First, this position
is important because it reveals that it plays no part in the
salvation of the elect, the salvation of the sinner. It comes after
the burnt offering. The burnt offering is where the
offering was made that the offerer put his hands on the head of
the beast before it was totally consumed. And that was a picture
of identification with the beast. that he was saying that the beast,
the sacrifice, was actually him or representing him before the
Lord. And we know that the total consuming
of that by fire represented that God was satisfied or propitiated
by the offering. Therefore, that's the picture
of salvation, that brazen altar at the first. Now, after that
was this labor. After that was this labor. So
it came after the burnt offering. It pictures the finished work
of Christ when the church, the priesthood, were redeemed Their
sin was purged and they were made accepted in the Lord Jesus
Christ. The labor had to do with something else. It had to do
with the preparation for the ministry of the tabernacle. That's
what it had to do with. Now some have suggested this
picture is Christ's baptism before he began his earthly ministry
as the high priest of his people. he went into the waters of baptism.
And some say this laver, the water in this laver represents
that as it represents Christ. Now, with the theme of washing
here, the contents of the laver have been applied to the blood
of Christ. because we often sing what can
wash away our sins. Nothing but the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. John wrote in 1 John chapter
1 and verses 5 through 7 that the blood of Christ cleanses
us from our sin, from all sin. It cleanses us, and that's in
the present tense in the active voice. suggesting that it's a
continual cleansing that happens to the children of God. Now this
applies more to faith in the blood of Christ because it speaks
of Him walking in the light as God is in the light and then
walking in the light the blood of Christ cleanses us from all...
walking in the light is to walk in faith is to walk because The
believer is the only one who has light in this world and is
said to even be the light of the world. Upon realization that
we are yet sinners, though surely and completely saved, we fix
our hearts in faith that our cleansing is by the effectual
blood. We believe we are cleansed by
the blood of Christ. Concerning full salvation of
the priesthood that has been accomplished at the altar of
the burnt offering, so if the water of the altar is applied
to the blood of Christ, it has to do with faith in the blood.
of Christ by those who have been made priests already. They're
already children of God. They're already saved. They're
already part of the church. What is this cleansing? This
cleansing is faith in that blood. Faith in that blood. Let's look
at a few verses of Scripture. Zechariah 13. Zechariah 13 verse 1 says, In
that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. That fountain is the fountain
of blood. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from
Emmanuel's veins. We sing that also. When it talks
about the blood of Christ washing us, we can find that over in
the first chapter of the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ which
John received on the Isle of Patmos. when it speaks of the
blood having the uh... power to wash away our sins in
revelation chapter one in verse five it says and from Jesus Christ
who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead
the prince of kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed
us from our sins in his own blood washed us from our sins in his
own blood and by that washing hath made us kings and priests
unto God the Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen. Then in chapter 7 of Revelation
it speaks of people who stand before the throne and John asked
the question who are these folks in John chapter 7 verse 13 it
says and one of the elders answered saying unto me what are these
what are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence come
they and I said to him sir thou knowest and he said to me these
are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb so when
he talks about the washing the blood and the cleansing of the
children of God it speaks about believing and trusting that we
are cleansed by the blood of Christ that's what it means over
in Romans chapter 3 when it talks about that very thing in Romans
chapter 3 in verse 23 it says for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God now we've all sinned and then you
have These same ones who sinned before the glory of God, some
of them are being justified freely, that is, without cause in them,
by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom
God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood. through faith in his blood to
declare his righteousness for the remissions of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at
this time his righteousness, that he might be just and justify
him that believes on the Lord Jesus Christ." So when he talks
about cleansing of the priesthood is talking about the priest trusting
in the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are cleansed.
This is what it speaks of in 1 John. The second and more typically
appropriate application of the placement and employment of the
contents of this labor is the preparation of the priesthood
for the ministry of the tabernacle. Before they offered that burn
offering at the first, they first had to go to the laver and wash
and then make the efforts for the burn offering. But before
they went on into the tabernacle to trim the lamps, to make sure
the table of rose showbread was set, to put incense on the altar
before the high priest went into the Holy of Holies that one day
of the year, they had to wash their hands and they had to wash
their feet before they could minister. as the priests in that
tabernacle. They had to wash their hands
and their feet. Now, they didn't wash them to
get anything. They were already priests. They
were already the children of God. They were already saved,
but they had to wash in order to go in. And it was important.
