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Sermon:
Lave
…a sermon about
spiritual washing
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On the 18th of January of this year (2020),
I presented to you the sermon, “Double Down” which shared with you a
hands-on perspective to repentance. I began that sermon with this
statement:
“Back in July and August of 2014, I gave
four sermons as part of a Holiness series. You can see all these
sermons at the Las Vegas site. This sermon is the fourth in that
series. Each is a stand-alone sermon on the same overall subject:
Holiness.”
So “Double-down” is part of the Holiness series of four (4) sermons.
From this one sermon, I have put together fourteen (14) sermons in what
I call the, “Salvation series.” You can see these sermon titles and
subjects on the Schedule page of the Las Vegas site. Each sermon has a
key verse or two you heard in “Double-down.” Today is the third sermon
in this series. Let us begin.
The name of this sermon is “Lave.” Let us breakdown this title.
A simple
word meaning to wash or bathe.
Words related to “lave”:
Imbue, soak, cleanse, scrub, scour.
Imbue:
to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, doctrine, truth, or in our
case, the Word of God.
Words related to, “Imbue”:
permeate, ingrain, suffuse, inculcate, invest, instill and pervade.
Suffuse:
To overspread with. When you step into a filled bathtub or hot tub, you
are overspread with water.
Let us go now to the key verse for today’s sermon. It is found in the
first chapter of Isaiah.
Isaiah 1:16-17*
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the
fatherless, plead for the widow.
Double-down Phrases:
--Wash yourself.
--Cleanse yourself [see sermon, Rampageous].
--Put away evil.
--Cease doing evil.
Definitions:
---Cleanse:
to remove by or as if by cleaning.
---Put away:
put distance between you and the sin or negative element.
---Wash:
remove stains. Word H7364: To lave [wash
by pouring water].
All this washing takes water and water serves as an important element
and living metaphor in the Word of God. In one important place, it is
referred to as, “living water.” Turn to John 4.
John 4:7-14
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus
saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a
Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have
no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God,
and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have
asked of him, and he would have given thee
living water. (emphasis mine)
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and
the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and
drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water
shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life.
Notice the commentary for the phrase, “living water” in verse 10.
Living water - By this expression, which
was common to the inhabitants both of the east and of the west, is
always meant spring water, in opposition to dead, stagnant water
contained in ponds, pools, tanks, or cisterns; and what our Lord means
by it is evidently the Holy Spirit, as may be seen, John 7:38.
As water quenches the thirst, refreshes and invigorates
the body, purifies things defiled, and renders the earth fruitful, so it
is an apt emblem of the gift of the Holy [Spirit],
which so satisfies the souls that receive it that they thirst no more
for earthly good: it purifies also from all spiritual defilement, on
which account it is emphatically styled the Holy Spirit; and it makes
those who receive it fruitful in every good word and work.
~Adam Clarke
Quoted verse:
John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water.
With this as background, let us go back to Isaiah 1:16 and the
command/admonition to, “Wash
you, make you clean.” It was part of daily living and Temple worship
that water was used to make people clean.
The first thing we find is the Laver of Bronze-copper/tin
alloy
(Exodus
38:8 in brass-copper/zinc alloy)
Exodus 30:18-28
18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to
wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the
congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash
with water, that they die not; or when
they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire
unto the LORD:
21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet,
that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them,
even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred
shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty
shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the
sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound
after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith,
and the ark of the testimony,
27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his
vessels, and the altar of incense,
28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver
and his foot. (emphasis mine)
Take a look at the commentary on, “that they die not.” It has much
meaning for you and I.
That he die not - The bells also bore
witness that the high priest was, at the time of his ministration, duly
attired in the dress of his office, and so was not incurring the
sentence of death. An infraction of the laws for the service of the
sanctuary was not merely an act of disobedience; it was a direct insult
to the presence of Yahweh (God)
from His ordained minister, and justly incurred a sentence of capital
punishment. ~Barnes Notes
This is a sermon about spiritual washing. It is the purpose of this
sermon. We are to be continually spiritually clean in the presence of
God.
The other device used in those days
was the Mikveh.
These were found in homes, throughout the towns and around the Temple.
