And he made the sea, molten, ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encompassed it round about.
The temple courtyard held one huge basin of cast metal, called a "sea," deep enough to hold thousands of gallons. Why did priests who already served at an altar of blood need this much water, and what does the washing picture?
The measurements describe a standing pool, not a portable bowl.
The Sea was a large pool made of cast copper, ten cubits (15 feet) in diameter. It took the place of the basin in the tabernacle, Israel's earlier tent of worship (Ex. 30:17-21). It stood 5 cubits high, and it rested on 12 oxen, also of copper it seems, three facing each direction, with their backs turned inwards. So, if the oxen were 4 or 5 feet in height, the top of the sea would be 11 or 12 feet high. It stood outside the temple, between the large copper altar and the temple door. It held 3000 baths (about 8000 gallons) of water, and the priests washed in it (2 Chron. 4:5-6). There must have been steps up to the Sea, but Scripture says nothing about them.
The metal is not incidental. The same material used for the altar where sin was judged is used for the basin where dirt is removed.
Solomon's cast sea was brass. Brass is the fitting symbol of divine righteousness. That righteousness demands judgment on sin, as at the brass altar, or judgment on uncleanness, as at the brass sea. Revelation 1 describes the Lord Jesus: "His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace." That is how He walks among the lampstands. He cannot tolerate evil. He must judge it and trample it under His feet. This is why brass served for both the altar, where sin was atoned for, and the sea, where defilement was washed away.
The sea held water, not blood. That decides where a defiled priest went — and where a failing believer turns.
Under the law, a priest whose hands and feet had become defiled did not need to go back to the brass altar. He needed to go forward to the brass sea. He did not need the blood applied again to make him a priest. He needed only to wash with water, so that he could carry on his service. So now, if a believer fails, if he sins, if he picks up defilement, he does not need washing in the blood again as at the first. He needs the cleansing action of the Word, by which the Holy Spirit brings home to the soul the remembrance of what Christ has done. This removes the defilement, restores communion, and fits the spiritual priest again for his service. Did a sea holding 3000 baths of water make little of a priest's defilement? Did it not prove instead how much God made of it?
The metal itself had a history. It came from a different source than the metal of the earlier basin.
The basin in the tabernacle came from the women's mirrors (Ex. 38:8); the sea came from the spoils of David's conquests. The mirrors suggest that those who gave them gave something up; the spoils speak of victory, which fits the glories of the kingdom that Solomon's reign displays. Scripture does not give the size and capacity of that basin. For the sea it records these details.
Priests did not wash all over at this basin. They washed two things, and each stands for something.
The brass sea served for the daily cleansing of the priests. There they washed their hands and their feet. This made them fit to carry out their service and to live where the Lord lived. In the same way, the disciples could have no part with Christ in the Father's house unless He washed their feet (John 13:8). The Word of God does this washing, on the ground of Christ's intercession as our Advocate. Under the law this washing applied to hands and feet, that is to say, to works and walk. Under grace it applies only to the walk. We have been purified from dead works to serve the Living God, and that happened once for all.
The scale of the basin is itself a message, and its last appearance in Scripture shows what happens when cleansing is no longer needed.
The huge amount of water in the cast sea points to the unlimited provision grace has made. Revelation 4:6 says that "before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal." That sea of glass points back to the cast sea in Solomon's temple. But it is not a sea of water. It is glass like crystal, because the redeemed in glory no longer need cleansing. They have entered a perfect and settled state of holiness.
- Judged — brass stands for righteousness that condemns sin and defilement alike. One metal serves both altar and sea.
- Provided — the metal came from the spoils of David's victories, and spoils speak of a victory already won.
- Drawn — priests took water for hands and feet: works and walk, the daily need of those who serve.
- Applied — failure sends the believer forward to the water, not back to the blood. The Word cleanses.
- Finished — before the throne the sea is glass, not water. Nothing there needs washing again.
And under the brim of it round about there were colocynths, encompassing it, ten in a cubit enclosing the sea round about; two rows of colocynths, cast when it was cast.
A band of carved fruit ran under the lip of the great bronze basin in the temple court. The gourds were set in two rows, and they came out of the mould with the basin itself. So what did they picture, and why does Scripture tell us they were not added later?
The ornament described here finishes off the largest vessel in the temple court. One account of the temple sets the decorated edge alongside the basin's enormous capacity:
The Bronze Sea was for the use of the priests; they could not reach up to dip their hands into it. The brim was worked like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies, and knops or gourds in two rows, ten knops to a cubit. This Bronze Sea, with its vast collection of water, presents to us the idea of unlimited supply.
The older English word for these ornaments is "knops." A Bible dictionary traces the Hebrew word behind it:
peqaim, "wild cucumbers," egg-shaped. 1 Kings 6:18; 1 Kings 7:24. The definite form of these ornaments is not known, except as may be guessed from the relief carving on the Arch of Titus at Rome.
The same ornament was carved on the cedar walls inside the house, next to half-open flowers. One writer reads the two together:
The cedar walls do not carry the same decoration. They were decorated only with half-open flowers and gourds (or buds or knobs, which may be what the word means in verse 18). There you saw a picture of constant flowering, of a renewal full of freshness and beauty that matched the rest of God, of an endless season of joy. And all of it was covered and protected by divine glory, there in the temple of God, which for us is the Father's house!
Commentators differ on what the rows under the brim were. One reads them as small oxen, and finds meaning in how many and how small they are:
You may say: well, I mostly look to Him in great trials, to help me in great temptations; but what hinders my soul and troubles it most are the little worrying trials of life. "The little foxes that spoil the vines." Have you not noticed those little oxen too? Not only the great oxen, looking every way, but the patient, watchful care of our tender High Priest, in His preserving, restoring service, over all the little trials of our wilderness path — yes, even though they be ten in every cubit.
The gourds were not bolted on. They came out of the mould with the basin, in one piece. The same writer draws out what that pictures:
And they were cast when the molten sea was cast. It is the inseparable part of His blessed work, as He says so sweetly, "I am among you as the one who serves." But do not use this precious word as a cover for indifference about evil, as if He lovingly allowed the least evil or defilement. Nothing can be more false or dangerous. He does not allow it, but lovingly takes the towel and girds Himself to serve.
