THE LAVER
I only want to be a blessing and to edify the saints. There is a thought at the end that is so sweet to me that I wanted to share it. I am not called to preach and do not pretend to be a preacher. I am a witness and this is what God showed me through the words of a called preacher’s sermon. I added verses, that came to my mind during the sermon, so mistakes are my and do not blame the preacher if I took something out of context. I trust the thought will be a blessing to other saints.
Sermon preached 5/20/2008 @ 1800 in the Riverbend Maximum Security Prison Chapel by pastor Billy Watters. This was originally typed 1/18/2010. It is from notes taken by Paul Buckingham during the service and has not been reviewed by pastor Watters. Errors are mine, not brother Watters.
THE LAVER IS USED BY THE SAINTS SO THAT THEY CAN GET CLOSE TO GOD THE FATHER. The laver was made of shining brass. It was a large bowl on a stand and it was full of water. The priests would use it to make themselves clean before they did their priestly service to the LORD. The priest would use the shining brass as a mirror to check himself for any uncleanness on any parts of his body. Another priest would also usually help him with this because if the priest went into the tabernacle where they offered incense with any uncleanness, then the LORD would kill them. They cannot go into the presence of the LORD unclean or they would die. The Laver is used to make them clean. Supporting verses follow:
Exodus 30:17-21 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 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 they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
THE LAVER IS BETWEEN THE ALTAR OF INCENSE (PRAYERS TO THE FATHER) AND THE BURNT OFFERING (OUR SALVATION). The Laver of brass was placed between the two altars. Upon entering the area to the tabernacle, the first altar that someone comes to is the burnt altar. Then you would pass the Laver of brass, and then the tabernacle. Inside the tabernacle and just in front of the vail is the altar of incense. The vail separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the tabernacle. The incense is associated with the prayers of the saints. The altar of incense in the tabernacle represented the prayers and petitions to the LORD. Inside the Holy of Holies is the mercy seat and the room is filled with the glory of the LORD and priests could only enter there once a year on the Day of Atonement and only with blood. The burnt offering represents Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, being broken for you to open a new and living way. In passing, notice the order: salvation via the burnt offering, then use of the laver, then our prayers to the Father.
On a side note, the world is full of religions; some even have the words Christian and church in the titles that try to avoid the burnt offering (Jesus) on the way to God. Even our own churches are full of apostates that are trying to avoid the burnt offering. Wicked king Ahaz (II Kings 16 & II Chronicles 28) moved it in II Kings 16:14. They avoided Jesus and in the end Jesus will tell them he never knew them (Matthew 7:22-23). Supporting verses follow:
Exodus 40:5-7 And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle. And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein
Exodus 30:1 & 6 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it….And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee..
Revelation 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
Genesis 22:7-8 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
THE LAVER IS USED BY THE HOLD SPIRIT TO HELP US TO EXAMINE OURSELVES AND REMOVE THE UNCLEANNESS WE FIND. The Laver is made of shining brass from looking glasses. Our looking glass is the Word of God, the Bible. James says we are to lay aside all the sins and receive with meekness the engrafted word. In passing, do you read the word humbling and let the word change you (meekness) or do you read the word with pride changing the word to fit your ideas? James says when we lay the sin aside; we replace it with the Word of God. If you do not let the word change you, you are like a man who sees some things wrong, does nothing, walks away, and soon forgets what is wrong in our lives. Do you just try to lay the sin aside, and do not fill your heart with the word, only to find the same sin back in your life very soon? (Psalms 119:11, Matthew 12:43-45 is about salvation, but wouldn’t the principle apply?) In passing, the world is full of people and churches that want to change the word instead of letting the word change them. In Ephesians 5:25-26…Christ gave himself for the church-that’s the burnt offering…that he might sanctify and cleanse [the church} with the washing of water by the word-that’s the laver. The Word is that which is perfect in I Corinthians 13 that replaces the apostle’s signs. The Holy Spirit will use the Word that we put in our hearts to convict us of sin. We need to respond by removing the sin (I John 1:9).