The one I am showing here in the text is one found in a modern-day
temple here in the US. These were used throughout Israel for a
multitude of purposes, both physical and spiritual. One would cleanse
themselves before the Sabbath, each Holy Day, Passover, going into the
Temple and for all manner of spiritual event. Interestingly, doing this
cleansing was likened to Hope. Hope for the Kingdom of God and
salvation to eternal life. We do this kind of cleansing both physically
and spiritually as we are forever in the presence of Almightly God.
Spiritual cleansing and salvation are directly linked.
I told you at the beginning of this sermon that the meaning of the word,
“Lave” is to imbue ourselves in doctrine, truth and the Word of God.
Let us immerse ourselves in our key scripture passage, Isaiah 1:16-17.
Isaiah 1:16-17*
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the
fatherless, plead for the widow.
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Wash you |
Wash
you - This is, of course, to be understood in a moral
sense; meaning that they should put away their sins. Sin is
represented in the Scriptures as defiling or polluting the soul
and the removal of it is represented by the act of washing;
Psalm 51:2. ~Barnes Notes
Quoted verse (it gives the second
verse but I will read verses 1-12)
Psalm 51:1-12
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my
sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before
me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in
thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the
hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou
hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit
within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy
spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with
thy free spirit. (emphasis mine)
Psalm 26:6
I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine
altar, O LORD:
Jeremiah 4:14
O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest
be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
Acts 22:16
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 7:1*
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
James 4:8*
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
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Make you clean |
Wash ye, make you clean
- These two words are to be regarded as one, since they
intend the same thing, and suppose the persons spoken to to be
unclean, as they were, notwithstanding their legal sacrifices
and ceremonial ablutions; and are designed to convince them of
it, to bring them to a sense of their inability to cleanse
themselves, to lead them to inquire after the proper means of
it, and so to the fountain of Christ's blood to wash in, which
only cleanses from it: ~John Gill
The word, “wash” is word H7364, defined as, “to lave”. It is
rendered as bathe (self) and wash (self).
From the Geneva Bible:
Wash ye, make you clean - By this outward washing, he means the
spiritual: exhorting the Jews to repent and amend their lives.
~Geneva Bible
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Put away the evil of your
doings from before mine eyes; |
Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while
he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Ezekiel 18:30-31*
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one
according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn
yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not
be your ruin.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have
transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why
will ye die, O house of Israel?
Zechariah 1:3-4
3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;
Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto
you, saith the LORD of hosts.
4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have
cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from
your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not
hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
Matthew 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Ephesians 4:22-24*
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.
Titus 2:11-14* [see
Lesson]
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of
good works.
1 Peter 2:1*
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye
may grow thereby:
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Cease to do evil |
Cease to do evil
- Learn to do well: Not only feel sorrow for the sin committed,
but break off the practice. We must be doing, not stand idle. We
must be doing the good the Lord our God requires.
~Matthew Henry Concise
Cease to do evil
- Compare 1 Peter 3:10-11. The prophet is specifying what was
necessary in order that their prayers might be heard, and that
they might find acceptance with God. What he states here is a
universal truth. If sinners wish to find acceptance with God,
they must come renouncing all sin; resolving to put away
everything that God hates, however dear it may be to the heart.
Compare Mark 9:43-47 (...if
thy hand offend thee; ...if thy foot offend thee; ...if they eye
offend thee)
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verse:
1 Peter 3:10-11
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him
refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no
guile:
11 Let him eschew [avoid, shun or keep away] evil, and do good;
let him seek peace, and ensue [follow; come after] it.
Linked verses:
Psalm 34:14*
[see sermon,
Abdicate & Submerse]
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psalm 37:27
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Amos 5:15
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the
gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto
the remnant of Joseph.
Romans 12:9
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil;
cleave to that which is good.
Ephesians 4:25-29
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his
neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your
wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour,
working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have
to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but
that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers.
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Learn to do well |
Learn to do well - Now comes the
positive; first, in the general form" learn," etc.; which
resembles the apostle’s "Put on the armor of light" (Romans
13:12). Then follow the particulars.
~Pulpit Bible commentary
Quoted verse:
Romans 13:12
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of
light.
The highest education from the Biblical Illustrator
We hear much about various grades of education—primary,
secondary, and higher education; by the text we are reminded of
that highest education which concerns all, and which it is the
main end of life to secure. Moral culture is even more
imperative than intellectual development.
