#29
“I will give you treasures of darkness and hidden riches of the Secret Place, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.”  Isaiah 45:3

“Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes.  Then go down to the threshing floor…”  Ruth 3:3a

Wash, perfume and put on your best clothes – we are headed to The Secret Place!

Let us journey back to “In the Secret Place”, Part 8, for just a moment.

“…He has consecrated those He has invited.”  Zephaniah 1:7b

We have been invited by the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Holy One of Israel, the Rock of All Ages, to enter into the Secret Place, the Threshing Floor, His Chamber.  The Master of the Banquet has given us a personal invitation to enter into the King’s Palace, so that He can fellowship with us, love on us, and  take our breath away.  What will we do with the RSVP?  And, if we accept the invitation, oh my, but what will we wear? 

“Wash…yourself…”
First, we must wash at the Brazen Laver.  In the Old Testament Tabernacle, the Brazen Laver was a large basin used for ceremonial ablutions (to wash away; the washing of one’s body or part of it as in a religious rite) in the ancient Jewish tabernacle and Temple worship.  The laver is symbolic to where we receive sanctification.  It is in the process of sanctification we receive Him as Lord of our lives.

Sanctification is a big word, but it is the state of growing in divine grace as a result of Christian commitment after baptism or conversion; to make productive of holiness or piety; to set apart to a sacred purpose or to religious use:  consecrate.  (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary) 

“To grow in divine grace” – after we make our commitment, passing through the East Gate and accepting Jesus as our Savior, we have the opportunity to “grow” in His divine grace that He so graciously lavishes upon us, to make Him Lord of our lives…or we can just stay where we are and become stagnant.

“To make productive of our holiness” that has been given to us…or stay where we are and become stagnant.

“To be set apart for His sacred purposes”…or stay where we are and become stagnant. 

Stagnant:  Not flowing in a current or stream; stale; not advancing or developing.  (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)

Have you ever smelled of stagnant water?  It smells sour, stale, and it is dirty.  It is not living water – it is dead water, not flowing in a current or stream.  The last thing we want to do is drink it or even bathe in it.   If we do not bathe in the waters of Sanctification, the Living Water, we are not advancing or developing, and He cannot be the Lord of our lives.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing.  Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.  Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.  Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.  Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die.  This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.’” Exodus 30:17-21

The Well of Sanctification is bottomless.  It is deep, and it is always flowing and full of fresh Living Water.  Did you notice in the Lord’s instruction to Moses that when Aaron and his sons approached the altar to minister by presenting an offering “made to the Lord by fire”, they were to take a dip into the basin of water?  They were instructed to wash, so that they would not die.  I love that!  Our Lord knows that the “offering made by fire” is one of the most precious gifts we can bring to Him.  He knows the heartaches, the trials, the beatings we take from the enemy are precious offerings when brought back to Him while we are in the fire or after we have walked through the fire.  So He instructs us, “As you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.  I am with you.  When you get through that fire, stop by My well of Living Water, take a sip and a long cool bath so you will not die from the heat of the fire you just walked through.  Come to Me so I can give you rest.”

As we approach the place of washing, we must recognize that we can only receive water, the sanctification, from One Source.  We cannot expect to receive our sanctification from someone or somewhere else.  “Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.” The Lord was instructing the sons to do it—Daddy Aaron could not do this for them or do it in their place.  In other words, we cannot ride someone else’s coattails into Heaven!  We cannot bring another date to the King’s Ball!  This is about a one-on-One relationship.  Sanctification is about taking responsibility for making Him Lord of lords of our own life.    

He is the Ancient of Days…but His water is alive and it is fresh and it is delicious. 

“But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you…He who formed you…’Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.  When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…You are precious and honored in My sight, and…I love you.”  Isaiah 43:1-3a, 4