On a side note, professing Christianity is full of preachers, churches, and members that do not preach against sin, never come under conviction, and never confess/forsake their sins. God isn’t waiting for lost America to get saved and forsake sin, God is waiting on Christians to forsake sin (II Chronicles 7:14). God’s people separating themselves from the world and sin, is the first step in reaching the lost. Supporting verses follow:
Exodus 38:8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
James 1:21-27 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 & 12-18 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart….Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
THE SWEET THOUGHT. Read your Bible (laver), if it convicts go to the burnt offering and confess (Jesus and I John 1:9), go back to your Bible (laver) and repeat as often as necessary. When your attitude is right (humble and submitted), yet there is no conviction, go to the altar of incense to get some prayers answered. However, sometimes, just tell God, you don’t want or need anything (altar of incense) but you want to spend time with Him just cause you love Him (go past the altar on into the Holy of Holies).
The LORD GOD made man to fellowship with him. God made one rule for man’s own benefit and made a woman as a help meet and then (Genesis 3:8) we see God’s desire: to walk in the cool of the day with Adam and his wife. Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost (Matthew 18:11). I submit to you that something that was lost that Jesus laid his life down for was fellowship between man and God. God is holy and we must be holy to fellowship with him. The burnt offering removes our sin to start, but please DON’T stop there. You are still not where God wants you. Go to the laver with a humble heart and listen to what the laver and the Spirit say to you inside. They will bring things to your mind that you need to take to the burnt offering, but please DON’T stop there. Conviction is necessary and for our benefit, but you are still not where God wants you. Take those sins to the burnt offering and put them under the blood with 1 John 1:9, but please DON’T stop there. Now you can go to the altar of incense. God is now willing to hear your prayers because you have removed your iniquities (Isaiah 1:15; 59:2). How wonderful it is to have prayers answered, but there that is still not the place God wants you to get to. Spend time at the laver to stay clean, spend time at the brazen altar to remove the filth you get by walking in the world (sin) and the sins of disobedience (not reading, not praying, etc.,), and see what it is like to get prayers answered, but DON’T stop there. God really wants fellowship. He wants you to desire to spend time in the Holy of Holies. It is good and commanded to read your Bible and to forsake sin, but that is only the means to an end. Abraham was called the friend of God (II Chronicles 20:7; James 2:23). Fellowship is the goal.
Psalms 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
On a side note America is full of churches and preaching that avoid the laver or change it; are never convicted enough to go to the burnt offering about sin in their lives; members act just like the lost world and the lost sees no difference in their lives; and they go to church only to go to the Holy of Holies to worship God. The lost should come to church as they are but shouldn’t the preaching be an attempt for them to leave changed. Christians should be loved where they are, but shouldn’t the preaching pressure them to love God enough to change to Bible standards about attitude, dress, hair, etc., and transform them into a peculiar people, zealous of good works. They ignore the laver and the burnt offering and then wonder why God won’t meet with them and why serious prayers never get answered. They are approaching God with emotionalism but without cleaning first and there is no power of God in their lives. There are many preachers that preach …he shall give thee the desires of thine heart-just name it and claim it-but never preach…delight thyself also in the LORD.
What will you do? Will you approach the laver humbling and willing to change the sinful habits in your life so that you can fellowship with God? He loves you more than you can fathom and wants to spend time with you? Will you draw nigh to God? Will you worship him in truth? Will you give him truth in the inner parts? Will you keep his commandments because you love him back? The Holy of Holies is a sweet place to be. Will you wake up each day desiring to go there? If you will, then spending time with the laver and the burnt offering each day will become a habit. Taste and see that he is sweet. Prove him now and see.
THE VEIL AND THE PILLARS
Sermon preached 4/15/2008 @ 1800 in the Riverbend Maximum Security Prison Chapel by pastor Billy Watters. This was originally typed 4/19/2008, though it has been edited often over the next few weeks. It is from notes taken by Paul Buckingham during the service and has not been reviewed by pastor Watters. Errors are mine, not brother Watters.
Intro
Exodus 26:31-33 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Every time these colors are given in this order: blue, then purple, then scarlet. Why? Words in the Bible mean something. I think the order of color means something as well. That is what we are going look at tonight. First some background information. The veil was 4” thick and 30’ long and a team of 10 oxen would not be able to rend it. It was hung on four pillars. It has cherubim woven into it. It was on the east just like the cherubim guarding the Garden of Eden. They were guarding the way to fellowship with God. I am not big on looking up the Greek or the Hebrew. But I did look up the Hebrew words for blue, purple and scarlet and the Greek word for veil. The Greek word for ‘veil’ means the same as ‘fracture’. The way/fellowship to God was fractured or broken. One root word for the Hebrew word for ‘blue’ means ‘obscured idea’. ‘Purple’ stands for royal. One root word for the Hebrew word for ‘scarlet’ is ‘worm’. So the veil is an ‘obscured idea of a king becoming a worm.’ Another root word for blue is ‘lion’. Another root word for scarlet is ‘seed’. So the veil is a ‘lion-king becoming a seed.’ Can you imagine, these priests would go into the temple twice a day, every day to trim the wicks in the morning and then to light them in the evening. They would see that veil twice a day every day of the year. What did they think when they saw it: what king would stoop to become a worm? What king would become a seed? What could this mean?