I. THE NECESSITY FOR MORAL LEARNING. Numerous definitions have
been given of man, but he might justly be defined as the being
who learns. Other creatures can scarcely be said to learn;
whatever pertains to their species they do instinctively,
immediately, perfectly.
A lark builds its first nest as skillfully as its last, a
spider’s first embroidery is as exquisite as anything it spins
in adult life, a bee constructs its first cell and compounds its
first honey with an efficiency that leaves nothing to be
desired. We know that naturalists are not altogether agreed on
this point, but we may conclude that substantially instinct
dispenses with that laborious process which we know as learning.
It is altogether different with the human creature. If we are
“to do well,” taking that phrase in its noblest [spiritual]
sense, we must “learn” to do it, acquiring the splendid power
through attention, repeated endeavor, and manifold sacrifice.
(emphasis mine)
II. CONSIDER THE METHOD OF THIS MORAL [Spiritual]
CULTURE. Three things are essential to the liberal education of
the soul. “Culture” here means ability, practice, experience,
perception, knowledge, learning and habit.
1. A pattern. “Looking unto Jesus.” He is the supreme Pattern.
Said an American artist, “I would give everything I have to see
[the famous painter],
Velasquez paint for one week, one day.” But the splendid
privilege is given to us to behold the Lord Jesus live through
years! “Learn of Me,” says the Master, and a loving, thoughtful
glance into the [Word of God]
every day is a lifelong vision of perfection. Let us learn of
Him in joy and sorrow, in work and leisure, in strength and
weariness, in popularity and neglect, in success and failure, in
life and death. He best teaches the art of life.
2. Power. We can never become holy except as we have a genius
for holiness, and this genius in an adequate degree only the
Spirit of God can impart. Let us in prayer seek for more inward
vision, receptivity, and energy, more of the Spirit that worketh
mightily in fully surrendered souls, and all things will become
possible.
3. Practice. We learn to do well through doing well.
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Seek judgment |
Seek judgment
- or, seek out justice; i.e. endeavor to get justice done to all
men; see that they "have right."
~Pulpit Bible commentary
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Relieve the oppressed |
Relieve the oppressed - So the
Septuagint, the Vulgate, the Syriac, and the Chaldean Versions.
But the word translated "oppressed" is thought by many to mean
"oppressor" (Kimchi, Gesenius, Cheyne). This is certainly its
meaning in Psalm 71:4. Translate, tighten the oppressor; i.e.
correct and chasten him. ~Pulpit Bible
commentary
Quoted verse:
Psalm 71:4
Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the
hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
Example: Retired church couple travelling in Idaho.
Stiffed by hotel for extra charges. Church member hears of this
and notifies motel with a press release he intends to send to
all newspapers, radio stations and TV stations within 300 miles
of motel. The subject of the press release was something like,
"Local Motel Harassing Retired Couple on Social Security." Motel
immediately withdrew all charges from the couple.
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Judge the fatherless
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Judge the
fatherless - rather, do justice to the
orphan (Cheyne); see that he
is not wronged—be his champion.
~Pulpit Bible commentary |
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Plead for the widow |
Plead for the widow
- i.e. plead her cause in the courts; or, if judge, and she have
no advocate, lean towards her, as if her advocate. The widow and
the orphan were taken under God’s special protection from the
time of Moses, and constantly commended to the tender care of
the righteous (Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; Deuteronomy
24:17; Deuteronomy 27:19, etc.).
~Pulpit Bible commentary
Quoted verses:
Exodus 22:22-24
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto
me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the
sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children
fatherless.
Deuteronomy 10:18
He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and
loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
Deuteronomy 24:17
Thou shalt not pervert (bend away from) the judgment of the
stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to
pledge:
Deuteronomy 27:19
Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger,
fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
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I will end this sermon with some quotes on
cleaning. One or two of them will strike you as being just physical
when, in fact, for us, they are all spiritual.
"We are used to
cleaning the outside house, but the most important house to clean is
yourself - your own house."
"The objective of
cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that
environment."
"Cleaning and
organizing is a practice not a project."
“Every aspect of your
life is anchored energetically in your living space, so clearing clutter
can completely transform your entire existence.”
“Start your day with
a clean heart; end your day with a revived mind!”
Continue to be clean in the
presence of God
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