The service of the priests in the outer court and in the tabernacle depended on their washing in the laver. No one would go several days without washing his hands. But spiritually speaking, Christians may go a very long time without washing in the laver. For example, some sisters may pray quite often both privately and in the meetings. I am concerned about their service of prayer. Sisters, before you pray, do you wash your hands in the laver? Do you have a spiritual washing before you enter into the service of prayer? Some may reply, “We confess our sins, trespasses, failures, and shortcomings. Is this not a kind of washing?” Yes, to confess our sins to the Lord is to experience one kind of washing. However, this is the washing by the blood, not the washing by the water in the laver. In order to wash away our sin, sins, trespasses, and transgressions, we need the blood. We also need the blood to wash us of our mistakes, failures, defects, defeats, and shortcomings. We need the blood to cleanse us of all these things because they are sinful. However, when the Lord Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He used water. That kind of washing did not require blood. The feet of the disciples were dirty and needed to be washed with water. The problem was not one of sin, but of dirt, of defilement.
If we tell a lie or lose our temper, we commit a trespass. But if we become defiled through the earthly touch, we have not committed anything sinful. We should not try to use the blood to cleanse away that kind of dirt. For example, hands that are dirty from touching the floor need to be washed with water. Likewise, if we become defiled because of the earthly touch, we need to be washed by the water in the laver.
I am concerned by the fact that due to our religious background and to the atmosphere that surrounds us, most Christians do not have much consciousness of being dirty spiritually. They may think that to be defiled or unclean is always a matter of sinfulness. The Bible, however, speaks of two kinds of defilement: the defilement that comes from sin and the defilement that comes by the earthly touch. If we lie or steal, we commit sin and become defiled by these transgressions. But we may be defiled in another way by means of the earthly touch, by having contact with the things of the world.
I always wash my hands before eating because I realize that on this earth there is dirt everywhere. Our hands may become dirty even by touching our clothing. In the same principle, we can easily be defiled spiritually by having contact with earthly things. Simply by living and walking on this earth, we become defiled. In order to be defiled, it is not necessary to contact evil people. We can be defiled even through contact with good people. Although we are so easily defiled, we may not have any realization, any consciousness, of the kind of defilement that comes from the earthly touch. Subconsciously we may have the thought that we are not wrong in any way, since we have not lied or stolen. We may have been good, humble, honest, and patient. Nevertheless, we may have been defiled simply by going to a restaurant or a department store.
Years ago I visited some saints in Las Vegas. Certain ones encouraged me to visit a gambling casino just to observe it. I said to them, “I would not go to such a place. I know that by visiting there one time, I would be defiled. Then I would not be able to pray for a period of time.” Whenever we are defiled by the earthly touch, we need to be washed not by the blood, but by the water in the laver.
You may confess your sins, failures, shortcomings, and defeats to the Lord, but you may not have the awareness that you need to be washed by the water in the laver. Washing in the laver will remind us to be careful not to get our hands dirty. Just as washing our hands with soap and water reminds us of the need to keep our hands clean, so washing in the laver reminds us of the need to keep ourselves from the defilement by the earthly touch. Those who do not have the consciousness that they need the washing of the water in the laver may feel that there is nothing wrong with going to a worldly place just to see what is happening there. They may not do anything sinful, but they will be defiled. We may also be defiled by listening to the conversation of worldly people. Although we may not join in their conversation, we are defiled just by listening to them. Even though we may not commit sin, we still may become defiled. Because the entire world is unclean, it is very easy for us to be defiled.