Exodus 40-Moses Obeys The Lord's Command To Set Up Tabernacle And The Cloud Of The Lord's Glory Covers Tabernacle
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday December 16, 2012
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 40-Moses Obeys The Lord’s Command To Set Up Tabernacle And The Cloud Of The Lord’s Glory Covers Tabernacle
Lesson # 65
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 40:1.
Exodus 40:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange what belongs on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps. 5 Moreover, you shall set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 You shall set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court. 9 Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy. 10 You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. 11 You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. 14 You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; 15 and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.” 16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. (NASB95)
“The first month” refers to the month of Abib, which constituted the first month in Israel’s religious calendar and took place in March/April according to Exodus 12:2 and 18.
In Exodus 40:1-8, the Lord gives Moses instructions regarding the arrangement of the tabernacle from the interior to the exterior parts and the courtyard curtains.
Then, in Exodus 40:9-11, the Lord instructs Moses to anoint with the anointing oil the tabernacle and all its furnishings.
In Exodus 40:12-16, the Lord orders Moses to wash, dress and anoint Aaron and his sons in order that they could serve Him and the Israelites in the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:12-15 present the outcome of obeying the Lord’s instructions contained in Exodus 28-29.
Exodus 40:12-15 indicates that after Aaron was consecrated or ordained, the other priests, namely, Aaron’s sons were to follow in being clothed and ordained or consecrated to serve in the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:16 is a summary statement emphasizing that Moses was obedient in carrying out everything the Lord commanded him to do with regards to the tabernacle.
Moses’ obedience to the Lord is also mentioned in Exodus 40:19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 32. Moses headed up the tabernacle project and was in effect the quality control supervisor.
Exodus 40:17 Now in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars. 19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22 Then he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 23 He set the arrangement of bread in order on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 25 He lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26 Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; 27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 28 Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. 31 From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33 He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work. (NASB95)
If you compare Exodus 12:17 with 40:2, the reader can see that the tabernacle had been finished in just under a year from the time the Israelites had left Egypt.
So the tabernacle was erected approximately one year after the Exodus from Egypt, which was on the first day of the first month.
The Exodus occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month according to Exodus 12:2, 6, 33-34.
The Israelites were in Sinai eight and one-half months since they arrived at Sinai three months after the Exodus.
We also know that during this time in Sinai Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days on two different occasions (cf. 24:18; 34:28).
Therefore, it is quite likely that the tabernacle project took about six and one-half months, which would involve gathering the materials and constructing the tabernacle.
This period took place from approximately mid-September to late March.
Exodus 40:18-19 presents to the reader in summary form the assembly of the tabernacle framework, curtains and covering which was originally commanded in detail by the Lord in Exodus chapter 26.
Exodus 40:20-21 summarizes the placement of the tablets of the Ten Commandments in the ark.
Exodus 40:22-23 summarizes the placement of the table of showbread in the holy place with the bread of the presence placed on top of it.
The original instructions appeared in Exodus 25:23-30.
Exodus 40:24-25 records Moses placing the golden lampstand and lamps within the holy place.
The original instructions for this are found in Exodus 25:31-40 and 26:35.
In Exodus 40:26-28, the reader is told that the golden incense altar was placed into the holy place right in front of the special curtain or veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies.
Then, in Exodus 40:29, we are told that Moses set up the altar of burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle complex.
He then offered on it the burnt offering and meal offering as the Lord commanded him.
Next, in obedience to the Lord’s command which appears in Exodus 30:17-21, Moses placed the bronze washing basin in the courtyard of the tabernacle.
He then put water in it.
Aaron and his sons then washed their hands and feet.
Whenever Aaron and his sons entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar of burnt offering they would wash just as the Lord commanded them.
Exodus 40:33 records Moses erecting the courtyard and the entrance curtain or veil which was in obedience to the Lord’s instructions that appear in Exodus 27:9-19.
This completed the work of setting up the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; 37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. 38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel. (NASB95)
Verse 34 tells the reader that as a result of the completion of the tabernacle project, the cloud covered the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it.
Even Moses was unable to enter it because of the Lord’s glory.
This cloud first appeared in the Exodus narrative in Exodus 13:21-22.
Exodus 14:19-20, 24 and 16:10 describes this cloud guiding and protecting the Israelites throughout the journey through the wilderness.
The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night was a visible manifestation of the Lord’s presence in the camp of the Israelites.
This visible manifestation was to guide and protect the Israelites and also would comfort them.
This same cloud appeared on top of Mount Sinai when the Israelites first arrived at Mount Sinai (See Exodus 19:9, 16; 24:15-18).
It indicated the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting Moses had set up outside the camp (See Exodus 33:9–10; 34:5).
These verses also reiterate something that was mentioned in Exodus 13:21, namely that the Lord would lead the Israelites in a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night.
The Israelites would not break camp unless this pillar of cloud departed or the pillar of fire.
They didn’t break camp until the Lord moved.