Blue
That is interesting. Let’s see what the Bible says about the blue.
John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
Scourged…I think the blue stands for the scourging that Jesus received. The soldiers took a whip. The whip had about nine ends. Tied or woven into the ends were pieces of metal. The whip would rip the skin off.
Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
So marred….Never was a man so marred as this. So marred, you would have trouble recognizing this as a man. Is it a man or dog or what? Can you even see this as a man? So much skin is gone, you could see his bones.
Psalms 22:12-17 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
I am poured out like water. My heart is like wax; it is melted…my bones: they look and stare at me… This is the blue of veil. To see that the scourging was represented by the blue we have to go to one more place…
Proverbs 20:30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
Purple
Purple was the sign of royalty: the sign of a king.
John 19:1-2 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
A crown of thorns and a purple robe were signs of a king. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
In Genesis 3:18, the thorns were part of the curse for sin.
Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Isaiah saw a son, called Immanuel: God with us.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Scarlet
Scarlet represents sin. Isaiah called sin red like crimson.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Scarlet represents the worm. The King has become a worm…
Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people
The King became sin. The King became a worm.
Matthew 27:45-51 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Vinegar can be used to relief pain. They thought Jesus called for Elias. They wanted to see if Elias would come, so they got some vinegar and gave it to Jesus to maybe help him hang on a little longer. Jesus did not drink it. I have heard that the victims of crucifixion rub their heels to the bone because they have to push against the wood to lift up and draw a breath. Seven times..seven times Jesus lifted himself up for a good breath in order to speak. ‘Father, forgive them’…’I thirst’…’it is finished.’
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
God was satisfied. God reached down with his finger and ripped the veil. If stinking man had tried to rip the veil he would have started at the bottom and ripped up. God ripped the veil from the top to the bottom. Can you imagine what the priests were thinking?
Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Can you imagine what the angels were thinking? Perhaps with hands on sword handles: ‘Just say the word Lord, we will come get you?’ ‘Turn us loose Lord, we know what to do?’ ‘Give us permission Lord, we will destroy them?’ Just like that Jesus could have turned them loose. Instead: ‘Father forgive them…’
Atonement
The graves were opened and the dead were seen of men.
Matthew 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Don’t touch me. Don’t defile me.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Touch me Thomas, put your whole hand into my side. What happened? Why wouldn’t Jesus let Mary touch him and then he told Thomas to touch him?
Hebrews 6:19-20 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Between the appearances, Jesus entered through the heavenly veil into the holy of holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy sit.
Hebrews 7:23-25 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Once he did this he sat down, because his work was done.
Hebrews 10:12-14 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah…
Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
He is King of Kings…
I Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
He is the seed…
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Every knee will bow…
Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And call him Lord to the glory of God the Father. Don’t look to Mohammed or Buda or Confucius. Those guys are dead. How can they help me when they couldn’t even help themselves? Jesus is a living way.
Hebrews 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
It ain’t a wheel with all spokes leading to heaven. This new and living way is the only way.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ro 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
The new and living way
Romans 10:8-13 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Let’s look at the four pillars
Exodus 26:31-33 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Remember when we looked at the silver being redemption in a previous sermon about the temple. And that redemption price was paid by Jesus. These four pillars stand on silver sockets of our redemption or on the work of Jesus Christ. You want to get to God. You want to have fellowship with God the Father. It is only through Jesus Christ and here are your four pillars…
1. First, you need wisdom from God to know you need to get saved. The Holy Spirit needs to convict you.
2. Second, you need the righteousness of Jesus Christ to get saved.
3. Third, Jesus not only gives you God’s righteousness, but he also gives us justification.
4. Jesus has done all the work, now if you want to get to God, then you need sanctification.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.