The basin itself held water for the priests, and that washing had a limited reach:
The bronze sea served for the daily purification of the priests. There they washed their hands and their feet. So they were fit to carry out their service and to dwell where the Lord dwelt. In the same way, the disciples could have no part with Christ in the Father's house unless He washed their feet. The Word of God does this washing, on the basis of Christ's intercession as Advocate. Under the law this washing applied to hands and feet, that is, to works and walk. Under grace it applies only to walk.
A basin of standing water belongs to a place where dirt is picked up. The last book of the Bible shows the same vessel changed:
"Before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal." This clearly points back to the molten sea in the earthly sanctuary. But it is not a sea of water, as there, but of glass — a silent yet eloquent witness to the fixed and unalterable purity of the eternal home of the glorified. On earth we often need the water of the Word, because of the defilements picked up along the way that come in between our souls and God. In the happy scene we are going to, defilement will never be possible.
- Fruit — the "gourds," or knops, were small round fruit shapes. The same carving ran along the cedar walls, picturing constant flowering and freshness.
- Fulness — they ringed a basin whose huge capacity speaks of supply without limit.
- Smallness — set ten to a cubit, they answer to the small, wearing troubles of daily life, not only the large ones. (Commentators differ, since some read these shapes as little oxen.)
- Oneness — cast in the same pour as the basin, the ornament could never come off. The washing cannot be separated from the One who serves.
- Finish — day by day the water washed hands and feet. In glory the sea becomes crystal, because nothing there will need cleansing.
It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim was like the work of the brim of a cup, with lily-blossoms; it held two thousand baths.
This verse finishes the description of the great bronze basin at Solomon's temple. The priests washed at it, and commentators find meaning in every detail: the thickness, the rim, and the water it held.
Kings gives two thousand baths; Chronicles gives three thousand. One reference work treats these as two measurements of the same basin:
1 Kings 7:26 states that it "contained 2000 baths." This probably refers to the amount of water usually put into it. The reason is that 2 Chronicles 4:5 says "it received and held 3000 baths," which may mean its full capacity. The dimensions above do not seem to agree with this capacity. But the exact shape of the basin is not given; it may have bulged out a good deal in the middle.
Note: the ESV reads "It held two thousand baths" in 1 Kings 7:26; the wording quoted here is from an older translation.
The metal matters. One writer links the basin to the bronze altar in the same court. Both show one truth applied to two problems:
Solomon's molten sea was made of brass. Brass is the fitting symbol of divine righteousness demanding judgment upon sin (as in the brazen altar), or demanding judgment upon uncleanness (as in the brazen sea). Revelation 1 speaks of the Lord Jesus as having "His feet like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." That is how He is seen walking among the lampstands. He cannot tolerate evil, but must, in the exercise of judgment, trample it beneath His feet.
Note: the ESV reads "burnished bronze" in Revelation 1:15; older translations have "fine brass."
What the sea held matters as much as how much of it there was. The same writer notes that a defiled priest moved forward to the sea, not back to the altar:
But the brazen sea contained water, not blood. Those who came to it had already proved the power of the blood. They only needed the washing of water. … A priest under the law whose hands and feet had become defiled did not need to go back to the brazen altar. He needed to go forward to the brazen sea. … So now, if a believer fails, if he commits sin, if he contracts defilement, he does not need a second washing in the blood as at the first. He simply needs the cleansing action of the Word.
Two thousand baths is a huge amount of water for washing hands and feet. One writer takes the size itself as the message, and follows it into Revelation:
The immense quantity of water contained in the molten sea suggests the unlimited provision grace has made. In Revelation 4:6, we read that before the throne was a sea of glass like crystal. This sea of glass is an allusion to the molten sea in Solomon's temple. But it is not a sea of water, but of glass like crystal, because the redeemed in glory no longer need cleansing. They have entered upon a perfect and fixed state of holiness.
Mackintosh turns that volume around and asks what such a supply says about defilement itself:
Does this make little of defilement? The very opposite! Did the provision of a molten sea, with its 3000 baths of water, make little of priestly defilement? Did it not rather prove what a serious matter it was in the judgment of God, and how impossible it was to carry on with a single stain on the hands and feet?
The rim curved like the lip of a cup and carried lily blossoms — beauty on a working vessel. One writer follows that flower elsewhere in Scripture:
The rim of the molten sea had flowers of lilies worked into it. This carries our minds into the Song of Songs. … In that book the King again and again compares His people to lilies (Song 2:2-16 etc.). It is a beautiful picture, telling of purity and lowliness, two features always delightful to the eye of the Lord.
The basin served the priests. One writer applies that service to believers now, and separates what we are from how we live:
Both laver and molten sea were for the use of the priests. From these vessels they drew water to cleanse their hands and feet when serving in the sanctuary of God. … The New Birth has made us fit in nature for His presence. But the laver and the molten sea teach us that we must also be fit in practice if we would enjoy His presence. … Grace has made "a holy priesthood" of the whole household of faith, but holiness demands purity of thought and life in us all.
- Bronze — the metal speaks of God's righteousness judging uncleanness. The altar nearby spoke of judgment on sin.
- Water — the sea held water, not blood; a defiled priest went forward to wash, not back to the altar to start again.
- Two thousand baths — Kings may give the usual contents, Chronicles the full capacity. Either way the volume pictures grace's unlimited supply — and how seriously God treats one stain.
- Lilies — the rim's flowers picture purity and lowliness, the character the King delights in.
- Glass — in Revelation the sea before the throne is crystal, not water. Cleansing is over; holiness is fixed.
And he made ten bases of brass four cubits was the length of one base, and the breadth four cubits, and the height three cubits.
Hiram has been casting the bronze for the temple court, and now the record stops to measure ten matching stands. Why does Scripture spend so many verses on furniture that only held water, and what were these ten stands for?
The name itself points to the job. One writer links the Hebrew word behind "stand" to the word for "foot." The passage itself shows what these objects held up:
The "bases" (a word from the same root as "foot") for Solomon's temple are described in detail, and their purpose was clearly to hold up the basins (1 Kings 7:27-39). The bronze "sea" is also described in full, but nothing is said of smaller vessels to pour the water into for use (1 Kings 7:23-26).
The stands are bronze, not gold. One writer draws a line between the metal inside the house and the metal in the court:
By divine righteousness we are able to stand before Him. We have it in Christ in heaven. Bronze is the symbol of the righteousness of God, displaying on earth what He is toward sinful man. The temple furniture was made of gold; the court furniture was bronze, cast in the earth. Hiram worked in bronze only.
