The laver was located after the Brass altar in the outer court towards the Holy Place. Its function was twofold for the Old Testament priests: (1) they had to wash at the laver before coming to minister at the Brass altar; (2) they had to wash again after leaving the altar and before entering into the Holy Place. Therefore, the service of the priests in the outer court and in the tabernacle depended on their washing in the laver. We may be defiled by means of the earthly touch, by having contact with the things of the world. Washing in the laver reminds us of the need to keep ourselves from the defilement of the world by the earthly touch. Without the washing in the laver, no one is qualified to serve in the tabernacle. Death is the result of trying to serve without washing in the laver.

When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, [even] to him and to his seed throughout their generations. (Exodus 30:20-21)

The laver was comprised of looking glasses from the assembly of women in Israel. This implies that the laver of brass was a looking glass, a mirror, that could reflect and expose. The brass of the laver is a mirror reflecting our condition and exposing our dirt and dirtiness. When we are at the laver, the brass should remind us that whatever within us or in our outward behavior that is sinful, earthly, and fleshly has been judged by God on the cross. Although we may confess our sins, we may not realize how much we are still worldly and fleshly in our deeds and motives. In the sight of God we have been redeemed, but we still need to be washed of our earthly and worldly defilements regularly.

The most important element of the laver is the water. Water signifies the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit who washes us. Ephesians 5:25-26 says, "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her 26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word." In Greek the definite article is used before the word "washing," causing it to refer to the laver, the laver that was known to all the Jews. In the Old Testament the priests used the laver to wash away their earthly defilement (Exo. 30:18-21). Now the laver, the washing of the water, washes us from defilement. According to the divine concept, water here refers to the flowing life of God, which is typified by flowing water (Exo. 17:6; 1 Cor. 10:4; John 7:38-39; Rev. 21:6; 22:1, 17). The washing of the water in Ephesians is different from the washing of the redeeming

blood of Christ. The redeeming blood washes away our sins (1 John 1:7; Rev. 7:14), whereas the water of life washes away the blemishes of the natural life of our old man, such as the spot or wrinkle or any such things mentioned in Ephesians 5:27. [The New Testament Recovery Version, Ephesians 5:26 Footnotes 2 & 3, Living Stream Ministry]

Again, even though it is wonderful to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Christ, we still need to be washed by the water of the laver. This water typifies the Spirit of God who today is the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45b). This same picture is seen in John 13 where the Lord washes His disciples feet before He goes to the cross to die. The water there signifies the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), the word (Eph. 5:26; John 15:3), and life (19:34). The practical washing of the water of the laver is very much needed in our daily experience in Christ. In our spirit we regenerated ones are in God and in the heavenlies, but in our body we are still living in the flesh and walking on the earth. Through our contact with earthly things we often become dirty. This frustrates our fellowship with the Lord and with one another. Hence, there is the need for the washing with the Holy Spirit, the word, and life. This is the washing away of our dirtiness that our fellowship with the Lord and with one another may be restored and maintained; it is not the washing away of their sins by the blood (1 John 1:9). This is why, after John 12 unveiled that Christ is resurrection life by raising up Lazarus from the dead, there is a need for such a sign of foot-washing in John 13. Since the Gospel of John is a book of signs, what is recorded in John 13 should also be considered a sign, having spiritual significance. Foot-washing should not be taken merely in a physical sense, but rather in a spiritual sense.

But when the kindness and the love to man of our Savior God appeared, 5 Not out of works in righteousness which we did but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 Whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Titus 3:4-6)

In the Old Testament the priests used the laver to wash away their earthly defilement (Exo. 30:18-21). Now, in the New Testament age, the laver, represented by the washing of the water in the Word, washes us from defilement. The cleansing by the washing of the water of life is in the Word of Christ. This indicates that in the Word of Christ there is the water of life. This is typified by the laver situated between the altar and the tabernacle. We should come to the Word to receive the water of life, not the outward teachings and doctrinal understandings. Rather, we should enjoy the Word as the Word of Christ which washes away our dullness, which washes away our old concepts, which washes away our blemishes from interacting with the world, which washes away our lukewarmness.

If we do not have the subjective experience of washing at the laver, both our fellowship with the brothers and sisters and our fellowship with God will be broken. Let me illustrate this practically. At the time when the Lord was on earth, the custom in the middle East was to wash the feet upon entering into a home. The environment demanded this because of the dust and dirt accumulated on the feet when traveling. Also, at that time people often "reclined at table" to eat. This meant that they sat or laid on the floor around a table full of food. Practically speaking, if someone's feet were filthy and smelly, this would make it difficult to carry on a sweet and intimate fellowship. Therefore, foot-washing was a necessary custom in those days to ensure sweet fellowship among guests and family.

Likewise in our spiritual life, we all travel about the earth, the world, accumulating the dust and filth of the world on our "feet." When we enter into another believer's home for fellowship there is the need to have our spiritual feet washed with the water of the Word, of the Spirit and of life. This removes all the dirt, all the grim, all the smell of the world (which is at enmity with God) so that believers may fellowship in peace, in sweetness and in intimacy. It is important to take care of the feeling of the saints, the other believers in Christ by being washed. We cannot maintain our fellowship with God if the fellowship with our brothers and sisters is broken. We need to be impressed with the fact that there are not two fellowships. There is not one fellowship with God and a different fellowship with the brothers. No, our fellowship with brothers is actually part of our fellowship with God. So if we are not washed regularly, we may cause offense between other believers, and this offense extends to God as well.

But when the kindness and the love to man of our Savior God appeared, 5 Not out of works in righteousness which we did but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 Whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Titus 3:4-6)

We want to consider the matter of the "washing of regeneration" in Titus 3:5 because it unveils a critical truth that the laver is actually the Spirit who gives life (John 6:63; 1 Cor. 15:45b) The Greek word for regeneration is different from that for regenerated in 1 Peter 1:23. The only other place the word is used is Matthew 19:28, where it is used for the restoration in the millennium. In Titus 3:5 it refers to a change from one state to another. Being born again is the commencing of this change. The washing of regeneration begins with our being born again and continues with the renewing of the Holy Spirit as the process of God's new creation, a process that makes us a new man. It is a kind of reconditioning, remaking, or remodeling, with life. Baptism (Rom. 6:3-5), the putting off of the old man, the putting on of the new man (Eph. 4:22, 24; Col. 3:9-11), and transformation by the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23) are all related to this wonderful process. The washing of regeneration purges away all the things of the old nature of our old man, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit imparts something new -- the divine essence of the new man -- into our being. In this is a passing from our old state into a wholly new one, from the old creation into the status of a new creation. Hence, both the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit are working in us continually throughout our life until the completion of the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). [The New Testament Recovery Version, Titus 3:5 Footnotes 4, Living Stream Ministry]