In response to the spiritual crisis of the Israelites’ worshipping the golden calf, Moses beseeched God in behalf of His people, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin - ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book” (Exodus 32:32, 33).

As a leader, Moses here gives us the example of intercession for the people, of self-sacrificing love, of being willing to lay down his life, if necessary, for his sheep.

“Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people. Where is their God?” (Joel 2:17).

In the sanctuary service, what was between the porch and the altar? The laver! What was the laver used for? It was the final place of washing, the last minute preparation of cleanliness.

“The sacred tent was enclosed in an open space called the court, which was surrounded by hangings, or screens, of fine linen, suspended from pillars of brass. . . . In the court, and nearest the entrance, stood the brazen altar of burnt offering. Upon this altar were consumed all the sacrifices made by fire unto the Lord, and its horns were sprinkled with the atoning blood. Between the altar and the door of the tabernacle was the laver, which was also of brass, made from the mirrors that had been the freewill offering of the women of Israel. At the laver the priests were to wash their hands and their feet whenever they went into the sacred apartments, or approached the altar to offer a burnt offering unto the Lord.”1

Notice, this study is not about the sanctuary, but it includes it. We are talking here about a preparation. What else is to be done?

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet” (Joel 2:15, 16).

Here the Lord is saying that the entire congregation is to be consecrated to Him - sanctified or set apart for His service. “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil” (Joel 2:12, 13).

Did the early disciples have to do anything before the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them on the day of Pentecost?

“The first disciples went forth preaching the word. They revealed Christ in their lives. And the Lord worked with them, ‘confirming the word with signs following’ (Mark 16:20). These disciples prepared themselves for their work. Before the day of Pentecost they met together, and put away all differences. They were of one accord. They believed Christ’s promise that the blessing would be given, and they prayed in faith. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely; they were weighted with the burden for the salvation of souls. The gospel was to be carried to the uttermost parts of the earth, and they claimed the endowment of power that Christ had promised. Then it was that the Holy Spirit was poured out, and thousands were converted in a day.”2

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).

It is amazing to realize that these disciples were now of one mind - the same disciples that at one time had argued over which of them would be the greatest. Among them were the same disciples who had once wanted to bring fire down from heaven to consume some people. Yet now they were consecrated, they were abiding in Christ. Abiding within consecration, they all had the mind of Christ.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

“Man, fallen man, may be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that he can ‘prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God’ (Romans 12:2). How does he prove this? By the Holy Spirit taking possession of his mind, spirit, heart, and character. Where does the proving come in? ‘We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men’ (1 Corinthians 4:9). A real work is wrought by the Holy Spirit upon the human character, and its fruits are seen.”3

“Our great High Priest who has passed into the heaven, says, ‘I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever’ (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit abides with consecrated laborers who in any locality are seeking to advance the cause.”4

Joel calls this the rending of your heart (Joel 2:13).

Paul says it is the “renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Peter refers to it as repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38).

The Spirit of Prophecy describes it as a humbling of our heart.

This principle is nothing new; it has been around from the time sin first came to the earth. In Genesis 3:23 we find that “the Lord God sent [Adam] forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”

What does tilling the soil have to do with the subject at hand? How can we understand this principle?

“By the parable of the sower, Christ illustrates the things of the kingdom of heaven, and the work of the great Husbandman for His people. Like a sower in the field, He came to scatter the heavenly grain of truth. . . . Because of its simplicity the parable of the sower has not been valued as it should be. From the natural seed cast into the soil, Christ desires to lead our minds to the gospel seed, the sowing of which results in bringing man back to his loyalty to God. He who gave the parable of the tiny seed is the Sovereign of heaven, and the same laws that govern earthly seed sowing govern the sowing of the seeds of truth.”5

We need to grasp this idea! This is like the law of gravity; it is unchangeable!

“ ‘As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth” (Isaiah 61:11). “As in the natural, so in the spiritual sowing; the teacher of truth must seek to prepare the soil of the heart; he must sow the seed; but the power that alone can produce life is from God.”6

Brethren and sisters, we need to break up the fallow ground of our heart. Only then can the seeds of truth spring forth and flourish in new, productive life - even life eternal. We will study more on this in our next article in this series.