Scripture Daily

Context No. 2249 of 4322 · Exodus

Context · Reflection

Exodus 40:17-32: in context

17In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up. 18Moses raised up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19He spread the covering over the tent, and put the roof of the tabernacle above on it, as the LORD commanded Moses. 20He took and put the covenant into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark. 21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant, as the LORD commanded Moses. 22He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside of the veil. 23He set the bread in order on it before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. 24He put the lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 25He lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. 26He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil; 27and he burned incense of sweet spices on it, as the LORD commanded Moses. 28He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle. 29He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, as the LORD commanded Moses. 30He set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water therein, with which to wash. 31Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. 32When they went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came near to the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses.

When the tabernacle is finally raised up and everything set in its place, one of the last things Moses sets is the basin for washing, placed between the tent of meeting and the altar, filled with water. And a practice is established: Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. Whenever they went into the tent of meeting or came near to the altar to serve, they washed. Before drawing near to God's presence, before approaching to serve him, they were to cleanse themselves at the basin.

The requirement to wash before approaching God points to something deep: the need for cleansing before we draw near to the holy God. The priests could not come into God's presence or approach the altar to serve without first washing, without cleansing themselves at the basin. It was a physical washing that pointed to a spiritual reality: that to approach the holy God, one must be cleansed, made pure, not coming in one's defilement but washed. The basin stood between the people and the presence, a reminder that cleansing precedes drawing near. This reminds us of the purity required to approach God, and of how it is provided. God is holy, and to draw near to him requires cleansing; we cannot come in our defilement, our sin, our uncleanness, as though it did not matter. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD, the psalmist asks; he who has clean hands and a pure heart. The washing at the basin pictures this requirement of purity to approach the holy God. But the good news is that the cleansing we need has been provided. We cannot cleanse ourselves of our deepest defilement, our sin; but Christ has provided the washing, cleansing us that we might draw near. Let us draw near, Hebrews says, with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. The cleansing that the basin pictured is fulfilled in Christ, who washes us so that we may approach God cleansed. This is both sobering and freeing. Sobering, because it reminds us that we do not approach God casually in our defilement, as though our sin did not matter; cleansing is required to draw near to the holy God. And freeing, because that cleansing has been provided in Christ, so that we may draw near, not in our uncleanness but washed, made pure by him. This calls us to draw near to God cleansed, through the washing Christ provides. The priests washed at the basin before approaching God's presence, a picture of the purity required to draw near to the holy God. And we, who could not cleanse ourselves, are washed by Christ, so that we may draw near cleansed rather than in our defilement. Let us draw near, then, with hearts cleansed by Christ, not presuming to approach the holy God in our uncleanness, but coming washed, purified by the one who has provided the cleansing that the basin foreshadowed, that we might draw near to God made pure.

Do I presume to approach the holy God casually in my defilement, as though my sin did not matter, or do I despair of the purity required to draw near, and can the basin where the priests washed before approaching God's presence, together with the cleansing Christ has provided so that we may draw near with hearts sprinkled clean, move me to draw near to God neither casually in my uncleanness nor in despair, but washed and made pure by the one who provided the cleansing the basin foreshadowed?

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