One writer finds it striking that the bases get more space than the basins. He also supplies what 1 Kings leaves out — the use of both:
There were ten bronze bases with wheels, and ten basins rested on them. Remarkably, more is said about the bases than about the basins. A man would hardly write this way, but the Holy Spirit's ways are always divinely wise, whether we understand them or not. 1 Kings 7:27-39 describes the bases and basins at some length, but 2 Chronicles 4:6 tells us their use: "What they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them, but the sea was for the priests to wash in." Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. Since that was so, they had to be absolutely clean.
The priest washed parts of the animal before it went up on the altar. One writer says what that washing pictures:
In Leviticus 1:9 we see that the priest washed the inner parts and the legs of the animal with water. This picture must match a future reality — the offering of Christ to God in perfect purity. He who offered Himself as a pleasing aroma was holiness itself and needed no washing. Yet the picture had to be washed, to show the perfection of Christ's offering.
Another writer puts the stakes plainly:
His spotlessness was necessary for His sacrifice. Prove one flaw in the Christ of God, and the blood of His cross loses its value. Then nothing can save us from the damnation of Hell.
The verses just after this one describe figures cut into the sides of each stand. One writer reads them as a portrait of God Himself:
"Lions, oxen, and cherubim" were carved on the bases themselves: strength, patience, and divine intelligence. The burnt offering is presented pure according to these attributes. Clearly they served to establish an offering by which the people, identified with the victim, might be made acceptable to God. On the "bases" one might read what sort of God it was who had given His people a way to dwell with Himself.
Solomon's temple has ten of almost everything. One writer reads the number ten as a forecast:
The ten lavers with their bases were for the washing of the sacrifices. We see that instead of one laver there were ten; and there were also ten candlesticks and ten tables. Everything was increased and on a large scale. The whole house and its contents represented untold wealth. It all foreshadows that coming glorious Kingdom of Christ.
- Stand. The word is related to "foot." These ten bronze frames were made to hold the basins.
- Bronze. Gold filled the house; bronze filled the court. Bronze shows God's righteousness on earth toward sinful man.
- Washing. The basins washed the burnt offering; the great sea washed the priests. Two cleansings, two purposes.
- Purity. The spotless sacrifice was washed anyway, to show the perfection of Christ's offering. One flaw in Him and the cross loses its value.
- Kingdom. One basin became ten, with ten candlesticks and ten tables — increase on every side, pointing to the reign of Christ.
And the work of the bases was this they had panels, and the panels were between the fillets.
Here the account of the temple courtyard slows down to describe how the ten bronze stands were built, before it even measures the basins they carried. Why does Scripture spend such care on a washing-stand's frame, and what were the figures on its panels meant to teach?
The stand here is not a small footing. It is a large structure on wheels, with borders and sides holding its panels. One writer gives the measurements, and notes that two different Hebrew words in this chapter both come into English as "base":
The bases were square, four cubits wide and three cubits high, with ledges, borders, or sides, some extra parts, and supports for the basin. They stood on wheels one and a half cubits high, and had carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim. Two different Hebrew words are both translated "base" in 1 Kings 7. One is the base under the basin — keen, the word translated "foot" for the basin in the Tabernacle. The other is the larger base, meconah, four cubits by three.
One writer points out this imbalance. He also says what these vessels were for, which this chapter never states but 2 Chronicles does:
Ten bronze bases with wheels were made, and ten basins rested on them. Strikingly, Scripture says more about the bases than about the basins. A man would hardly write this way; but the Holy Spirit's ways are always wise with God's own wisdom, whether we understand them or not… 2 Chronicles 4:6 tells us what they were for: in them they washed what was offered for the burnt offering, while the sea was for the priests to wash in. Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. Since that is so, they had to be completely clean.
If the sacrifice pictured Christ, why wash it at all? One writer answers that the picture needed washing, not the One pictured:
The bronze sea served to cleanse the priests. The ten basins, five on the right of the court and five on the left, served to wash what the people offered for the burnt offering (2 Chr. 4:6)… He who offered Himself as a sweet-smelling offering was holiness itself and needed no washing. But the picture had to be washed, to show the perfection of the offering of Christ.
The panels were not left blank. Three figures were carved into them, one of them the cherubim — figures of angels. One writer compares them with the four living creatures of Revelation 4 and notes which one is missing here:
On the panels of the carts were lions, oxen and cherubim (v.29). In Revelation 4:7 we read of four living creatures, one like a lion, another like a calf (or ox), one having the face of a man and the last like a flying eagle. In our chapter the cherubim takes the place of the man, and the flying eagle is left out. This is likely because the eagle speaks of God's swift judgment, and there will be none of that in the millennial kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox, of service and the cherubim of intelligent government.
Those same figures, on the same panels, are read by another writer as a statement about the God who provided the sacrifice:
The burnt offering is presented pure according to these attributes… One might read on the "bases" what was the manner of the God who had supplied His people with a means for dwelling with Himself.
This frame stood on wheels. One writer notes where these stands were placed, and what the metal they were made of shows:
The priests washed their hands and feet in the Sea, but there were also ten carts, each one carrying a basin for washing the animals of sacrifice. These could be moved around, but five carts stood on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. The carts were made of copper too. So the outside furnishings all stressed the holiness of God, while the inside stressed the glory of God (the gold).
So why record all this detail? One writer answers:
Notice that 2 Chronicles 4:6 only mentions the basins, while here they are described in much more detail. The reason is that this is about the outward showing of what God is, both in His government and in His kingdom. That showing of God will be seen in Christ, who will reign in full view of the world.
- Frame — The stand was a large square structure, four cubits by three, with borders, side panels, supports and wheels. Two Hebrew words in this chapter are both translated "base."
- Focus — Scripture says more about the stands than about the basins they carried. No man would have written it that way.
- Purity — The sacrifices washed at these stands had to be completely clean, because each one spoke to God of Christ. The picture needed washing; the One pictured did not.
- Figures — Lion, ox and cherubim were cut into these panels: strength, service and intelligent government. The eagle of swift judgment is left out.
- Display — All of this stood outside, in the open court. It showed the holiness of God in copper, and pointed on to Christ reigning in full view of the world.
And on the panels that were between the fillets were lions, oxen and cherubim; and over the fillets there was a base above; and beneath the lions and oxen were garlands of festoon-work.
