And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
This verse opens a new instruction: whenever Israel takes a census, each person counted must pay a ransom. Why does a head-count need payment, and why does the command come right after the priesthood?
The chapter has just described the golden altar and the priests who serve at it. The order is deliberate: a priest can only act for people who already stand on redeemed ground.
Before Aaron can approach to burn incense, there must be a redeemed people on whose behalf he must act. The very essence of the priesthood is that priests were appointed on behalf of others. So as soon as the golden altar has been given, the people are identified with the tabernacle by the atonement money.
A census is God's way of registering those who belong to Him. He counts each one — but on one condition.
The words, "The LORD said to Moses," begin another detail of the service, which from then on would be linked with the tabernacle and priesthood... God's pleasure is to register His people... In our present chapter we have the register of those whom He had redeemed and brought out of Egypt. Every one is numbered, for the Lord has a personal interest in each. That is the Lord's side of it. But on the people's side there must be the acknowledgment that only on the ground of atonement could each one be counted as among His people.
A count brings each person forward alone. The payment has a stated purpose: "that there be no plague among them." Israel's later history shows what follows when the ransom is left out. (Older versions read "a ransom for his soul"; the ESV reads "a ransom for his life.")
The count brought each man individually before God. This was the exact moment to remind them of their condition, and so of their need of redemption... The object is "that there be no plague." As others have observed, if God notices the sinner in his sins, it must be for judgment — unless atonement protects him. The reign of David shows this strikingly. The king had his people numbered, but he neglected the rule that every man give a ransom for his soul, and "the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel."
The sum is measured "by the shekel of the sanctuary." That rules out any other payment a person might prefer to offer.
If God is to have a redeemed people among whom He will dwell, it must be according to His thoughts, not theirs. The price is to be half a shekel, or ten gerahs, according to the shekel of the sanctuary — the divine estimation. Man might imagine that something else would suit his redemption better — his own works, his feelings, his worthiness, or his faithfulness. But God's holiness and righteousness would not permit poor man to be so deceived.
The measure and the metal each carry a lesson:
Ten is the number of responsibility toward God, so the lesson is that man's responsibility to God as a sinner must be met. Now silver is a figure of the blood of Christ — that is, the silver of the ransom money. Peter refers to this when he says, "you were ransomed... not with perishable things such as silver or gold... but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."
The rich may not pay more; the poor may not pay less. One commentator draws a line here between what a person can do and what a person is entitled to.
In the matter of atonement all stood on one common level. So it must always be. All have one common title. "There is no distinction." All stand alike on the ground of the infinite preciousness of the blood of Christ. There may be a vast difference as to capacity — as to title there is none... The sapling and the tree, the babe and the father are on the same ground. So are the convert of yesterday and the mature believer.
Equal price also means nobody can cover for anybody else.
In this matter the rich could not give for the poor. Each man came into a distinct and personal relationship with God about his own ransom or redemption. It is the same now. Everyone must have a personal interest in the blood of Christ or he cannot be saved.
The silver was not stored away. It went into the bases the tabernacle stood on.
The house of God was founded on redemption. The ransomed people were identified with it — each one represented by the money he had given... The silver on which the tabernacle rested testified, on behalf of the people of Israel, that atonement had been made for their souls. They might have only a weak grasp of this fact themselves, but the memorial was always before the Lord.
- Counted — God registers His people and knows each one. A place on that list rests on atonement, not merit.
- Ransomed — the payment keeps the plague away. When God notices a sinner who has no atonement, He must judge.
- Priced — God sets the half shekel by His own standard. Works, feelings and faithfulness buy nothing.
- Levelled — rich and poor pay the same sum. Ability differs widely; title does not.
- Founded — the silver became the bases under the tabernacle. God's house rests on redemption, and the memorial stays before Him.
When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel according to those of them that are numbered, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to Jehovah on their being numbered, that there be no plague among them on their being numbered.
Exodus 30 turns a census into a matter of life and death: every man counted must hand over a ransom for himself, or a plague follows. Why was a head count dangerous, and what could one small coin pay for?
The command is tied to one moment: the count. Counting pulled each man out of the crowd to stand alone before God.
