Exodus 30:17-21

Exodus 30:17-21

[17] And the LORD  spake  unto Moses,  saying,  [18] Thou shalt also make  a laver  of brass,  and his foot  also of brass,  to wash  withal: and thou shalt put  it between the tabernacle  of the congregation  and the altar,  and thou shalt put  water  [19] For Aaron  and his sons  shall wash  their hands  and their feet  [20] When they go  into the tabernacle  of the congregation,  they shall wash  with water,  that they die  not; or when they come near  to the altar  to minister,  to burn offering  made by fire  unto the LORD:  [21] So they shall wash  their hands  and their feet,  that they die  not: and it shall be a statute  for ever  to them, even to him and to his seed  throughout their generations. 

What does Exodus 30:17-21 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The laver was a large reservoir for the water that the priests used to wash with as they performed their duties. It stood between the brazen altar and the sanctuary. Its presence there symbolized the fact that cleansing is necessary after the making of atonement and before the enjoyment of fellowship with God.
"The necessity of daily cleansing on the part of those who are engaged even in the most holy service, and of all who would approach God, is so obvious as hardly to require comment. The body washed with pure water has for its counterpart the daily cleansing of the soul, without which no man may minister in the Divine presence [1]." [2]
The "base" ( Exodus 30:18) was probably not a pedestal but a smaller vessel used to draw as much water out of the laver as the priest might need to wash. The priests washed their feet as well as their hands ( Exodus 30:21).