Solomon's temple had ten wheeled bronze stands that carried washbasins in the courtyard. Why does Scripture stop to record the figures carved on their side panels, and why these three?
One account describes their shape, the carvings on their borders, and what the washing pictured:
There were ten bases and lavers of bronze, five placed on the south or right side of the Temple, and five on the north or left side. The bases were square, four cubits wide and three cubits high, with ledges, borders, or sides, and supports for the laver. They stood on wheels, one and a half cubits high, and had carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim… The inward parts and legs of the burnt offerings were washed. So they pictured Him whose inward thoughts, feelings, purposes, and desires were always pure and holy, whose walk and ways were blameless and undefiled, and who offered Himself without spot to God.
One writer notes how much space the stands get:
Ten bases of bronze with wheels were made, and ten lavers rested on them. Remarkably, more is said about the bases than about the lavers. This would hardly be man's way of writing. But the Holy Spirit's ways are always divinely wise, whether we understand them or not… Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. That being so, they had to be absolutely clean.
Each figure carries a meaning, and together they point to the coming reign of Christ:
On the panels of the carts were lions, oxen and cherubim. In Revelation 4:7 we read of four living creatures. One is like a lion, another like a calf (or ox), one has the face of a man, and the last is like a flying eagle. In our chapter the cherubim takes the place of man, and the flying eagle is left out. This is likely because the eagle speaks of the swift execution of God's judgment. There will be no such thing in the millennial kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service, and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these are important in the future kingdom of Christ.
Commentators differ on the ox: some read it as service, others as firmness and patience.
Another writer sets out what each creature stands for, and singles out the cherub:
The "living creatures" of Revelation are cherubim. They represent these attributes: the lion, strength; the ox (or calf), firmness and patience; the man, intelligence; the eagle, the rapidity of the judgments and government of God… In these chapters the cherub has a unique place. It is neither an ox nor a lion. It is an intelligent being… This intelligence ornaments the house of God. Those who draw near may see it in all the details of the divine building.
The washing and the government belong together. These basins washed the parts of the burnt offering, and the panels carried the attributes of the God who arranged it:
"Lions, oxen, and cherubim" were sculpted on the bases themselves. They stand for strength, patience, and divine intelligence. The burnt offering is presented pure according to these attributes. Clearly these attributes were used to establish an offering by which the people could be made acceptable to God, since the people were identified with the victim. On the bases one could read what this God was like — the God who had given His people a way to dwell with Himself.
The sacrifice itself had no flaw to remove. The washing was there to display that fact:
He who offered Himself as a pleasing aroma was holiness itself and had no need to be washed. But the picture had to be washed, to show the perfection of the offering of Christ.
At the top of the base, the pattern changes:
The crown of the base bore nothing more than cherubim and lions with palm trees, as on the walls of Ezekiel's temple. Strength and intelligence crown the foundation of God's ways in government. If Solomon stayed faithful, there would be no more need of patience: it would have reached its goal. Strength and divine intelligence could now look towards the palm trees, symbols of triumph and of peaceful protection, as in the millennial temple to come. Peace on earth! The reign of peace was established in righteousness.
- Stand. The ten bronze stands carried the water that washed the sacrifices, and Scripture says more about the stands than about the basins they held.
- Strength. The lion on the panel speaks of strength, and strength with intelligence crowns God's ways in government.
- Patience. The ox speaks of service, or of firmness and patience, and patience reaches its goal when peace fills the earth.
- Wisdom. The cherub stands for intelligent government, so anyone drawing near could read on the panels what this God is like. The eagle of swift judgment is missing: this house speaks of peace.
- Purity. All of it held up one thing: an offering with no flaw to wash away, where the washing displayed the perfection of Christ.
And every base had four wheels of brass, and axles of brass; and on its four corners were shoulder-pieces under the laver were shoulder-pieces molten, behind every garland.
Here the temple's list of furnishings slows into detail: ten movable bronze stands, each with wheels, axles and corner supports for a basin. Why does Scripture spend so much space on a washing stand?
One summary gathers the details: how many stands there were, where they stood, and how they were built.
There were ten bronze stands and basins (1 Kings 7:27, 38). Five stood on the south — the right side or shoulder — of the Temple, and five on the north, the left side (1 Kings 7:39). The stands were square: four cubits wide and three cubits high. They had ledges, borders or sides, some further parts, and supports (older versions say "undersetters") for the basin. They stood on wheels one and a half cubits high, and they were engraved with lions, oxen and cherubim. Two Hebrew words are both translated "base" in 1 Kings 7. One is keen, the base under the basin — the same word translated "foot" for the basin in the Tabernacle. The other is meconah, the larger base of four cubits by three.
Older translations call the corner supports of this verse "undersetters."
Corner pieces or blocks as parts of the foundation of the molten sea. 1 Kings 7:30, 34.
The basins on these stands had one job: washing what went on the altar as a burnt offering.
Ten bronze stands, with wheels, were made for ten basins to rest on. Remarkably, more is said about the stands than about the basins... 2 Chronicles 4:6 tells us their use: "Such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in." Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. This being so, they must be absolutely clean.
Why does that spotlessness matter so much?
His spotlessness was necessary for His sacrifice. Prove one flaw in the Christ of God, and the blood of His cross loses its value, and nothing can save us from the damnation of Hell.
The wheels meant the basins could be moved to where the work was.
These basins were pushed about on their wheels all the time. They stood at the edge of the altar platform, so that the victims could always be presented pure.
One writer also finds meaning in the number four.
The four wheels on each cart (v. 30) speak of what is earthly and passing. Four is the number of earth's directions: north, east, west and south.
Every part named in this verse — wheels, axles, supports — is bronze. The same metal appears on the altar and on the basin, with one meaning.
Bronze is the judgment of righteousness as it applies to man. So the altar of burnt offering was bronze, and the basin was bronze. One judged sin in a sacrifice, the other by the word. It marked the unchangeable nature of that judgment — God, who could not bear sin, must deal with it.
These same stands carried carved lions, oxen and cherubim on their panels. One writer links the figures to the future kingdom of Christ.
The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service, and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these are important in the future kingdom of Christ.