Two things appear in this command — the occasion, and the object of the atonement money. The occasion was "when you number them." As they were counted, each man came before God one by one. God chose that exact moment to remind them of their condition, and of their need of redemption. While sin remains unsettled, God cannot meet men as they are without taking account of their guilt, for His nature is holy. So He made this gracious provision. What it pictures is the truth found on every page of Scripture: all men need a ransom for their souls. The object is "that there be no plague." If God notices the sinner in his sins, it must be for judgment, unless atonement protects him.
The same writer points to a king who skipped this rule.
Proud of the strength of his armies, David was tempted to have his people numbered. But he neglected the rule that every man should give a ransom for his soul, and "the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men" (2 Samuel 24).
Commentators differ on how far the half shekel touches sin. Dennett ties it to guilt. Another writer draws a sharper line: the payment marked whose the people were, and left no room for pride in numbers.
In Exodus 30:11-16 it was ordered that when the people were numbered, each, rich or poor, should give half a shekel as a kopher, a ransom, for his soul or life. This had nothing to do with sin, but with ransom, that there might be no plague — a recognition that they belonged to God all alike, and could have no human boast in numbers, as David afterwards brought the plague on Israel.
The half shekel was a token. What mattered was what it stood for.
It was a token representing the animals that would otherwise have died in their place. So it was a token that every man of Israel was A MAN OF FORFEITED LIFE. He had to be ransomed — bought back from the slavery to sin into which he had fallen — before he could be numbered.
God set the price Himself, and He weighed it on the sanctuary's scales, not the market's.
God could count no man as His without the redemption money paid for each one. There were no exemptions and no excuses. The rich were not allowed to pay more, nor the poor less, than the half shekel. If God is to have a redeemed people among whom He will dwell, it must be according to His thoughts, not theirs. The price is to be half a shekel, or ten gerahs, according to the shekel of the sanctuary — the divine estimation. A man might imagine that something else suited his redemption better: his own works, his feelings, his worthiness, or his faithfulness. But God's holiness and righteousness would not allow poor man to be so deceived.
Small as it was, the sum still had to be found. One writer notes that the demand pressed home on every person "that atonement costs something" (L. M. Grant).
The atonement money did not sit idle. Its use shows what God wanted kept before Him.
It was appointed for the service of the tabernacle. It went to make the silver sockets that formed the foundation of the sanctuary. The house of God was founded upon redemption, and the ransomed people were bound up with it — the money each man gave stood for him. The stated object was "that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives." The silver on which the tabernacle rested testified, on behalf of the children of Israel, that atonement had been made for their souls. They might take in this blessed fact only weakly themselves; but the memorial was always before the Lord.
One writer links this half shekel to the temple tax asked of Peter in Matthew 17, and notes that "nothing like this could rightly be asked of the Lord of glory" (Leslie M. Grant).
- Counted. The census brought each man out of the crowd and alone before God. That is what made a ransom necessary.
- Covered. The ransom's stated purpose was "that there be no plague." If God notices a sinner who has no atonement, He must judge him.
- Cost. The half shekel was a token: every Israelite had a forfeited life and had to be bought back.
- Equal. Rich and poor paid the same sum, weighed on the sanctuary's scales. No one's works or worthiness could change the price God set.
- Kept. The silver became the sockets under the tabernacle. God's house rested on redemption — a memorial before Him that atonement had been made.
This shall they give -- every one that passeth among them that are numbered -- half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary, -- twenty gerahs the shekel; a half shekel shall be the heave-offering for Jehovah.
The half shekel here is a ransom price, not a gift, and every man counted in Israel had to pay it. Why should a head count call for a ransom at all, and why this amount?
The command comes at the moment Israel counts its people. One writer explains what that moment exposed.
When they were numbered, each man was brought, as it were, individually before God. God chose that exact moment to remind them of their condition, and so of their need of redemption. As long as sin is not dealt with, God must take account of men's guilt when He meets them as they are. His very holiness requires it. So God made this gracious provision. Its meaning as a type is simply the truth found on every page of Scripture: all men need a ransom for their souls.
The weight was not left to the market. God set the standard and kept it in His own house.
The weight was also defined by God: "the shekel of the sanctuary," kept as a standard in the tabernacle. Its weight was twenty gerahs. Each man who wanted to be counted brought his half shekel to be compared with this. God kept the just weight and the just balance. His priest would not take dross instead of silver. He would not accept less weight of the precious metal than the Lord required… And in the blessed reality behind the picture, the believer declares with confidence that he depends fully on Christ and His precious blood. He says it in the hearing of God and of the great High Priest of His sanctuary. He knows that this price meets the full estimate God demands.
