THE BRONZE WASHBASIN

Today's reading: Exodus 37-40

"The bronze washbasin and its bronze pedestal were cast from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle." Exodus 38:8 NLT 

How big was this 'sink' and how many mirrors did it take to build it, I'm asking myself this morning.

How, after traveling 40 years through the wilderness, did these mirrors survive unbroken, I question.

And, why mirrors?

In doing a little research about this washbasin, I've found this paragraph that gives me some depth to the mystery...

'The Basin served as a constant reminder of the holiness required of those who minister before the LORD. It underscored the necessity of purity and the separation from sin, which is a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures.'

Nothing reminds you of who you are more quickly than a mirror.

Whether it's that first glimpse of the morning, intensive cosmetic updating or heading out the door for work, we check our mirrors.

We want to know what we look like. How good we look. What needs touching-up. Whether or not we are presentable.

But what if we turned our mirrors over to God for His use?

What if the mirrors we had weren't about how we looked, but how clean we are before the Lord or how we can serve Him?

What if our mirrors caused us to pause and look soul-deep instead of a passing skin-deep glance?

Maybe, just maybe, that's why mirrors were used to build this receptacle for the Lord--a place to stop and clean off the world as one prepared to step into God's presence with a servant's heart.