What does the use of "basins" in 2 Chronicles 4:6 symbolize for believers today? Tracing the Text “He also made ten basins and placed five on the right side and five on the left to wash the offerings; the things to be burned in the burnt offerings were rinsed in them, but the Sea was for the priests for their washing.” (2 Chronicles 4:6) What the Basins Did in Solomon’s Temple • Ten portable bronze basins, stationed outside the sanctuary. • Used to cleanse the meat of the burnt offerings from ash and debris. • Distinct from “the Sea,” the large laver reserved exclusively for priestly washing. • Five on each side—orderly, balanced, always ready for use. Key Scriptural Themes the Basins Evoke • Cleansing before sacrifice — Exodus 30:17-20; every approach to God required washing. • Completeness — the number ten often pictures wholeness (e.g., Ten Commandments). • Separation from impurity — Isaiah 1:16 “Wash and make yourselves clean.” • Preparation for worship — Psalm 24:3-4 “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? … He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” What the Basins Symbolize for Us Today • Continual Cleansing in Christ – 1 John 1:7 “The blood of Jesus … cleanses us from all sin.” – Titus 3:5 “He saved us … by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” • Readiness for Service – Romans 12:1 “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” – 2 Timothy 2:21 “If anyone cleanses himself … he will be a vessel for honor, prepared for every good work.” • Daily Sanctification, Not One-Time – John 13:10 “Whoever has bathed needs only to wash his feet”—ongoing cleansing even after initial salvation. – Ephesians 5:26 “…to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.” Practical Takeaways • Keep short accounts with God; confess quickly. • Let Scripture “rinse” your thoughts each day. • Approach every act of service—at home, church, or workplace—freshly cleansed in heart. • Remember balance: five basins on each side picture an ordered life—public actions and private motives alike washed by the Spirit. |
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