Half of twenty gerahs is ten. One writer reads that number as the measure of what man owes God.
Ten is the number of responsibility toward God. The lesson is that man's responsibility to God as a sinner must be met.
Another writer sets that debt beside what Christ has done.
Man never has paid the ten gerahs of his responsibility, and he never could. Christ has paid in full, according to the divine estimation, and so has provided the perfect ransom. This atonement price is the solid and eternal foundation. The guiltiest sinner who believes on Him can rest there.
The metal itself carries meaning, and Peter names what it points to.
Silver is a figure of the blood of Christ — that is, the silver of the ransom money. Peter alludes to this. He says that you were ransomed "not with perishable things such as silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." … The half shekel of silver was a plain figure of the blood of Christ. So we learn that only that precious blood can meet our responsibility to God as sinners and make atonement for our souls.
One writer marks off what this payment was not.
Here it was not a question of sins or sacrifice, but of a ransom for each man's life against plague. So the principle set down was a sacred half shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary… This was a beautiful sign. Each of the people, all alike, belonged to Jehovah, their divine Guardian and Governor.
The sum was fixed, so no man could cover a neighbour's account.
Every man had to give for himself… In this matter the rich could not give for the poor. Each man had to come into a distinct and personal relationship with God about his ransom, his redemption. Unless his own money was there in the silver sockets, he could not be regarded as redeemed. It is the same now. Everyone must have a personal interest in the blood of Christ, or he cannot be saved.
The money did not stay in a treasury. Where it ended up shows what God's house rests on.
The house of God was founded on redemption. The ransomed people were identified with it. The money given represented every one of them, and so represented them in all the value of what the silver pictured… The silver on which the tabernacle rested testified, on behalf of the children of Israel, that atonement had been made for their souls. They might grasp this blessed fact only weakly for themselves, but the memorial was always before the Lord.
- Counted — The head count put each man under God's eye. God is holy, so He must notice guilt unless a ransom is paid.
- Weighed — God set the standard: the sanctuary shekel. No substitute of man's choosing would pass.
- Paid — Man never met the ten gerahs he owed. Christ paid in full, and the silver pictures His precious blood.
- Personal — No one could pay for anyone else. Each must have a personal interest in the blood of Christ.
- Founded — The ransom money became the sockets under the tabernacle. God's dwelling rests on redemption, and that memorial stands before Him even when our grasp of it is weak.
Every one that passeth among those that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give the heave-offering of Jehovah.
The census in Exodus 30 was not a simple headcount. Every man counted had to hand over a fixed sum first. Why did God tie being counted to paying a ransom? And why start at twenty?
To be on God's list was to stand before Him in person. He counted no one without a price paid. The counting itself carried a danger — a nation can grow proud of its own size.
The law of Moses said this: when the people were numbered, everyone from twenty years old and upward had to give the LORD half a shekel as a ransom for his soul. That way no plague would break out among them. The numbering gave human pride a chance to boast about their total numbers. It was also a moment when each person was noticed. But they had to recognise this: the LORD could take account of them only on the ground of redemption. They needed reminding that they belonged to God, and each one had to pay a ransom for himself.
The verse gives no reason for the age. Other passages tie twenty to full manhood and fitness for the army.
The Israelites were numbered from twenty years old and upward. That was the age at which they were able to go out to war and were regarded as full grown and fit for the service of life. Every man was commanded to bring a half shekel to make atonement for his soul, "that there be no plague among them." God thus provided a way to ward off His hand in government, if they would acknowledge His goodness and mercy by bringing the set sum. How gracious of Him to make known the terms on which He would withhold judgment!
Commentators differ on the reason for that age. One writer sees a practical reason:
This included only those who were twenty years of age and older. No doubt this took account of the younger ones, who were not yet employed and would lack the means of paying.
One writer takes the age limit as a picture of spiritual growth. A believer who cannot stand against the enemy is not yet full grown.
This chapter does not tell us why the age was fixed at "twenty years old and upward." Numbers 1 does. It adds, "all in Israel who are able to go to war." These, then, were the only ones to be numbered or taken account of. If a man is not able to stand before the enemy, he is at present of no account. He is not yet on the ground of God's full age in the experience of his soul. So he is not one of the "mature" named in 1 Corinthians 2. The Corinthians had fallen under the power of the enemy — the seductions of the world — and the apostle could not call them full grown.
