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Foot washing, laver, ceremonial service in the NT not abolished

Q64: 71. A Servant of Servants

Show the Desire of Ages is inspired..

(1) Ceremonial service by Jesus

Jesus said to the disciples, "Ye are clean, but not all." He had washed the feet of Judas, but the hearthad not been yielded to Him. It was not purified. Judas had not submitted himself to Christ.

Notice Jesus when translating His Hebrew words in English, uses two English words "yield" and "submit" to explain why some do not accept Jesus as their Saviour.

Our thoughts are not thoughts of selfcomplacency,but of severe self-censure and humiliation. The mind is energized to break down everybarrier that has caused alienation. Evil thinking and evilspeaking are put away. Sins are confessed, theyare forgiven. The subduing grace of Christ comes into the soul, and the love of Christ draws heartstogether in a blessed unity.

Notice Jesus when translating His Hebrew words in English, uses English words closer to the Hebrew meanings: in this case the "mind" or "nephesh" is like "living energy" is "energized" by the Saviour's power of salvation, as Jesus' beauty, or grace, comes into the mind to "subdue" things not right with Jesus.

To those who receive the spirit of this service, it can never become a mere ceremonial. Its constantlesson will be, "By love serve one another." Gal. 5:13.

The act of foot washing, and receiving the Lord's Ordinance is more than mere ceremonial.

Ge 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

The first use of these words is Abraham, washing Jesus-YHWH's feet when the three come to visit him.

Ge 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways.

Lot bows down to wash the two who came with Jesus, to visit Sodom and stay in Lot's house.

Ex 30:19 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;
  • Ex 30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them,

    Anytime anyone comes into the sanctuary before YHWH, they are to wash their hands and their feet. This is a ceremonial service forever.

    So this ceremonial service is not new in the NT, the act of humility was introduced from the beginning of Abraham's time.

    (2) Ceremonial service by Jesus

    If foot washing is an ancient ceremonial service, is the Lord's ordinance also a ceremonial service?

    Le 5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.

  • Le 6:16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat i t.

    Sometimes the KJV translation is perfect, as in this case. A person could offer fine flour for a sin-offering, rather than a dove or a lamb. Later this flour was eaten by the priest in the holy place, as special food.

    Since Jesus is our high priest, in a heavenly sanctuary, we are living priests with Him, we can partake of the memorial of His sacrifice for sin-offering as Aaron did by eating the flat bread, just as it was written in OT times.

    Notice Jesus speaking of the wine:-

    Mt 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

    Jesus does not drink wine (Eze 44:21) because Jesus enters the inner court in the heavenly sanctuary for us, and does not come out until He is ready to collect his redeemed , sleeping and waiting for the wedding feast of Jesus.

    De 32:14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

    "Drink the pure blood of the grape" is correctly translated, and a symbol of Jesus' blood shed for us.

    So the renewed ceremonial service of Jesus in the latter teachings (NT) is about changing the Lamb slay from an animal to Himself, and instead as a memorial for sin-offering, we break the flat bread instead.Notice the ceremonial services are not abolished, just rearranged by Jesus, who comes as the Lamb for Sin-offering.

    The Lord's Ordinance points back to the Cross as the Lamb for Sin-offering, and forwards to the wedding feast when Jesus drinks new grape juice with His redeemed around the wedding table in heaven.

    That makes the "passover" or "hopping over" to Jesus, a ceremonial service still...a love feast we enjoy in Jesus.

    For more see SOP about Love feast

    The next chapter of Desire of Ages..we look at "In Remembrance of Me"

    Desire of Ages theme

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