He said, this statue is going to be forever, and you do this
or you die. This is what he said under the
old covenant. Before they move forward to the
elements that picture the Lord Jesus Christ in various aspects
of His person and work, which all reflect the gospel in some
way. The lampstand represents Christ
as the light of the world. All the lights on the outside
of it, the six lights on the outside of it, they shine in
on the stem, which is the central light, which is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Or the table of showbread, which was the bread eaten by
the priest after he'd been on the table for seven days. It
was taken off and eaten by the priest. This bread was Christ
the bread of life, and it was bread that was pierced, for Christ
was pierced for his people. And then the table on the golden
altar, the incense was offered. We saw that that represented
the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, the prayers of
the Lord Jesus Christ for his people. All before they even
went to that, the first thing they did, they went to this laborer.
and they washed their hands and their feet. If they were cleansed
of their sin at the brazen altar, why is the washing necessary,
one might say. Why is it necessary? If they
were already cleansed, why is the washing necessary? Well,
the real reason, as far as the world goes, the floor of the
tabernacle was dirt. They didn't have a nice linoleum
laid down or anything. It was dirt. It was the dust
of the earth. And they didn't wear fancy muck looks or that
other shoe that people wear. They wore sandals or they wore
barefoot. So they walked on that. And they
handled sacrifices. They handled sacrifices. So these
things represent the world. represent the world and the world
has contaminants we live in a world we are the children of God we've
been saved by his blood washed in his blood cleansed by his
blood because he loved us and laid us but we live in a world
that contaminates us our hands and our feet are washed. Though we are not of the world,
we are in it, and our hands and our feet, which represent our
works and our walk, are contaminated by being where we are. We walk
on this dirt all the time, this field. Simply stated, our hands
and our feet get dirty by our contact with the world, and these
appendages need cleansing, so we may be about the ministry
of the gospel. Anybody who says they're unaffected
by this world are just lying. Any person who says he's a believer
is not affected by what goes on around him and what he touches
and what he associates with. He's just lying. We're affected
by it. We're made dirty by it. Our hands, our work is affected
by it. Our walk as a child of God is
affected by it. Now this was mirrored by our
Lord when he washed the disciples' feet. Do you remember that after
the Lord's Supper? He washed the disciples' feet
in John chapter 13. We go there in verse 4, it says,
He ariseth from supper, laid aside his garments, and took
a towel, and girded himself. And he poureth water into a basin,
began to wash his disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel
wherewith he was girded. Then he cometh to Simon Peter
and Peter saith, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus said, What
I do knowest thou not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter
said unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus said, If
I wash my feet, thou wast not has no part with me Simon Peter
says well wash me all over then I love Simon Peter I'm so glad
he's in scripture Lord not my feet only but my hands and my
head wash everything and the Lord said to him he that is washed
he that is saved he that is washed in the blood of the Lamb needeth
not save wash his feet wash his feet but it's clean every whit
and you are clean you are clean but not all the not all was talking
about Judas he was the one who wasn't clean he says you're clean
every whit but your feet need washing why? because you wear
sandals in the dirt and your feet get dirty That's what our
Lord said. Now, the Lord said, We have no
part with me. It aligns with the words of our
text in verse 21 where He says, If you don't do this, you're
dead. You're dead. As washing applies to the blood
of Christ, water, water refers most of the time in Scripture
to the Word of God. Now, not every time, but most
of the time, especially when He talks about God speaking,
talks about remember what the Lord said the woman at the well
she went out there to get water he said I got living water if
you knew who I was you would ask me and I'd give you this
water and you'd never thirst again that water represents life
and that life is in the word of God it's found there alone
our Lord speaks of his word as water let's look at two references
look over at Deuteronomy chapter 32 I remember one time a fellow
said to me, talking about dry doctrine, and I took him over
to Deuteronomy and I let him read this. And I said, the doctrine
of God is decidedly damp. It's decidedly moist. Deuteronomy
32 and verse 2 says, My doctrine shall drop as the rain. My speech shall distill as the
dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers
upon the grass, because I will publish the name of the Lord,
that's the preaching of the gospel, publish the name of the Lord,
I will ascribe greatness to our God, give Him the glory, He is
the Rock, capital R, He is the Rock, His work is perfect, and
it is, that's what He said on the cross when He said it is
finished, He said perfect, For all his ways are judgment, a
God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. This is
his doctrine. How does it come? It comes like
the rain. It comes like the rain over in Isaiah chapter 55. In verse 8 it says, My thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith
the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,
and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh
it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower,
and bread to the eater, so shall my word be. goeth forth out of
my mouth, like the rain and the snow. It shall not return to
me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereunto I send it." How do we have faith
to believe in the blood, the power of the blood of Jesus Christ
to wash away our sins? How do we have faith? Where does
that come from? We know it's a gift of God. We know it's a
gift of God. Scripture says, by grace are
you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's
a gift of God. It's not of works, lest any man
should boast. We are His workmanship created
unto good works, which He's ordained that we should do them. Ephesians
chapter 2. How do we get faith? We know
God gives it, but how does it come? How does it come? It only comes one way. God's not going to tap you on
the shoulder one day and say, here's your faith. That's not
going to happen that way. You're going to get it under the preaching
of the Word of God. That's how it happens. Paul made
that clear in Romans chapter 10. He said, Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how shall
they call on him in whom they've not believed? And how shall they
believe on him in whom they've not heard? shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the
word of God. That's the dew from heaven. And
Jonah, or not Jonah, but, oh, it's terrible getting old. I'll look it up. Joel chapter 2 speaks of the
doctrine of God coming like the former and the latter reign.
The former reign in the marginal reading of that in Joel chapter
2 says it's righteousness. God's righteousness comes like
the rain out through His Word, through the preached Word. The
latter rain is said to be the teacher of righteousness. Who is the teacher of righteousness? Christ is and His ministers are. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. This is the water by which the priesthood
is cleansed. The priest must avail himself
to what? To the preaching of the Word of God. This is what
matters in this world. This is what's going to last.
The Word of God abideth forever. The world passes away. There
must be a redundant rehearsal of the Gospel in the minds and
hearts of believers at all times. They must avail themselves when
they can hear the Gospel and worship God. This is the water
employed to wash our hands and feet from the filth that we encounter
in the world every day. Stan once told me that hearing
the word of God and attending the worship is what keeps him
from going crazy in this world. Keeps him going. Keeps him steady
in this world. He can come on Wednesday night
and Sunday morning for two messages, one in the morning and one in
the afternoon. He said, and the rest of the time in the world
it's crazy out there. What happens? His feet and his hands get dirty. So he comes to the water. to the Word of God. and verse one, O God, thou art
my God, early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee, my
flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where there
is no water. Ain't no water out there. It's
a dry and a thirsty land. This word, now remember Henry
Mahan told me one time, if he ever started over his ministry
again, if he could start over again, he said the first two
years I would spend trying to teach folks of the authority
and absolute necessity of the Word of God over and over again. This Word is the oasis. We're
in a desert place. We're out in Lodabar in a desert
place. This Word is when we top the
sand dune and there's some palm trees down yonder. And there's
a pond and there's water and we hurry to it. As the heart
panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee,
my Lord. This is the washing. This is
how our hands and our feet are cleansed. This is the brazen
laborer where the priests wash their hands and they might minister
in the ministry of the Lord. Over in Ephesians chapter 5 and
I'll quit. In Ephesians chapter 5 and verse
26 it says this, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, speaking
of the church, with the washing of water by the word. That's how it happens. That's
how we're washed. That's how we're cleansed from
the contaminants of this world. Father, bless us to understand
and pray in Christ's name. Amen.