Although God's journey begins in the Holy of Holies, ours begins in the outer court at the burnt offering altar. I learned in reading chapter 104 of the Life-Study of Exodus that this altar represents the cross of Christ. It was made of acacia wood, which represents that Christ as a man died in our place. It was overlaid with bronze which signifies that God put on Christ His righteous judgment. I learned that this bronze came from the censers of the 250 men who rebelled against Moses in Numbers 16. And I also learned that bronze always represent God's judgment in the Bible.
After I read a few chapters, I realized the burnt offering altar is actually a lot like my BBQ. It was about 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 feet with a grating for roasting the sacrifices. The burnt offering altar is so large that all the furniture in the tabernacle can fit into it. Witness Lee says that this means that the cross of Christ is the basis for all of our spiritual experiences. And God had a special requirement for this altar that the fire on it would never go out. On this altar God told Moses to offer burnt, sin, trespass, meal, and peace offerings. All of these offerings are explained in detail in the Life-Study of Leviticus, which I just started. So you'll hear more about that in January. I really liked the explanation of how God and man begin their journeys at the two ends of the tabernacle, and I read that on page 1205 of this chapter:
Does the record of the tabernacle in Exodus begin from God's end or from man's end? The record begins from God's end, for it begins with the ark. The description of the ark begins the divine record concerning the tabernacle. This indicates that the record begins from God and proceeds towards man. However, when man comes to the tabernacle, he does not begin from God's end. He begins at the altar, that is, he begins from man's end. Whenever a person comes to the tabernacle, the first thing he meets is the altar....When God came from His dwelling place to the earth and went to the cross, what was His main intention, His main goal? His main goal was to bring man to Himself. This means that God came out of the tabernacle to bring man into the tabernacle....We need to go to the showbread table, the lampstand, the incense altar, and eventually reach the ark. (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1982 Print).
The other piece of furniture in the outer court was the bronze laver. It stood near the entrance to the tabernacle. This was like a giant sink that the priests used for washing. Moses had the laver lined with all the mirrors of the serving women. Those mirrors made it easy for any dirt to be reflected so the priests could get thoroughly washed. These excerpts that I chose out from chapter 156 on pages 1669, 1671, 1672,1674 show its function in both the Old Testament and our spiritual experience today:
Whenever the priests were to come to the altar to offer something to God or were to come into the tabernacle to serve, they first had to go to the laver to wash their hands. Unless the priests washed in the laver, there was no way for the tabernacle to operate....The Bible, however, speaks of two kinds of defilement, the defilement that comes from sin and the defilement that comes by the earthly touch. Whenever we are defiled by the earthly touch, we need to be washed by the water in the laver....Because the entire world is unclean, it is very easy for us to be defiled....According to the New Testament, the washing power of the laver is the life-giving Spirit. Titus 3:5 speaks of the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit....The laver typifies the washing power of the life-giving Spirit brought forth by the death of Christ (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Exodus. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1982 Print).You can see this same washing in Ephesians 5:26--That He might sanctify her [the church] cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word. In my Recovery Version of the New Testament the footnote there says that the Greek word for washing is actually laver. It's encouraging to know that whenever we come to God's word, there's water there that can wash us from all the defiling things of this world.
You can listen to excerpts of this life training and some outstanding commentary by listening to Life-Study of the Bible with Witness Lee on Exodus.
Other Posts on the Life-Study of Exodus:
Why Did God Use So Many Women in Exodus 1 & 2?
Taking a Closer Look at the Conflict Between God and Pharaoh in Exodus 5
What Does the Name Jehovah Mean in Exodus 6:2?
Why Did God Really Send the Manna in Exodus 6?
What is the Meaning of the Bitter Waters at Marah in Exodus 15:23?
How are the 10 Commandments Like God's Engagement Covenant in Exodus 20?
How Can You Keep the 10 Commandments?
Why Did the Israelites Build a Tabernacle in Exodus 25:8?
Taking Another Look at the Priesthood of the Believers in Exodus 19:6
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 1 of 1
Seeing God's Spiritual Building in Exodus 26 - Part 2 of 2
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Ark
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 25 - The Showbread Table & the Lampstand
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus 27 & 30 - The Bronze Altar & Laver
Taking a Closer Look at the Tabernacle in Exodus - The Golden Incense Altar
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