1 Kings 7:23

1 Kings 7:23 says, And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.  The next verses continue to tell us of the brasswork that Hiram made, starting with a molten sea.  Verse twenty-four adds, And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.  This molten sea was to have knops, or decorative ornaments on it.  These were all more decorative than of actual value, and some of what we do in church buildings today is the same.  Verse twenty-five continues, It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.  This molten sea stood on twelve statues of oxen.  Matthew Henry says that these served the purpose of supporting the molten sea, but also showed how worthless images of cattle were as something to worship.  We can be certain that nothing in this world is worthy of worship except Jesus Christ Himself.  Verse twenty-six states, And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.  This molten sea was as thick as a hand and would hold enough water for two thousand baths.  So, there was a purpose for the molten sea, but all the ornamentation was unnecessary for it to function.  I personally don't believe that we should spend a lot of resources on just making church buildings look more impressive.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.  Matthew Henry says these bases were pots that water could be drawn from, so that it would be easier for more people to get around to cleanse themselves.  We today are made clean through the blood of Jesus Christ and there is ample room for everyone to gather around Him.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:  Veres twenty-nine concludes, And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.  These bases had images of lions, oxen, and cherubims between the ledges.  These were also for ornamental purposes I believe.  Verse thirty says, And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.  These bases were on wheels so they could be moved around.  Verse thirty-one adds, And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.  I have a hard time visualizing what this looked like, but it all served the purpose of religious cleansing.  The way to spiritual cleansing today is easy to visualize, and that is faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse thirty-two continues, And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.  We have more information about how the wheels and axels were set up.  Verse thirty-three concludes, And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.  The wheels were like chariot wheels and were made of molten brass.  Verse thirty-four states, And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.  This continues to describe the support of the molten sea as it is referred to.  Verse thirty-five adds, And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.  Again, I have trouble visualizing this, but this still has to do with collecting water for purification.  Verse thirty-six continues, For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about. Verse thirty-seven concludes, After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.  All ten bases were ornamented with cherubims, lions, and palm trees and were all the same size.  We today do not need this elaborate system to be made spiritually clean, but only need to put our faith in the Living Water, Jesus Christ.