Read Exodus 40
Setting Up the Tabernacle
1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.
17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts.19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.
20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.
22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.
28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.
30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
Go Deeper
What an ending to Exodus! Almost exactly a year from their freedom from Egypt, the tabernacle is ready. But, before we jump to the end, let’s sit with anticipation for a few moments. Remember where we started? A group of slaves without a way out. A people with no leader. Darkness, misery, and oppression. Enter, a reluctant leader who asks for another to be sent in his place. Then, a story ensues of supernatural deliverance, disobedience, forgiveness, provision, instructions, obedience, faithfulness, and ultimately the preparation of the tabernacle for God’s presence.
God commanded every detail about the tabernacle’s construction and purpose. Moses had delivered every word to the Israelites. All instructions had been given and carried out and now… the anticipation of glory. Not any glory, no. Shekinah glory. The glory of the One and only God, His divine presence.
Imagine the emotions of the Hebrews. Awe and wonder. Accomplishment and purpose. They worked diligently to finish the work God commanded them to do. The Israelites had moments of failure and disobedience over the course of their year of freedom, but God is faithful to His Word, not ours. And since He deemed the tabernacle as acceptable and holy, He did what He promised. He filled the dwelling place with His glory.
Exodus doesn’t end with a description of how beautiful the tabernacle is or the materials in it. We couldn’t comprehend it if it did. Exodus ends with a description of how its purpose was fulfilled. The tabernacle was built so that God could dwell among the Israelites. God in their midst. The only God of His kind. The only religion where God comes down to the people.
Because God can’t stay away from His people. He is with us. He loves us with an everlasting love—a never stopping, unbreaking, never giving up, always and forever love. Let’s be people who are beautiful dwelling places of the Holy Spirit. People who fulfill the purpose for which we were made—to love God and love others.
Questions
- What do you think the first year of freedom was like for the Israelites? For Moses?
- What do you learn from the Israelites? From Moses?
- How do others know you are set apart for God?
Watch This
Now that we’re at the conclusion of Exodus, re-watch this video from The Bible Project about the back half of Exodus!
6 thoughts on “Exodus 40”
The last paragraph of Digging Deeper struck a chord with me this morning. “Let us be people who are beautiful dwelling places of the Holy Spirit.
As we end Exodus today, my wife and I are ending a semester abroad in the Netherlands. In the town we stayed there are six churches that date back to before Columbus sailed. They are beautiful, but are mostly emptied or being repurposed.
It was a vivid example that we are the church, not a building. Thanks BRP for the great reminder!
Prayers for safe travels back home!
Overwhelming
God wants me/you. That is overwhelming, with joy unspeakable, to think about. He wants to dwell in our tabernacle. Symbolism is so rich in this book. Learning about God’s heart a little more every time I open His Word, makes me thankful. He lets me see more of a glimse into what will be, soon and very soon. The anticipation of glory. Not any glory, no. Shekinah glory, round about us at ALL times. WOWAZ!!!! WOOHOO!!! and all the other exclamatory words!! We can and do have it now, BUT GOD doesnt give it all to us due to we could/would not be able to handle that much glory. Anticipation, from what they had in a tabernacle, that only the priest could be allowed in, to the now. We are the tabernacle that God dwells in.
God thank You for Your amazingness!! God thank You for helping me comprehend all that You have given in these minutes of this day for me to glorify You. God thank You that I truly give You my all. Help me to have strength to comprehend with all of me, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know Your love through Christ that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fullness of You, God. God thank You for these minutes of this day worshipping You, glorifing You, loving on Your people, seeing others through Your love goggles, speaking with right words, that all of me is praising to You in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The time had finally come to set up, anoint and consecrate this sacred meeting place, which was carried out exactly as God directed. It was definitely worth every ounce of effort as the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. All the Israelites witnessed this spectacular visitation of God. This cloud of glory would continue to guide the people throughout their travels to the promised land. This same God would one day split the skies with angel voices announcing the birth of Immanuel, and one day his glory will be revealed once again in the second coming of Christ. Truly, we must prepare and consecrate the sacred spaces of our hearts every day to meet with him. Oh, come let us adore him, Christ the Lord, for he alone is worthy!
36 “In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted.“
Waiting, not moving until the cloud lifted, must have been a test of patience for the Israelites! “Come on, we’ve built the tabernacle, let’s get moving to the Promised Land!”
The Tabernacle served as a physical representation of God’s presence and a place for the Israelites to encounter Him. It reminds us that we need to seek God’s presence in our lives and create spaces for worship and encounter with Him. God led the Israelites and leads us today through His Spirit. Holy,Holy,Holy is the Lord!