Verse 4 “And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.”
In their dedication, the priests were washed with water. Water is here a symbol of the Word of God. Those who would minister unto the Lord must be kept clean and this can be done only by the Word and the Spirit. The Psalmist wrote, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Ps.119:9).