“Then he made the sea of cast bronze…” 1 Chronicles 4:2
Wash your hands before dinner. The mantra kids all over this planet have heard part the lips of their mothers for generations. The idea that one must be clean to approach the table. It is appropriate, it is sanitary, it is necessary. During the process of Old Testament temple worship, the Levite priests were no different. In their daily duties of offering sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people, they could not just saunter up, clock in, and head to work in the temple. This was no mere job; they were moving into the presence of God by serving God. Part of the new temple that Solomon built was a bronze laver (sink) that was of epic proportions. The new laver was cast of solid bronze. The diameter was 16 feet, the height was 8 feet, and it held an amazing 12,000 gallons of water. Its size dictated the importance of approaching God as clean. How do you approach God today? What do your hands look like as they reach for your Bible? Are they filthy with sin? What do your feet look like as you approach the throne of God in prayer? Are they muddied from walking to places in this world that you shouldn’t be going? And most importantly, as you draw near to God, what is the condition of your heart? Is it blackened with the stains of recent sin? We will all suffer from sin at times, the critical step is to be constantly repenting and washing in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus washes the blackness of our sin white as snow. As a result, our transgressions against God are not seen as such, but only the cleanliness of the atonement of Christ. But you must wash. Ask Jesus to create in you a new heart each morning. And then fight fiercely to protect that heart throughout your day. The world and the evil one that controls it seeks to dirty and sully your heart. But through the power of Christ, He can cleanse you. Thank you Jesus, that you offer us a way to become clean, a way to approach the throne with a clean heart. A heart that can truly be worthy of serving you.
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
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