Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Savior Is The Pure Waters Of Life Who Cleanses Us (Sacred Sites Part 6)


Above is a model of the Laver of Water that was in Solomon's Temple. The laver of water in the old Tabernacle made by Moses was much smaller. It is a type of our being cleansed by baptism through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. Again, we can see the rule given by Nephi in 2 Nephi 11:4, that all things given by God to man typify Christ.

Here is what the the Old Testament Institute Manual page 155 says about the Laver:

Directly in line next in the courtyard was the laver, or basin of water, which was used for washing and cleansing (see Exodus 30:19–20). As was mentioned, when Solomon built a permanent temple, he placed the laver on the backs of twelve oxen (see 1 Kings 7:25), a symbolism carried on in modern temples and clearly related to baptism. Since the baptismal font itself is a “similitude of the grave” (D&C 128:13), where the “old man” of sin is buried (Romans 6:1–6), the symbolism of the laver seems clear. Once the “natural man” (Mosiah 3:19) is sacrificed (put to death through a broken heart, or sincere and deep repentance), he is cleansed by both the waters of baptism and the fires of the Holy Ghost (see 2 Nephi 31:17). Once this cleansing is done, he is prepared to leave the world, or a telestial way of living, and “be born” (John 3:5) into a higher state of spiritual life.

4 comments:

Karies place said...

Hi, I found your blog through another friends. I am enjoying finding other LDS spiritual blogs. I hope to visit your site often.

In The Doghouse said...

Great post on the laver. Can you help me to understand how we know what size the laver was in the tabernacle. I have search for a size in the scriptures and have come up empty. I will check back... Thanks.

I know this is presumptuous, but I am going to ask anyway... is there a way to add the element to your blog allowing people to "Follow" it? It is so easy to make sure I read additional posts if I am following a Blog. I would love to follow your Blog.
:)

Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Dear Doghouse:
I am new at blogging so I am unfamiliar with "Followers." I did add a "gadget" labeled followers but I am not sure what it does. I hope that is what you are referring to.

There are no dimensions given for the Laver of water. We only know that it had to be light enough to be carried by the Levites. I hope this is helpful.
R. J. Norman

In The Doghouse said...

Thanks for adding the "followers" gadget. Now every time you write a new post, I will be notified. Thanks!

Thanks as well for the info on the dimensions of the Laver.