The Waterboys

Exodus 30: 17-21

Short passage today. God tells Moses to build a bronze basin and stand and put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. It's supposed to be filled with water. Aaron and spawn-of-Aaron are to wash their hands and feet when they enter the Tent of Meeting "so that they will not die." Same thing when they are serving to minister offerings by fire- wash or die. This is to be an ordinance for generations to come.

Interesting and odd. This seems to me to be about the need for purity when approaching God. When you're before Me wash your hands and feet...and maybe metaphorically it's a statement about the need for our own purity when we approach His throne. It's a little different for us. We don't have to go through the priest on holy days...we pray wherever, whenever the need strikes us. I don't think the application is to be sure you've got some handi-wipes nearby in case you feel the need to pray- it seems to me more about our lives being clean.

So...when I approach God with troubles, requests, petitions, moanings, etc- it's important that I'm being real with God-that my hands are clean. I don't think that necessarily means without sin- but that I'm not hiding my sin from God. I'm not pretending that everything's hunky dory while I'm living a life that's making my hands grimy and my feet stink. I'm working to clean myself up- recognizing that without God's help the dirt won't come out from under my nails.

It's also interesting that they weren't required to totally bathe- just wash their hands and feet. I think this may suggest several things (or maybe a few of these several things).

First- this may be an issue of practicality. Maybe God didn't want his priests stripping down for a full-fledged cleaning outside of the Tent of Meeting. It may have made for an unwanted spectacle.

Second- It may suggest some of what's written above (on this blog, not in heaven). Maybe the point is that when we work to wash our hands and feet- God takes care of the rest (metaphorically...please continue to shower on a regular basis). Simply put- we work to straighten our lives up- and when we try- God covers the rest with His grace.

Third- Maybe it says something about the nature of how God views our hands and feet. Since these are tools we would use to carry out work for Him (and in practice for others) God wants to make a statement about the way we view that work...it's holy- it's for Him- treat it with respect.

Fourth- Maybe this is foreshadowing baptism. Before you're fit to approach and serve, your imperfections (dirt, filth) are washed away. They probably wouldn't have gotten it- but it could be pointing toward Jesus. Not specifically about hands and feet but still regarding the need for washing.

Fifth- Aaron's kin generally smelled bad.

Regardless of why the washing was commanded, it's likely that they were without anti-bacterial soap.