Question 1

What were the ten lavers in the temple used for?

Accepted Answer

The ten lavers were large bronze washbasins placed in the temple court, five on the right and five on the left. They were used to wash the parts of the animals that were offered on the burnt offering altar. This showed that what was given to God needed to be clean. It also pictured how our service to God should be free from what is unclean or sinful. The lavers were separate from the big sea, which was for the priests themselves to wash in before they served.

Question 2

What was the difference between the lavers and the sea?

Accepted Answer

Both the lavers and the sea held water, but they had different purposes. The ten lavers were for washing the pieces of the burnt offerings, so the sacrifices themselves were washed before being burned. The great sea, set on twelve oxen, was for the priests to wash in as they came to serve. This pictured two things at once: people who serve God must be cleansed, and what they offer to God must also be pure. It pointed ahead to a deeper cleansing from sin.

Question 3

Why were there ten golden candlesticks instead of one?

Accepted Answer

Earlier, there had been one lampstand, but here ten golden candlesticks are made and set in the temple, five on each side. This increase fits with the larger temple and the larger number of worshipers. The lamps gave light in the holy place and pictured God’s word as light in a dark place. The growth from one to many hints that God’s light among his people would grow and spread. It also reflects that, as God enlarged the house, he also enlarged the light within it.

Question 4

What was the purpose of the ten tables in the temple?

Accepted Answer

The passage says Solomon made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on each side. Elsewhere we learn these were for the bread set before the Lord. The increase from one table to many fits with the larger temple and greater “household” of God. It shows that in God’s house there is plenty of bread, a picture of his ongoing care and provision for his people. The many tables, with their gold bowls, suggest a well-supplied table in the presence of God.

Question 5

Why does this passage mention a hundred basons of gold?

Accepted Answer

The hundred gold basons, or bowls, belonged to the temple tables and service. They were used with the tables and offerings, likely for the bread and the drink that went with the sacrifices. The fact that they were many and made of gold shows that God’s service was not to be done carelessly or cheaply. It hints at the richness of God’s table and his fellowship with his people. The details remind readers that God deserves our best and that his house is a place of holy abundance.

Question 6

What does this temple furniture teach about cleansing from sin?

Accepted Answer

The sea and the lavers both picture cleansing. The priests had to wash before serving, and the offerings had to be washed before being burned. This points to two truths. First, those who draw near to God need to be cleansed, not just outwardly but in heart. Second, even our worship and service are touched by sin and need to be purified. The large size of the sea hints at plenty of water, pointing ahead to a rich, open way of cleansing in God’s plan, not a small or limited one.

Question 7

How do the ten candlesticks relate to God’s word and light?

Accepted Answer

The candlesticks gave light in a room with no windows. They picture how God’s word shines in a dark world. At first there had been only one lampstand. Now there are ten, which fits with more of God’s written word being given over time and with a larger people gathered to him. The increase of light in the temple hints at growing light from God, not only for one small group, but for many. It is a gentle reminder that life with God is meant to be walked in the light he gives.

Question 8

How can this detailed description of temple furniture help believers today?

Accepted Answer

Even though we do not worship at that temple now, these details still help us. They remind us that God cares about purity, order, and beauty in worship. The washings point to our need to turn from sin and seek cleansing of heart. The lampstands remind us to live by God’s light and not our own ideas. The tables and bowls show that God gives ongoing spiritual “food” to his people. Thinking about these things can lead us to approach God with respect, trust, and a desire for clean hearts.

2 Chronicles 4:6

¶ He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

The Ten Basins, Lampstands, and Tables

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2 Chronicles 4:6

¶ He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

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The Ten Basins, Lampstands, and Tables

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