Baskets and Washboards

Recently in talking with my cousin, Joyce, she said that God had given her two words for me. Words that upon first thought have nothing in common, have no scriptural references so we were both puzzled at what God had revealed to her. I, nevertheless, wrote them down and have been pondering over them since that day. My prayer, as is hers, is that God will make known what His plan is for these words, and that I might have open and discerning eyes as I pray for and meditate on both words; baskets and washboards.

Several weeks of thinking on baskets and washboards and what they might have in common, or what even might be their place in a devotional I felt led to jot down some thoughts. What is the purpose of these two words? Moses was saved in a basket, rescued from the basket and became God’s man to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Also, baskets were used to bring the first fruits to God. The basket for the apostle Paul was a way of escape (Acts 9). Naaman, a leper in the king’s service, was told by a little slave girl to seek the prophet of God in Israel and he could be healed. When Naaman went to Elisha, the prophet sent word to Naaman to go and dip himself in the Jordan River seven time. He did this and became clean with skin as new as a child’s. Naaman became a believer in the God of Elisha (2 Kings 5).

I’d like to compare the basket in which Moses was sent out into the river to our physical birth. We come into this world with the protection and love of our parents but at the same time we are entering the unknown. We go through life to the point that we confess our sin and accept Jesus as Saviour. There you have the rescue from the basket of birth. Although I reference the basket used in bringing the first fruits as offerings to God, I also think we can visualize bringing in that basket our sins, burdens and concerns to Him as well. If we will cast it all to Him, our basket’s load will be lightened. Also, we are promised a way of escape in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

Looking at the story of Naaman, I envision him dipping himself under the water, in and out of the river seven times. Up and down, up and down until he sees that his skin is like new and clean. This is the same action when using a washboard, up and down with the clothing until all stains have been removed. The garment becomes as new. We, after accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, are baptized, the scriptures tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is new creature: old things are passed away; behold al things are become new.” We go into the baptismal waters “dirty” and are raised cleansed by the blood of Christ.

So, maybe baskets and washboards do go together! We are rescued from our basket by Christ and cleansed by the washing of our sins in His blood, the blood shed for us on the Cross of Calvary!

Our baskets of dirty laundry are cleaned and washed white as snow by the grace of God in the gift of His Son.