Another writer names the same figures a little differently, and ties them to the offering itself.
after-note: DELETE
"Lions, oxen, and cherubim" were carved on the stands themselves: strength, patience, and divine intelligence. The burnt offering is presented pure according to these attributes. Clearly these attributes have been used to establish an offering by which the people, identified with the victim, might be made acceptable to God. On the stands one could read what kind of God had given His people a way to live with Himself.
Ten stands, ten basins — one writer finds a warning in the repeated number.
Ten is the number of responsibility, as the ten commandments of the Law show. So the many tens in Solomon's Temple remind us that everything was set up on the ground of responsibility. That wonderful system of glory and blessing would last only as long as king and people stayed faithful.
- Bronze — every part named here is bronze, the metal of God's unchanging judgment of sin.
- Basin — that judgment fell on a sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be washed clean, because it spoke to God of the spotless Christ.
- Wheels — the basins rolled to the altar again and again, so every victim came to it pure.
- Carvings — lions, oxen and cherubim marked the stands with strength, service and wise government. The equipment itself showed what God is like.
- Ten — the repeated number marks this whole system of glory as resting on the faithfulness of king and people.
after-note:
And the mouth of it within the crown and above was a cubit; and its mouth was rounded, [as] the work of the base, a cubit and a half; and also upon its mouth was sculpture; but their panels were square, not round.
This verse sits inside a long, careful description of the ten wheeled bronze stands made for Solomon's temple, each one holding a basin of water. It measures the round opening, the crown above it and the carvings around it — so why does Scripture give such space to the furniture that only held the water?
The verse keeps two shapes apart: the opening is round, but the panels are square. A survey of the temple lists the parts, and notes two Hebrew words behind the word "base" here:
One writer weighs the proportions of the account, and points to Chronicles for the use of these vessels:
There were ten bronze bases with wheels, and ten basins rested on them. Strikingly, more is said about the bases than about the basins. This would hardly be man's way of writing; but the Holy Spirit's ways are always wise with God's own wisdom, whether we understand them or not. The bases and basins are described at some length in 1 Kings 7:27-39, but Scripture tells us their use in 2 Chronicles 4:6: "In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in." Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. Because of that, they had to be completely clean.
This water washed what was laid on the altar, not the priests. One writer explains why that washing mattered:
The burnt offering stands for the sacrifice of Christ. He offered Himself to God, glorifying Him in all that He is, and He did this in regard to sin. God is able to receive us according to the perfection of this sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be presented to God with no defilement at all. So it had to be shown as perfect, and its purity had to reach further than conduct alone: it included the "inward parts" of the offering. The water of the basins pictured this truth.
The verse notes carvings at the opening. Three figures appear on these stands, and one writer reads each one as a trait of God Himself:
"Lions, oxen and cherubim" were carved on the bases themselves: strength, patience and divine intelligence. The burnt offering is presented pure in keeping with these attributes… On the bases you could read what kind of God this was — the God who had given His people a way to dwell with Himself.
The crown at the top did not carry all three figures. The same writer weighs what is missing:
The crown of the base carried nothing more than cherubim (men) and lions with palm trees, just as on the walls of Ezekiel's temple. Strength and intelligence crown the foundation of God's ways in government. If Solomon would be faithful, there would be no more need of patience: it would have accomplished its goal. Strength and divine intelligence could now look towards the palm trees, symbols of triumph and of peaceful protection. It will be the same in the millennial temple to come. Peace upon earth!
All of this stood in plain sight. One writer draws out both the glory of that and the question it left open:
The burnt offering had glorified God. The holy offering had shown all that He was, and had declared it openly. Under Solomon's glorious reign the people had these things before their eyes everywhere. But this reign was entrusted to man's responsibility. Could it last?
- Shape — The verse sets a round opening, "a cubit and a half deep," inside square panels. Two Hebrew words lie behind "base" here: keen, the "foot" used of the tabernacle basin, and meconah, the larger square stand of four cubits by three.
- Purity — The water in the basin washed the burnt offering, inward parts included. The purity it pictured went further than conduct alone.
- Emphasis — Scripture says more about the stand than about the basin. Commentators call this the Spirit's wisdom, not a writer's oversight, and point to 2 Chronicles 4:6 for the use.
- Carvings — Lions, oxen and cherubim stand for strength, patience and divine intelligence. They show the character of the God who gave His people a way to dwell with Him.
- Crown — At the top the ox drops away and palm trees appear. Strength and intelligence crown the foundation, with peace in view — offered to Solomon, and resting on his faithfulness.
And the four wheels were under the panels; and the supports of the wheels were in the base; and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
The chapter has already described the pillars and the sea. Now it slows down to measure ten wheeled stands, down to their axles and the height of one wheel. Why does Scripture give so much space to the base and wheels of one piece of temple furniture?
These wheeled frames were not the vessels themselves. They were the supports — and one writer finds the space Scripture gives them surprising:
Ten bases of brass with wheels were made, and ten basins rested on them. Strikingly, Scripture says more about the bases than about the basins. A man would hardly write this way. But the Holy Spirit's ways are always wise with divine wisdom, whether we understand them or not. Scripture describes the bases and basins at some length in 1 Kings 7:27-39. Their use, though, comes in 2 Chronicles 4:6: "In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in."
The verse gives the height of one wheel: a cubit and a half. That wheel belonged to a much larger object:
The bases were square: four cubits wide and three cubits high. They had ledges, borders or sides, certain additions, and supports for the basin... They stood on wheels, one and a half cubits high, and had carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim... The basins were circular, four cubits in diameter; each one held forty baths (about 1,360 litres). Altogether they appear to have stood about eight cubits in height.
These stands were built to roll, and that movement served the altar:
These basins rolled about constantly on their wheels. They stood at the threshold of the altar platform, so that the victims might always be presented as pure.
One writer reads meaning in the numbers themselves — both the ten stands and the four wheels:
The number 10 speaks of human responsibility (as the 10 commandments). Today God's sovereign work in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus sets man's ability or responsibility aside. The four wheels on each cart speak of what is earthly and passing. Four is the number of earth's directions: north, east, west and south.
The wheels sat under panels, and those panels were not blank. One writer sets their three figures beside the four living creatures of Revelation and notes what is missing:
On the panels of the carts were lions, oxen and cherubim. In Revelation 4:7 we read of four living creatures. One is like a lion, another like a calf (or ox). One has the face of a man, and the last is like a flying eagle. In our chapter the cherubim takes the place of man and the flying eagle is omitted. This is likely because the eagle speaks of God's judgment carried out swiftly, and there will be nothing like that in the thousand-year kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service, and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these matter in the future kingdom of Christ.