The sum was fixed. Wealth bought no larger share, and poverty bought no exemption.
Notice that every man had to give this small silver piece — no more and no less. The rich man might have wished to give more, to display his wealth and generosity. The poor man might have felt he should be excused from giving anything. All had to give alike. Here we have a foreshadowing of the "no distinction" doctrine stated in Romans 3:22-23 and Romans 10:12. In the presence of the holiness of God all human distinctions shrink and disappear. The way of atonement is the same for all.
Because the sum was equal, nobody could cover a neighbour's share.
Every man had to give for himself. In this matter the rich could not give for the poor. Each man had to come into a distinct and personal relationship with God about his ransom or redemption. Each man's money had to be represented in the silver sockets. Without that, he could not be counted as redeemed. It is the same now. Everyone must have a personal interest in the blood of Christ, or he cannot be saved.
The silver was not stored away. It went into the bases the tabernacle stood on.
The house of God was founded on redemption, and the ransomed people were identified with it. Every one of them was represented by the money he had given. The tabernacle rested on that silver, and the silver testified, for the people of Israel, that atonement had been made for their souls. They might grasp this blessed fact only weakly for themselves. But the memorial was always before the LORD. The real question then, as now, is this: Does He look on us as redeemed? Has He accepted our redemption price? For if He is satisfied, we too may surely rest in peace.
- Counted — no one appears on God's register without a ransom. To be counted is to be redeemed.
- Grown — twenty marks full manhood and fitness for war. Others read the line as mercy on those too young to earn.
- Equal — the rich give no more, the poor no less. Before God's holiness every human distinction disappears.
- Personal — an equal price means nobody can pay for anyone else; each must be represented by his own coin.
- Founded — the silver became the base the tabernacle rested on. It stood as a memorial that atonement had been made.
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when ye give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.
When Israel was counted, God set a price on each man's life. Every man paid the same half shekel as a ransom — no more from the rich, no less from the poor. Commentators read that fixed sum as a picture of how God redeems people.
God fixed the amount. The giver had no say in it. One writer says that shuts out every price man might prefer instead.
This was vital: no one could be counted as God's at all unless the redemption money was paid for him. God exempted no one and allowed no excuse... The price is half a shekel, or ten gerahs, by the shekel of the sanctuary — God's own estimate. Man might imagine that something else would suit his redemption better — his own works, his feelings, his worthiness, or his faithfulness. But God's holiness and righteousness would not let poor man fool himself like that. The foundation must match God's estimate; the shekel must match the weights of the sanctuary.
The equal payment says something about the payers. Measured by sin, the differences between people disappear.
Once sin is the question, God sees no difference between one man and another. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Some have gone further in open wrongdoing and outright crime. But in their state before God, all are sinners under condemnation — the outwardly decent as well as the immoral, the rich as well as the poor. Wealth, position, achievements, even good character, count for nothing before God.
The same levelling holds for believers. They differ widely in maturity and usefulness, but not in the ground they stand on.
People may differ hugely in knowledge, experience, ability, progress, zeal and devotion. Yet the ground of atonement is the same for all. The great apostle to the Gentiles and the weakest lamb in Christ's whole flock stand on the same level when it comes to atonement... Not all are equally devoted and fruitful. But "the precious blood of Christ" — not devotion or fruitfulness — is the solid and everlasting ground of the believer's rest.
That half shekel came to ten gerahs. One writer treats those ten gerahs as a debt man could never pay — and points to the One who did.
Man never has paid the ten gerahs he owes, and never could. Christ has paid in full, at God's own valuation, and so provided the perfect ransom. This atonement price is the solid and eternal foundation on which the guiltiest sinner who believes in Him can rest. In the picture, it was ten gerahs of silver. What it pointed to is this: "you were ransomed … not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Commentators differ on how far the picture reaches. One takes this scene as a ransom that guarded life from plague, not a sacrifice for sins. He still finds a lesson in the equal price:
Here the question was not sins or sacrifice, but a ransom for a man's life to keep plague away. So the rule laid down was a sacred half shekel, weighed by the shekel of the sanctuary... This was a beautiful sign that each of the people, all alike, belonged to the LORD, their divine Guardian and Ruler.
The sum was fixed, so a rich man could not cover a poor neighbour. Each paid for himself.
