Mirror, Mirror, Going from My Wall to HIS Tent

The Bronze Laver

Exodus 38:8:

Morever, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Thoughts on the Passage

This is the basin that held the water for the ceremonial washing, in accordance with the original instructions of Exodus 30:17-21 where there is no mention of the use of mirrors. Here in chapter 38, we learn that the basin’s material came in part of from polished metal mirrors, owned by the women of the camp. David Guzak postulates that “It is wonderful to think that these women gave up their ability to measure their own physical beauty to make this reservoir. . .. By analogy, it may be said that some [people today] are so focused on looking at themselves that they fail to look to Jesus. It is always time to surrender such a mirror to Jesus.”

He says, “one may say that believers experience the washing of water by the Word (Ephesians 5:26), and that the Word of God is like a mirror (James 1;22-25).

Guzak then goes on to quote others who have offered analogies on this verse. For example, a certain Morgan is said to have written, “It is in the beauty of holiness men must worship, and by the surrender of everything of the flesh.”

Another commentator by the name of Trapp adds, “Let those who view themselves oft in their looking-glasses take his counsel who said, ‘Art thou fair? Be not like an Egyptian temple, varnish without and vermin within. Art thou foul? Let they soul be like a rich pearl in a rude shell.’”

From the text, we learn that there seemed to be a group of women in Israel who served God by regularly gathering to help the priests and the work of the Tabernacle. We see this in practice even today in many of our Protestant churches.  I have also witnessed it in the Greek Orthodox religion.

Guzak says the verb used here and translated ‘minister’ is rare and interesting. It is used in only one other place to refer to women in the service of the sanctuary (see I Samuel 2:22). He says quoting Cole, it really means “’organized in bands for war’, but it is used of ordinary Levitical service (see Numbers 4:23).”

Of course, when we read the I Samuel reference, we can see that all good things, including those intended for God’s service, can be misused. Hopefully, this was not the case at the time of the construction of the Tabernacle.

Robert Jamieson adds to our knowledge by saying, “It was customary for the Egyptian women to carry mirrors with them to the temples; and whether by taking the looking glasses of the Hebrew women Moses designed to put it out of their power to follow a similar practice at the Tabernacle, or whether the supply of brass from other sources in the camp was exhausted, it is interesting to learn how zealously and to a vast extent they surrendered those valued accompaniments of the female [toiletries]”.

Guzak also quotes Hengstenberg who suggests that these women “at the door” were not priestesses but women of pious character and influence, who frequented the courts of the sacred building (see Luke 2:37), and whose parting with their mirrors, like the cutting the hair of the Nazarites, was their renouncing the world for a season.”

Matthew Henry takes us one step further in his commentary on this verse. He suggests this laver holding the water for the priests to wash in when they went in to minister signifies, “the provision that is made in the gospel of Christ for the cleansing of our souls from the moral pollution of sin by the merit and grace of Christ, that we may be fit to serve the holy God in holy duties.” And thus, he says, the refence to the “looking-glasses” or mirrors of the women.

Henry analyzes the whole occasion of the women parting with their finest mirrors. Some women may admire their own beauty, are in love with their own shadow, and make the putting on of apparel their chief adorning by which they value and recommend themselves (do we know any such people – for I daresay, males could also easily be like this – in Hollywood and elsewhere) – these people Henry says can but ill spare their looking-glasses. And then he adds, “yet these women (in our text) offered them to God.”

He goes on to suggest two possible reasons as to why:

1.     In token of their repentance for the former abuse of them (the mirrors), to the support of their pride and vanity; now that they were convinced of their folly, and had devoted themselves to the service of God at the door of the Tabernacle, they thus threw away that which, though lawful and useful in itself, yet had been an occasion of sin to them. Thus Mary Magdalene, who had been a sinner, when she became a penitent wiped Christ’s feet with her hair.  Or,

2.     In token of their great zeal for the work of the Tabernacle; rather than the workmen should want brass, or not have of the best, they would part with their mirrors, though they could not do well without them. God’s service and glory must always be preferred by us before any satisfactions or accommodations of our own. Let us never complain of the want of that which we may honor God by parting with.

Henry suggests that the mirrors were either joined together or molten down and cast anew. But his guess is that the basin was so brightly burnished that the sides of it still served for mirrors, “that the priests, when they came to wash, might there see their faces, and so discover the spots, to wash them clean.”

He goes on to say, “Note, in the washing of repentance, there is need of the looking-glass of self-examination. The Word of God is a glass, in which we may see our own faces (see James 1:23); and with it we must compare our own hearts and lives, that, finding out our blemishes, we may wash with particular sorrow, and application of the blood of Christ to our souls. Usually the more particular we are in the confession of sin the more comfort we have in the sense of the pardon.”

Isn’t it amazing how much we can squeeze out of one verse of Scripture?  The gems are always there for us if we want to dig.  The bottom line for us is this – God first, our ‘image’ last.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.