It was essential that priests washed their hands and feet whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting, and when they approached the altar to make an offering to the Lord.
The Lord spoke to Moses, “You shall make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it;
“With the water Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.
“When they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister to make an offering by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die” (Exodus 30.17-20).
They were required to wash their hands, the ones they used to touch the holy things, and their feet, which walked holy ground.
Touching holy things with unclean hands and walking on the sanctuary’s floor with dirty feet would have been a sin against Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel. The penalty for this was death.
A Holy Meeting
These requirements may seem extreme, but they highlight the holiness of God and our preparation for meeting with Him. Here are some actions we can take to prepare our hearts for our daily meeting with the Lord.
(1) Silence and Stillness: God says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
We do well to find a quiet place where we can withdraw from the noise of the world and the clatter of our minds. In this stillness, we can create a space for God to speak and reveal Himself to us.
Instead of hastily presenting a long list of requests to God, like a customer at a fast food drive-thru, let’s take a moment to create an atmosphere of receptivity. Let’s invite God to commune with us in the depths of our being.
(2) Scriptural Meditation: For years, I have used the Bible to prepare my heart to meet with the Lord. One way to achieve this is to select a passage from the Bible and immerse ourselves in it.
We can read it slowly, allowing the words to penetrate our hearts. As we prayerfully read the Bible, we can converse with the Lord about our reading, asking him questions for direction and understanding.
(3) Surrender: I appreciate Henry Blackaby’s understanding of our life with the Lord.
He often states that we should decide in advance that whatever God says to us, we will do. This is a crucial part of approaching God in prayer.
The Anointing Oil
God gave Moses the ingredients for anointing oil and commanded him, “You shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
“With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant and the table and all its utensils and the lampstand and its utensils and the altar of incense
“And the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin with its stand;
“You shall consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy” (Exodus 30.25-29).
When I consider the use of anointing oil to bless the Tabernacle, I recall a story from a pastor friend.
He employed a young man who had recently stopped using drugs to serve as the janitor of their church. This new Christian was brimming with enthusiasm. As he moved through each room, he anointed every room in the church with oil.
Interestingly, as this man anointed the church with oil, it appeared that God brought a revival within the congregation.
The anointing with oil often symbolizes the invitation for the Holy Spirit to come and be present among us. We always do well to depend on the Spirit for important decisions, personal challenges, or significant life events.
One of the most frequent references to anointing with oil is associated with the healing of the sick. This is what James has to say on the matter.
Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective (James 5:14-16).
Think About It
This study of items dealing with Israel’s worship, along with other things we have studied concerning the Tabernacle, highlights the fact that God is worthy of worship.
We do well to prepare ourselves to meet Him in worship.
I hope you incorporate some suggestions from this article into your prayer and meeting with God. May God bless you richly in this endeavor.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 