Here the rich could not pay for the poor. Each man had to come into a clear and personal relationship with God about his own ransom... Another person's prayers will not save him on their own, unless by the grace of God they lead him to know Christ himself as the Redeemer.
The silver did not go into storage. It went under the walls of God's house.
The money went to make the silver sockets that formed the foundation of the sanctuary. The house of God rested on redemption, and the ransomed people were joined to it — each one represented by the money he had given... They may have grasped this blessed fact only weakly. But the memorial stood before the Lord always, and the question then, as now, is this: Does He look on us as redeemed? Has He accepted our redemption price? If He is satisfied, we too may rest in peace.
- One price — God set the half shekel by His own standard. Redemption is priced by His estimate, not by our works, feelings or worthiness.
- One level — rich and poor paid alike. In the matter of sin there is no difference between people, whatever their wealth or character.
- One payment — ten gerahs measured a debt no one could pay. Christ paid it in full, and the guiltiest believer rests on that.
- One each — no man could buy a neighbour's ransom. Salvation is personal dealing with God, never borrowed from someone else's faith.
- One foundation — the silver became the sockets under God's house. It stands before Him as a memorial of atonement, so His people can rest in peace.
And thou shalt take the atonement-money of the children of Israel, and devote it to the service of the tent of meeting; and it shall be a memorial to the children of Israel before Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.
God tells Moses where the census silver goes: into the service of the tent of meeting, where it stands before Him as a reminder for His people. Two questions sit behind that instruction — why did counting people need a ransom at all, and why does God's dwelling rest on the price of souls?
The command was tied to one particular moment: the counting itself.
At the counting, each man came before God one by one, as it were. That was the exact moment chosen to remind them of their condition, and of the need of redemption that follows from it. As long as sin is not dealt with, if God comes into contact with men as they are, His very holiness must make Him take notice of their guilt. So we have this gracious provision. Its meaning as a picture is simply the truth found on every page of Scripture: all men need a ransom for their souls.
The sum was not left to the giver to decide.
If God is to have a redeemed people among whom He will dwell, it must be according to His thoughts, not theirs. The price is to be half a shekel, or ten gerahs, according to the shekel of the sanctuary — the divine estimation. Man might imagine that something else would suit his redemption better. He might think of his own works, his feelings, his worthiness, or his faithfulness. But God's holiness and righteousness would not let poor man be so deceived. The foundation must match God's estimate. The shekel must match the weights of the sanctuary.
The half shekel weighed ten gerahs of silver. Both the number and the metal carry meaning.
Ten is the number of responsibility toward God. The lesson, then, is that man's responsibility to God as a sinner must be met. Now silver is a figure of the blood of Christ. Peter points to this when he says, "you were ransomed… not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." The half shekel of silver was a plain figure of the blood of Christ. So we learn that this precious blood alone can meet our responsibility to God as sinners, and make atonement for our souls.
Rich and poor paid the identical amount. That says something about how God sees people once sin is the subject.
Every man, whether rich or poor, was of exactly the same value before God. "The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less." Once sin is the question, God sees no difference between one man and another. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Some may have gone further in outward wrongdoing, in open crimes. But as to their state before God, all are sinners under condemnation — the outwardly moral as well as the immoral, the rich as well as the poor.
No one could pay on another's behalf:
In this matter the rich could not give for the poor. Each man for himself had to come into a distinct and personal relationship with God about his ransom or redemption. Unless the silver sockets included the money of each man counted, God could not regard him as redeemed. It is so now. Everyone must have a personal interest in the blood of Christ or he cannot be saved.
The silver did not go on running costs. It went underneath, into what the whole structure rested on.
It went to make the sockets of silver which formed the foundation of the sanctuary. The house of God was founded upon redemption, and the ransomed people were identified with it — every one of them represented by the money given, and represented therefore in all the value of what the silver pictured. The silver the tabernacle rested on testified, for the people of Israel, that atonement had been made for their souls. The memorial was always before the Lord, and the question then, as now, is this: does He look on us as redeemed? If He is satisfied, we may rest in peace.
The money did not buy their standing with God. It recorded that standing, and kept it before Him.
This offering of atonement money was only a memorial of the great fact, the ground on which each one of them stood with God — "that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD."
The ransom leaves a man nothing of his own to claim.
The atonement makes everything of God and nothing of us. Apart from Christ and His work on my behalf, I am nothing; but regarded on the ground of it, my blessing has no limit.
