The Laver in the Sanctuary
In the courtyard of the sanctuary, past the altar of sacrifice and before the door of the tent, stood a bronze basin filled with water. The priests washed their hands and feet there before they entered, "that they die not" (Exodus 30:20). God commanded it, and God gave the pattern.
"Thou shalt also make a laver of brass... and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat."
The basin was made from the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the tabernacle door (Exodus 38:8). Whoever stood at the laver saw their own face in the water, and then washed.
The Order Matters
The altar came first. Sin was dealt with by a substitute before anyone reached the water. The laver then cleansed the one who was already forgiven. Forgiveness comes first, and cleansing follows it.
What It Pictured
The laver was a shadow, and the substance is Christ. The New Testament speaks of the same cleansing in plain words.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
- Ephesians 5:26 — Christ cleanses His church "with the washing of water by the word."
- John 13:10 — "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit."
- 1 John 1:9 — "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us."
The water of the laver reached the body. The cleansing it pictured reaches the conscience (Hebrews 9:13-14).
A Survey of Ritual Washing
Almost every culture has a water ritual at the threshold of worship. Muslims perform wudu before prayer. Hindus bathe in the Ganges. Shinto worshippers rinse their hands and mouth at the temizuya before a shrine. Jews immerse in the mikveh. The Mandaeans practise repeated baptism, called masbuta. The details differ, but the instinct is the same: we should not approach the holy as we are.
Our study treats these traditions with respect. These worshippers are doing the right thing, in the wrong place.
Around the World: Field Examples
Here we collect real examples as we find them. Each is described kindly, from the worshipper's point of view, and then compared with the pattern of the laver.
Tirta Empul: Washing at the Spring
At the Tirta Empul water temple, worshippers make an offering, pray, and pass beneath a row of water spouts in a ritual of spiritual cleansing. There is a washing at the boundary of the holy, running water, and set steps, alongside prayer and offering.
Sacred Water in Eastern Orthodox Practice
Water blessed with prayer, as in the Theophany blessing of waters, is drunk and sprinkled by the faithful. Orthodox believers explain that grace works through what God has sanctified, and they distinguish veneration from worship.
As fellow Christians, we begin with their own explanation, then ask together where the power lies.
Three Questions We Ask of Any Washing
- Who does the cleansing? God commanded the washing and God provides the cleansing, never the water alone.
- What comes first? In the sanctuary the altar stands before the laver. Forgiveness comes before cleansing.
- What does it reach? The laver reached the flesh. The fulfilment is Christ.
The Pool at Bethesda
In John 5, a man lay beside a pool that people believed could heal. Jesus healed him with a word, without touching the water. The power was never in the pool. It was in Him.
"Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole."
Have you seen a washing ritual that reminded you of the laver? We would love to hear about it.