◄ Exodus 30:19 ►
with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.
Study Bible
with which
This phrase refers to the water in the bronze basin described earlier in the chapter. The Hebrew root for "with which" is "אֲשֶׁר" (asher), often used to denote purpose or means. This indicates the specific function of the water as a tool for purification. In the broader context of the tabernacle, this water symbolizes the cleansing necessary for approaching God, emphasizing the holiness required in worship.

Aaron and his sons
Aaron, the brother of Moses, was appointed as the first high priest, and his sons were designated as priests. The Hebrew names "אַהֲרֹן" (Aharon) and "בָּנָיו" (banav) highlight their roles as mediators between God and the Israelites. Historically, the priesthood was a hereditary office, and this verse underscores the continuity of the priestly line, which was crucial for maintaining the covenant relationship with God.

are to wash
The act of washing, from the Hebrew root "רָחַץ" (rachatz), signifies ritual purification. This was not merely a physical act but a spiritual preparation, symbolizing the removal of impurity and sin. In the ancient Near Eastern context, washing was a common practice before entering sacred spaces, reflecting the universal recognition of the need for purity in divine encounters.

their hands and feet
The specific mention of hands and feet, "יְדֵיהֶם וְרַגְלֵיהֶם" (yedehem veraglehem), highlights the importance of cleanliness in service and movement within the tabernacle. Hands represent actions and service, while feet symbolize the walk and journey of faith. This dual cleansing signifies a holistic approach to purity, encompassing both deeds and the path one walks in life. In a spiritual sense, it calls believers to examine both their actions and their spiritual journey, ensuring both are aligned with God's holiness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Aaron
The brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel. He was chosen by God to serve in the tabernacle and later in the temple.

2. Aaron's Sons
The descendants of Aaron who were also appointed as priests to serve in the tabernacle, assisting in the rituals and sacrifices.

3. The Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the divine presence of God among the Israelites, where the priests performed their duties.

4. The Bronze Basin
A large basin made of bronze, placed in the tabernacle courtyard, used by the priests for ceremonial washing.

5. Ceremonial Washing
A ritual act of purification that the priests were required to perform before entering the tent of meeting or approaching the altar.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Purity
The washing of hands and feet symbolizes the need for purity and holiness in approaching God. As believers, we are called to live lives that reflect God's holiness.

Preparation for Service
Just as the priests prepared themselves through washing, we must prepare our hearts and minds for service to God, ensuring we are spiritually ready to fulfill our callings.

Symbolism of Cleansing
The act of washing in the Old Testament points to the deeper spiritual cleansing that comes through Christ. We are reminded of the need for continual spiritual renewal.

Humility in Service
The priests' act of washing was a humble acknowledgment of their need for God's cleansing. In our service, we must remain humble, recognizing our dependence on God's grace.

The Role of Rituals
While rituals like washing were important in the Old Testament, they point to the greater reality of inner transformation and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the requirement for Aaron and his sons to wash before serving in the tabernacle reflect God's standards for holiness?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of spiritual cleansing in our daily walk with God?

3. How does the concept of ceremonial washing in the Old Testament connect to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament?

4. What are some practical ways we can prepare ourselves for service to God, both individually and as a community?

5. How can the humility demonstrated by the priests in their washing rituals inform our approach to serving others in the name of Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 8:6
This verse describes the washing of Aaron and his sons as part of their consecration, highlighting the importance of purification in their priestly duties.

Psalm 24:3-4
These verses emphasize the need for clean hands and a pure heart to stand in God's holy place, connecting the physical act of washing with spiritual purity.

John 13:10
Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet serves as a New Testament parallel, symbolizing spiritual cleansing and humility.
Sermons
The Golden Altar and the PerfumeJ. Orr Exodus 30:1-11, 34-38
The LaverG. Rodgers.Exodus 30:17-21
The LaverR. Newton, D. D.Exodus 30:17-21
The True WashingJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 30:17-21
The Laver and the Anointing OilJ. Orr Exodus 30:17-34
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Aaron, Hands, Sons, Thereat, Wash, Washed, Washing
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 30:19

     7767   priests, OT institution

Exodus 30:17-21

     4293   water
     7478   washing

Exodus 30:18-20

     7328   ceremonies

Exodus 30:18-21

     7342   cleanliness

Exodus 30:19-20

     7906   baptism, in Gospels

Exodus 30:19-21

     5151   feet

Library
The Altar of Incense
'Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon.' --EXODUS xxx. 1. Ceremonies are embodied thoughts. Religious ceremonies are moulded by, and seek to express, the worshipper's conception of his God, and his own relation to Him; his aspirations and his need. Of late years scholars have been busy studying the religions of the more backward races, and explaining rude and repulsive rites by pointing to the often profound and sometimes beautiful ideas underlying them. When that process is applied to Australian …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --I.
Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul.' --EXODUS xxx. 12. This remarkable provision had a religious intention. Connect it with the tax-money which Peter found in the fish's mouth. I. Its meaning. Try to realise an Israelite's thoughts at the census. 'I am enrolled among the people and army of God: am I worthy? What am I, to serve so holy a God?' The payment was meant-- (a) To excite the sense of sin. This should be present in all approach to God, in all service; accompanying the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --ii.
'The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel....'--EXODUS xxx. 15. This tax was exacted on numbering the people. It was a very small amount, about fifteen pence, so it was clearly symbolical in its significance. Notice-- I. The broad principle of equality of all souls in the sight of God. Contrast the reign of caste and class in heathendom with the democracy of Judaism and of Christianity. II. The universal sinfulness. Payment of the tax was a confession that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
Rom. viii. 15.--"Whereby we cry, Abba, Father." As there is a light of grace in bestowing such incomparably high dignities and excellent gifts on poor sinners, such as, to make them the sons of God who were the children of the devil, and heirs of a kingdom who were heirs of wrath; so there is a depth of wisdom in the Lord's allowance and manner of dispensing his love and grace in this life. For though the love be wonderful, that we should be called the sons of God; yet, as that apostle speaks, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Jesus Pays the Tribute Money.
(Capernaum, Autumn, a.d. 29) ^A Matt. XVII. 24-27. ^a 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel? [The law of Moses required from every male of twenty years and upward the payment of a tax of half a shekel for the support of the temple (Ex. xxx. 12-16; II. Chron. xxiv. 5, 6). This tax was collected annually. We are told that a dispute existed between the Pharisees and Sadducees as to whether the payment …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

How a Private Man must Begin the Morning with Piety.
As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, keep the door of thy heart fast shut, that no earthly thought may enter, before that God come in first; and let him, before all others, have the first place there. So all evil thoughts either will not dare to come in, or shall the easier be kept out; and the heart will more savour of piety and godliness all the day after; but if thy heart be not, at thy first waking, filled with some meditations of God and his word, and dressed, like the lamp in the tabernacle …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 3. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. 4. And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Last Events in Galilee - the Tribute-Money, the Dispute by the Way, the Forbidding of Him who could not Follow with the Disciples, and The
Now that the Lord's retreat in the utmost borders of the land, at Cæsarea Philippi, was known to the Scribes, and that He was again surrounded and followed by the multitude, there could be no further object in His retirement. Indeed, the time was coming that He should meet that for which He had been, and was still, preparing the minds of His disciples - His Decease at Jerusalem. Accordingly, we find Him once more with His disciples in Galilee - not to abide there, [3743] nor to traverse it …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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