- Counted — Being numbered brought each man face to face with God, and that meeting exposed his need of a ransom.
- Priced — God set the price by His own sanctuary standard, so no substitute of man's choosing would do.
- Equal — Rich and poor paid the same, because sin levels every difference between people.
- Personal — No one could pay for another; each had to be represented in the silver himself.
- Foundational — The ransom silver became the sockets under the tabernacle, so God's house stood on redemption.
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
The LORD now begins a new instruction to Moses about the tabernacle's last vessel: a basin of water in the courtyard. Why do people already brought near by sacrifice still need washing, again and again?
The laver completes the tabernacle. Its place in the courtyard put it right on the priests' path.
The laver is the last of the sacred vessels listed. With it, the tabernacle and its arrangements are complete. It was placed outside, in the court of the tabernacle, between the tent of meeting and the altar. That is, it stood between the bronze altar just inside the entrance to the court, and the entrance into the holy place. So the priests passed the altar of burnt offering on their way into the tabernacle, and they met the laver on the road.
Both the metal and the water carry meaning.
It was made entirely of bronze — both the laver and its base. … It is divine righteousness testing man in responsibility. … But in testing man, it must condemn him, because he is a sinner. … The laver came from a special bronze: the mirrors used by the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation (Ex. 38:8). These were the very articles that revealed, in figure, their natural condition, and so showed their need of cleansing. The bronze revealed and judged the condition of those it tested. The water was there to cleanse and purify. For the water is a symbol of the Word.
The altar came first, then the basin. Commentators see in this sequence two distinct provisions, not one repeated.
In this we see a striking picture of what is often overlooked. The Christian, brought into priestly nearness, needs the water as well as the blood. It seems clear that the Lord Jesus referred to this when He spoke the words recorded in John 13:10. The priest who had been bathed all over needed this often-repeated washing to draw near.
Does that mean the blood is applied again and again?
Notice that the laver holds water, and not blood. Some have tried to argue from this rule for the priests that the believer needs the blood of Christ applied again and again. Such a thought is foreign to the whole teaching of Scripture, and it undermines the power of the one sacrifice of Christ. The blood has to do with guilt, and the moment the sinner comes under its value before God, he is cleansed for ever.
Note what the priest washes — not the whole body, but the two parts that touch the world.
…the priests never wash their bodies again after their consecration. They wash only their hands and feet at the laver, and they do that again and again. The reason is obvious. Washing the whole body is a figure of being born again, and that cannot happen twice.
Why hands as well as feet?
The hands are named for the priests, as well as the feet, because with them work was in question: they were under law. But with the disciples only the feet are washed. The Lord did this before He left them, yet the action pictures the present position of believers. For them it is not a question of work, but of walk.
The washing was not advice. Skipping it carried a penalty, and one writer presses the point into the present.
God insisted on purity in the priests of Israel — "that they die not" (Ex. 30:21). Are we exempt from this because we live not under law but under grace? By no means. If someone neglects personal holiness, God's holy hand in government comes down on him. Why? Because He does not love us? No — because He does love us, and will have us in a practical way share His holiness (Heb. 12:10).
Sometimes what Scripture leaves out teaches as much as what it records.
In the specifications for the laver, no measurements are given. This is remarkable, because Scripture gives exact sizes for the other parts of the tabernacle. Surely the omission in the case of the laver is as full of meaning as the omission of Melchizedek's ancestry in Genesis 14. It is undoubtedly God's happy way of teaching us one thing. The grace that forgives and cleanses us day by day is without limit or measure.
One writer traces our failure in service back to a single cause.
Our constant failure in priestly ministry may be explained by our neglect of the proper use of the laver. Suppose we do not submit our ways to the cleansing action of the Word. Suppose we keep pursuing or practicing what our own consciences tell us the Word plainly condemns. Then the energy of our priestly character will certainly be lacking. Deliberately going on in evil and true priestly worship cannot go together.
- Bathed once. The full washing at the priests' consecration pictures new birth. It cannot happen twice.
- Washed often. The laver held water, not blood. It met the defilement picked up along the way, and the water pictures the Word.
- Hands and feet. What touches the world needs cleansing: the hands for work, the feet for walk.
- On pain of death. God commanded the washing so the priests would not die. Neglect holiness now, and you still meet God's governing hand — a hand that moves in love.
- Without measure. Scripture records no size for the basin — a picture of grace that forgives and cleanses us day by day, without limit.