The water these stands carried was not for the priests but for the sacrifice. Washing a sacrifice was a picture, and it raises a question:
The bronze sea served to cleanse the priests. The ten basins stood five on the right of the court and five on the left. They served to wash what was used for the burnt offering. In Leviticus 1:9 we see that the priest washed the inner parts and the legs of the victim with water. This type must correspond to future reality — to the offering of Christ to God in perfect purity. He who offered Himself as a pleasing aroma was holiness itself, and He had no need to be washed. But the type had to be washed, to show the perfection of the offering of Christ.
Frame, wheels and axles all shared one metal with the altar and the sea. That choice carried meaning:
The altar of Burnt Offering was made of brass. Bronze or copper is perhaps the correct word for the metal used. Here is a quotation from a departed friend, W. Kelly: "Gold is the righteousness of God for drawing near where God is. Brass is the righteousness of God for dealing with man's evil where man is." So the vessels inside the house were of gold. Those outside — altar, sea, bases and basins — were of brass.
- Support — the wheels, axles and frame exist to hold a basin of water. Scripture describes the supports at more length than the basins they carry.
- Movement — the stands rolled to the altar platform, so water for cleansing stayed near the sacrifice.
- Purity — that water washed what was offered for the burnt offering. So the victim pictured One who needed no cleansing Himself.
- Reach — four wheels match the four directions of the earth. The carved lion, ox and cherub speak of strength, service and intelligent government.
- Metal — brass marks these as vessels for the outside. It pictures God's righteousness meeting man where man is. Gold belongs inside the house.
And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel their supports, and their rims, and their spokes and their naves were all molten.
Solomon's temple courtyard held ten bronze stands, and each one rolled on four wheels. This verse stops to name the parts of those wheels, so why does Scripture slow down over a wheel, and what were the stands carrying?
One survey of the temple furniture gathers the measurements and the setting:
There were ten bases and basins of brass. Five stood on the south or right side of the Temple, and five on the north or left side. The bases were square, four cubits wide and three cubits high. They had ledges, borders or sides, some added parts, and supports for the basin. They stood on wheels one and a half cubits high, and had carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim.
One writer traces the name of these stands to what they were built to do:
In the detailed description of the "bases" for Solomon's temple, the word comes from the same root as "foot." Their purpose was clearly to support the basins (1 Kings 7:27-39).
The way this record is arranged raises a question of its own:
There were ten bases of brass with wheels, and ten basins rested on them. It is remarkable that the record says more about the bases than about the basins. A man would hardly write this way; but the Holy Spirit's ways always show divine wisdom, whether we understand them or not. 1 Kings 7:27-39 describes the bases and basins at some length; but 2 Chronicles 4:6 tells us what they were for: the basins washed what was offered for the burnt offering, while the sea was for the priests to wash in. Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. So each one had to be completely clean.
This wheel was not carved or hammered. Axle, rim, spoke and hub were poured as molten metal — brass, in older wording — and the metal tells us which part of the house we are in.
Brass is the symbol of the righteousness of God, showing on earth what He is for sinful man. The furniture of the temple was gold; the furniture of the court was brass, cast in the earth. Hiram worked in brass only.
A chariot wheel is built to roll. These basins were made to move:
These basins, always being pushed about on their wheels, stood at the edge of the altar platform, so that the sacrifices could always be presented pure.
Commentators also read meaning in the counting — ten stands, four wheels apiece:
The number 10 speaks of human responsibility (as in the 10 commandments). Today God sets man's ability or responsibility aside by His sovereign work in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The four wheels on each cart speak of what is earthly and passing. Four is the number of earth's directions: north, east, west and south.
Every spoke and hub existed to bring water to the altar. One writer explains what the washing was for:
The sacrifice had to be presented to God without any defilement. So it had to be shown to be perfect, and this purity went further than conduct alone: it included the "inwards" of the offering. The water of the basins showed this truth.
The washing covered the inner organs and the legs of the animal. One writer sees a picture of Christ in that pairing:
The inwards and legs of the burnt offerings were washed. So they became a picture of Him whose inward thoughts, feelings, purposes, and desires were always pure and holy; whose walk and ways were blameless and undefiled.
- Court — Ten wheeled bronze stands stood in the outer courtyard, five on each side of the house. Each one carried a large basin of water.
- Cast — Axle, rim, spoke and hub were all poured in bronze. Bronze is the metal of the court, where God shows on earth what He is for sinful man. Gold belonged inside.
- Carried — Wheels mean movement. The basins moved to the altar platform, so the offerings could always be presented pure.
- Cleansed — The water washed the inner parts and the legs of the burnt offering. Its purity had to reach further than outward conduct.
- Christ — Every sacrifice at that altar spoke to God of Christ. So it had to be spotless: inward thoughts holy, outward walk undefiled.
And there were four shoulder-pieces to the four corners of one base; of the base itself were its shoulder-pieces.
This stand is one of ten bronze carts in the courtyard of Solomon's temple, each with four corner supports cast as one piece with the frame. Why does Scripture linger over a frame that only held something else?
Older translations call these corner props "undersetters," or "shoulder-pieces." They took the weight of the basin above. One survey of the temple furniture sets out the whole assembly and its purpose:
There were ten bases and lavers of brass, five placed on the south or right side of the Temple, and five on the north or left. The bases were square: four cubits wide and three cubits high. They had ledges, borders or sides, certain additions, and undersetters or supports for the laver. They stood on wheels, one and a half cubits high, and had carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim... "In them they washed what they offered for the burnt offering" (2 Chronicles 4:6, in an older translation).
Scripture says more about the frame than about the basin resting on it. One writer treats that as deliberate:
Ten bases of brass, with wheels, held ten lavers. Strikingly, Scripture says more about the bases than about the lavers. A man would hardly write it that way. But the Holy Spirit's ways are always divinely wise, whether we understand them or not... Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. This being so, they must be absolutely clean.
The great bronze basin, called the Sea, and these ten smaller ones did not do the same job:
The "molten sea" washed the priests. They all had access to this one way of cleansing from the defilement of their walk. Christ, made sin, is the source of cleansing for His own; His Word is the means. Ten lavers were needed to wash the victims; these were, we do not doubt, symbolic of the absolute purity of Christ.
