2 Chronicles 4:5–6

The Sea answers to the laver of the tabernacle, but again, how much higher! It was 10 cubits in diameter (about 15 feet) and its height 5 cubits (7½ feet). … The priests washed in the Sea, symbolizing moral cleansing necessary for carrying out their service. The sea contained 3000 baths of water, which amounts to over 12,600 gallons. Being a hand-breadth thick (about 4 inches), its weight must have been great.

The larger reservoir, the Bronze Sea, suggests the idea of a greater fulness and more abundant supply…

The Bronze Sea made by Hiram for Solomon, standing by the Temple of God, reminds us of the words of the Psalmist, "With you is the fountain of life."

1 Kings 7:26 states that it "contained 2000 baths." This probably means the amount of water usually put into it. 2 Chronicles 4:5 says "it received and held 3000 baths," which may signify its full capacity. The dimensions of the basin do not seem to agree with this capacity. But its exact shape is not given. It may have bulged out a good deal in the middle.

The molten sea is typical of that cleansing which His people need and which is so graciously provided by the Lord Himself. 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.

Do you notice the brim of the molten sea? What are those flowers? Flowers of lilies. It is said in the Song of Songs, "As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women." And again, "He grazes among the lilies." Does not all this say, "I must wash your feet, according to what you are in my sight; what I have made you."

The brim of the molten sea had flowers of lilies worked into it. This carries our minds into the Song of Songs, where we have the various fruits of grace that will be displayed in Israel after their reconciliation. In that book the King repeatedly likens His people to lilies. A beautiful comparison, certainly. It tells of purity and lowliness, two features always delightful to the eye of the Lord.

At the altar I see bronze together with blood; at the sea I find bronze together with water. Both point to Christ. The blood that makes expiation and the water that cleanses both flow from a crucified Savior…

But the bronze sea contained water, not blood. Those who came to it had already proved the power of the blood and therefore 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 bronze altar, but forward to the bronze sea… So now, if a believer fails, if he commits sin, if he contracts defilement, he does not need to be washed again in the blood as at the first, but simply needs the cleansing action of the Word…

Does this make little of defilement? The very opposite! Did the provision of a sea, with its 3000 baths of water, make little of priestly defilement? Did it not rather prove how much was made of it?

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 "rinse off 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 a future reality — to the offering of Christ to God in perfect purity. He who offered Himself as a pleasing aroma was holiness itself. He had no need to be washed. But the type had to be washed, to show the perfection of the offering of Christ.

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. His walk and ways were blameless and undefiled, and He "offered Himself without blemish to God."

The "molten sea" washed the priests. They all had access to this one way of being cleansed from the defilement of their walk. Christ, made sin, is the source of cleansing for His own; His Word is the means. Ten basins were needed to wash the victims; these were, we do not doubt, symbolic of the absolute purity of Christ.

"The sea was for the priests to wash in." The priests came day after day to wash their hands and feet. That kept them always fit for their priestly work. This is a striking type of God's spiritual priests — of all true believers whose works and ways need to be cleansed by the action of the Word. Both the bronze basin in the tabernacle and the bronze sea in the temple pointed forward to that "washing of water with the word." Christ is carrying it on now by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A priest under the law, whose hands and feet had become defiled, did not need to go back to the bronze altar, but forward to the bronze sea. He did not need to apply the blood again to make him a priest. He only had to wash with water, so he could carry out his priestly duties. So now, if a believer fails, if he commits sin, if he picks up defilement, he does not need washing in the blood again as at the first. He simply needs the cleansing action of the Word. Through it the Holy Spirit applies to the soul the remembrance of what Christ has done… "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean."

The bronze basin of the wilderness gave place to the molten sea of the temple… At last the church is taken to glory, and the Lord's people are beyond the reach of defilement. Then we have the sea of glass… They no longer wash in the basin. They no longer need foot washing. They are no longer in a defiling scene. They stand on a sea of glass. It stands for a state of fixed and absolute holiness, in a scene where nothing that defiles shall ever enter.