The altar of burnt offering is the starting point of our salvation.  We are now in the tabernacle.  Since Christ is the tabernacle, we are now IN CHRIST, the moment we step through the door, and accept the sacrifice on the altar.

But this is only the beginning.  Salvation begins at the Cross, but it certainly doesn't end there.  After the altar we come to the laver of cleansing.  This laver was a wash basin mounted on an attached pedestal or base, and stood in the outer court of the tabernacle.  It was made of brass, and was kept filled with clean water.

Brass in Scripture speaks of the judgment of God, able to withstand the fire of testing.  Water is symbolic of the Word of God.  The laver speaks of separation from the world through confession of sin, and cleansing by the Word of God.  It speaks of self-judgment, and yielding to God for His service alone.

The laver was made from the looking glasses of the women of Israel, which they had carried from Egypt on the Passover night.  Mirrors were made of highly polished brass in those days.  A mirror reflects the natural features of the individual person looking into it.  Looking glasses were for the glorification of the flesh, and the gratification of the old nature.  They're a symbol of human vanity and human pride.  The women of Israel had to surrender these looking glasses and give them up to be made into a laver of cleansing:  They made the bronze basis and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 38:8). The laver speaks of separation from the flesh and from the world, and from the old nature with its pride and lusts, habits and sins.

The women gave up their mirrors to be cast into the brazen laver in self-judgment of their sins and worldliness.  The laver contained water.  The water is the Word of God by which we are cleansed and sanctified.  Jesus said in John 15:3:  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

In John 17:17 He prays:  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Paul says in Ephesians 5:26 concerning the Church:  To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.

From these Scriptures we find that the Word is the cleansing power in our lives and speaks of the water of the washing of the Word.

All Scripture is given for doctrine (that is, teaching), but also "for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

God expects us to go to Him so that He may reveal our shortcomings and blemishes.  The Holy Spirit is the gentle reprover, quickly alerting us to evil.

We need to take God's mirror to show us where we fail.  We should be glad that our mistakes have shown us something in which we are yet to be made stronger as we overcome.  We need to thank God for this polished mirror and say with David:"Forgive my hidden faults.  Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me" (Psalm 19:12,13).

We must not turn away from the Bible because it throws a reproving light on us.  God's Word is the cleansing stream of the Spirit.