The parts washed carried their own meaning:
The inner parts and legs of the burnt offerings were washed. So they became a picture of Him whose inward thoughts, feelings, purposes, and desires were always pure and holy, and whose walk and ways were blameless and undefiled...
The metal matters. Inside the building, everything was gold. Outside in the open court, everything was bronze, the metal older translations call brass:
In virtue of divine righteousness we are able to stand before Him. We have it in Christ in heaven. Brass is the symbol of the righteousness of God displaying upon earth what He is for sinful man. The temple furniture was gold. The court furniture was brass, cast in the earth.
The bases were not left bare. One writer reads the figures cut into them as a picture of what kind of God this is:
Lions, oxen, and cherubim were sculpted on the bases themselves: strength, patience, and divine intelligence. The burnt offering is presented as pure according to these attributes... On the bases you could read what kind of God this was — the God who had given His people a way to dwell with Himself.
Another writer notes what is missing. Revelation 4:7 lists four living creatures, one of them a flying eagle. Here the eagle drops out:
This is likely because the eagle speaks of the swift execution of God's judgment, and there will be no such thing in the millennial kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service, and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these are important in the future kingdom of Christ.
The four supports sat over wheels, so the whole unit could be pushed where it was needed:
These lavers were pushed about on their wheels again and again. They stood at the edge of the altar platform, so that the victims could always be presented as pure.
- Frame. Four corner pieces held up a basin of water. The frame exists for the sake of what rests on it.
- Water. That water washed each sacrifice. Every offering spoke to God of Christ, so it had to be clean.
- Metal. The bronze of the open court pictures God's righteousness meeting sinful man on earth. The gold inside the house pictures what we have in Christ in heaven.
- Figures. Lion, ox and cherubim show strength, patient service and intelligent rule. They tell you what kind of God gave His people a way to draw near.
- Wheels. The stands rolled on wheels beside the altar, so a pure offering was always within reach.
And in the top of the base there was a circular elevation of half a cubit round about; and on the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same.
This verse closes the description of the ten bronze stands made for Solomon's temple. Why does Scripture record the shape of a metal stand in such detail, and what did these stands carry?
The band, the stays and the panels all belong to one piece of temple furniture. Two different Hebrew words in this chapter are both translated "base," and one of them goes back to the laver in the tabernacle — Israel's portable tent of worship in the wilderness:
There were ten bases and lavers of bronze… The bases were square, four cubits wide, three cubits high, with ledges, borders, or sides, and certain additions, and supports for the laver. They stood on wheels, one and a half cubits high, and had carvings of lions, oxen, and cherubim. There are two Hebrew words both rendered "base" in 1 Kings 7. One is keen, the word rendered "foot" for the laver in the Tabernacle; this is the base directly under the laver. The other is meconah, the larger base of four cubits by three.
These stands had one job. One writer contrasts them with the great bronze sea:
In the detailed description of the "bases" (a word from the same root as "foot") for the temple of Solomon, their purpose was clearly to support the lavers. The bronze sea also gets a full description, yet the account names no smaller vessels for pouring out water for actual use.
The lavers on these stands washed the victims brought for the burnt offering. One writer explains why the washing had to reach the inward parts:
The victim had to come before God without any defilement. So it had to be shown perfect, and this purity went further than conduct alone: it included the "inwards" of the offering. The water of the lavers showed this truth… Ten lavers were needed to wash the victims. These were, we do not doubt, symbolic of the absolute purity of Christ.
The round band at the top of the stand is its crown. Its carvings differ from the ones lower down:
The crown of the base bore nothing more than cherubim (men) and lions with palm trees, as on the walls of Ezekiel's temple. Strength and intelligence crown the foundation of God's ways in government. If Solomon would be faithful, there would be no more need of patience: it would have accomplished its goal. Strength and divine intelligence could now look towards the palm trees, symbols of triumph and of peaceful protection, as in the millennial temple to come. Peace upon earth! The reign of peace stood on righteousness. The lavers for the burnt offering proclaimed this, and so did the walls of the temple.
The panels of these stands carry three figures. Revelation names four living creatures, and one of them is missing here:
On the panels of the carts were lions, oxen and cherubim. In Revelation 4:7 we read of four living creatures, one like a lion, another like a calf (or ox), one having the face of a man and the last like a flying eagle. In our chapter the cherubim takes the place of man and the flying eagle is omitted. This is likely because the eagle speaks of the swift execution of God's judgment. There will be no such thing in the millennial kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these are important in the future kingdom of Christ.
One writer finds meaning in how much space Kings gives these lavers:
Note that 2 Chronicles 4:6 only mentions the lavers, while here Scripture describes them in greater detail. The reason is that this concerns the outward display of what God is, both in His government and in His kingdom. Christ will display God in this way when He reigns in full view of the world.
- Base — Two Hebrew words here are both translated "base." The stand's name shares a root with "foot," and its one job was to hold up a laver.
- Water — The lavers washed the burnt offering, inward parts and all. They picture the absolute purity of Christ's sacrifice.
- Crown — The band at the top carried cherubim, lions and palm trees. Strength and intelligence crown God's ways, and peace is the result.
- Panels — Lion, ox and cherub speak of strength, service and intelligent government. The eagle of swift judgment has no place in this kingdom.
- Display — Kings dwells on these details because they show what God is in His government. Christ will display it when He reigns before the whole world.
And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its panels cherubim, lions and palm-trees, according to the space upon each; and garlands were round about.
Ten wheeled stands carried the washing basins in Solomon's temple, and this verse names what was cut into them: cherubim, lions and palm trees. Why record the decoration on washing equipment, and what do these figures say about the kingdom of Christ?
The figures sit on the top piece of each stand, the part that crowns it. One writer links that crown to the walls of Ezekiel's temple:
The crown of the base carried nothing more than cherubim (men) and lions with palm trees, as on the walls of Ezekiel's temple (Ezekiel 41:18-19). Strength and intelligence crown the foundation of God's ways in government... Strength and divine intelligence could now look towards the palm trees, as in the millennial temple to come. The palm trees are symbols of triumph and of peaceful protection. Peace upon earth!
The stands carried the basins used for washing the burnt offerings. Scripture gives more space to the stands than to the basins:
Ten bronze bases, with wheels, were made, and ten basins rested on them. Remarkably, more is said about the bases than about the basins. This would hardly be man's way of writing; but the Holy Spirit's ways are always wise, whether we understand them or not... their use is told us in 2 Chronicles 4:6: "In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in." Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. Since that was so, they had to be absolutely clean.
One commentator sets these three figures beside the four living creatures of Revelation:
On the panels of the carts were lions, oxen and cherubim (v.29). In Revelation 4:7 we read of four living creatures. One is like a lion, another like a calf (or ox), one has the face of a man, and the last is like a flying eagle. In our chapter the cherubim takes the place of man and there is no flying eagle. This is likely because the eagle speaks of God's swift judgment. There will be no such thing in the millennial kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service, and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these matter in the future kingdom of Christ.
Ezekiel saw cherubim too, in his temple vision and in his opening vision. One writer points out how their faces differ:
The cherubim here bear the human figure, as on the walls of the temple. In Ezekiel 41:19 they have two faces, a lion's and a man's. These are the power and intelligence that mark the reign of Christ once it is firmly established. In Ezekiel 1 the four creatures each had four faces, because there the point was to picture the throne of God in judgment.
The palm appears again and again in Solomon's temple. One writer gathers what it stands for:
It is the symbol of beauty (Song of Solomon 7:7), of righteousness, prosperity and fruitfulness (Psalm 92:12-14), of salvation and victory (Revelation 7:9), and of royal glory (John 12:13). Its wide use in the first temple ties it to the kingdom and glory that Solomon's reign pictures (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35; 1 Kings 7:36; 2 Chronicles 3:5). These are the characteristic features of the Millennial age. Palm branches were also used at the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:40; Nehemiah 8:15). That feast pictures the time of peace and joy that will come when our Lord has established His kingdom on earth.
Both the basins and the stands carried a message:
The basins did not belong to the tabernacle in the wilderness, though no doubt it had vessels for washing the burnt offering (Exodus 27:19; Exodus 38:30). They showed in the kingdom the perfection of the burnt offering, the basis of the people's acceptance before God. This purity, this holiness of the sacrifice, satisfied all the demands of God's government. The bases and their crowns also proclaimed, through their ornaments, every attribute of this government.
- Foundation. The carvings are on the stands that carry the washing basins. Even the supports bore the marks of God's government.
- Cleanness. The basins washed the burnt offerings. The sacrifice that pictured Christ had to be completely clean.
- Government. Lion, ox and cherub speak of strength, service and intelligent rule. The eagle of swift judgment is missing.
- Victory. The palm stands for triumph, fruitfulness and the peace of the coming kingdom.
- Acceptance. Every carving on these stands showed Israel where they stood before God. The offering was perfect, and it met all His government required.
After this [manner] he made the ten bases all of them had one casting, one measure, one form.
This line closes a long, detailed account of the ten stands that held the temple's washing basins, and its point is simple: all ten matched — same cast, same size, same shape. So why does Scripture spend so much space on them, and what does that sameness say about God?
Scripture says more about the stands than about the basins they held. One writer asks why, and points to what the basins were for.
Ten brass stands with wheels were made, and ten basins rested on them. Strikingly, Scripture says more about the stands than about the basins. This would hardly be a man's way of writing; but the Holy Spirit's ways are always wise, whether we understand them or not. The stands and basins are described at length in 1 Kings 7:27-39, but 2 Chronicles 4:6 tells us their use: in them they washed what was offered for the burnt offering, while the sea was for the priests to wash in. Every sacrifice brought to the altar spoke to God of Christ. Since that is so, they had to be completely clean.
The metal matters too. The stands stood in the court, and the court's furniture was brass, not gold.
Because of divine righteousness we can stand before Him. We have it in Christ in heaven. Brass is the symbol of the righteousness of God, showing on earth what He is for sinful man. The temple's furniture was gold; the court's furniture was brass, cast in the earth. Hiram worked in brass only.
The tabernacle — the tent Israel worshipped in before the temple — had no such basins. These belong to the kingdom, and even their ornaments carry a message.
The basins did not belong to the tabernacle in the wilderness, though that tent no doubt had vessels for washing the burnt offering. In the kingdom they showed the perfection of the burnt offering. That perfection is the basis of the people's acceptance before God. This purity, this holiness of the sacrifice, satisfied every demand of God's government. We also see that the stands and their tops proclaimed by their ornaments all the marks of this government.
Every stand carried the same carved figures. Set them beside the four living creatures in Revelation and one is missing.
On the panels of the carts were lions, oxen and cherubim (v.29). In Revelation 4:7 we read of four living creatures. One is like a lion, another like a calf (or ox), one has the face of a man, and the last is like a flying eagle. In our chapter the cherubim takes the place of the man, and the flying eagle is left out. This is likely because the eagle speaks of God's swift judgment, and there will be no such thing in the millennial kingdom. The lion speaks of strength, the ox of service, and the cherubim of intelligent government. All of these matter in the future kingdom of Christ.
The number ten was practical. It matched the sheer volume of sacrifice the temple would see.
Ten carts with basins were needed because so many animals had to be washed before they were offered. At the dedication of the temple they offered 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep! (ch. 8:63). How good it is to know that the offering of the Lord Jesus has canceled all those Old Testament offerings (Heb. 10:1-14). But all those offerings point to one thing: an infinitely great sacrifice had to be offered if the sins of mankind were to be atoned for.
The pattern was fixed, so nothing was left to human taste. Later, a king of Judah undid it.
Ahaz then removed the stands that carried the basins. He took the sea down from its raised place and set it on a stone pavement. He also changed the king's walkway to suit the whims of the king of Assyria. So he lowered God's appointed standards to fit the thoughts and desires of men — the standard of worship, of approach to the House of God, and of purity in that approach! God had made His commands known to Moses in exact detail, and Moses had carried them out to the letter. The divine standard was clear!
- One measure. Every stand matched, because the pattern came from God, not the craftsman. The way to Him is fixed, not up for negotiation.
- One material. The stands were brass, cast in the earth: God's righteousness shown on earth for sinful man. Gold was for inside the house.
- One purpose. They held the water that washed what went on the altar. Every sacrifice spoke of Christ, so it had to be spotless.
- One government. Lions, oxen and cherubim speak of strength, service and intelligent rule. The eagle of swift judgment is left out of a reign of peace.
- One sacrifice. Ten stands served tens of thousands of animals. All that washing points to the one offering that answers for sin for good.