Exodus chapter 40

The Tabernacle is complete. The Cloud of Glory appears.

 


 

THE TABERNACLE IS COMPLETE

 

VERSE 1. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

 

VERSE 2. “On the first day of the first month you shall raise up the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.

you shall. The LORD God is describing events to be done by Moses.

 

VERSE 3. You shall put the ark of the covenant in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.

 

VERSE 4. You shall bring in the table, and set in order the things that are on it. You shall bring in the lamp stand, and light its lamps.

 

VERSE 5. You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.

 

VERSE 6. “You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.

 

VERSE 7. You shall set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and shall put water therein.

 

VERSE 8. You shall set up the court around it, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court.

 

VERSE 9. “You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall make it holy, and all its furniture, and it will be holy.

the anointing oil. Moses is to consecrate things as sacred to the LORD. He does it by smearing them with oil.

In our day, vestiges of this custom remain:

  • Some Christians anoint the sick
  • Some Christians ordain leaders by anointing them with oil, coupled with the laying on of hands
  • Some Christians speak of a preacher being “anointed,” or filled with the Holy Spirit

 

VERSE 10. You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar, and the altar will be most holy.

 

VERSE 11. You shall anoint the basin and its base, and sanctify it.

 

VERSE 12. “You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water.

 

VERSE 13. You shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office.

 

VERSE 14. You shall bring his sons, and put tunics on them.

 

VERSE 15. You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. The Levitical priesthood is permanent.

It has never gone away, and it never will.

 

VERSE 16. Moses did so. According to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did.

 

VERSE 17. In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was raised up.

 

VERSE 18. Moses raised up the tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and put in its bars, and raised up its pillars.

 

VERSE 19. He spread the covering over the tent, and put the roof of the tabernacle above on it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 20. He took and put the covenant into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.

 

VERSE 21. He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 22. He put the table in the Tent of Meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside of the veil.

 

VERSE 23. He set the bread in order on it before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 24. He put the lamp stand in the Tent of Meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

 

VERSE 25. He lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 26. He put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil;

 

VERSE 27. and he burned incense of sweet spices on it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 28. He put up the screen of the door to the tabernacle.

 

VERSE 29. He set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 30. He set the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water therein, with which to wash.

 

VERSE 31. Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and their feet there.

 

VERSE 32. When they went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came near to the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

VERSE 33. He raised up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

 

THE CLOUD OF GLORY APPEARS

 

VERSE 34. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the LORD’s glory filled the tabernacle.

the cloud. The Hebrew word is הֶעָנָ֖ן (“he·‘ā·nān”). It simply means a cloud.

We want to see God. But we are unable to apprehend the LORD God in all his glory. So at the great moments of biblical history, he appears in the hidden form of a Cloud. Read more »

the LORD’s glory. The Hebrew word for glory is כָּבוֹד (“kabowd”). It means glory, abundance, riches, honor, splendor.

It was a glorious visible sign of God’s presence that filled the Dwelling tent.

In our New Testament era, the Dwelling where the glorious presence of the LORD God abides is you. The Holy Spirit lives within you!

You are never alone. God never abandons you. You have a Friend who is closer to you than you are to yourself.

This Holy Spirit is a Comforter, an Advocate who will teach you all things and remind you of what you need at any given moment.

This is such a favor, such a blessing. Prophets and holy people waited millennia for the Inner Presence we enjoy.

Enjoy this incredible presence!

filled the tabernacle. A similar phenomenon took place at the dedication of the temple:

1 Kings 8:10. It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the LORD’s house,

 

VERSE 35. Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and the LORD’s glory filled the tabernacle.

Moses wasn’t able to enter. A similar phenomenon took place at the dedication of the temple:

1 Kings 8:11. so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house.

 

VERSE 36. When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys;

 

VERSE 37. but if the cloud wasn’t taken up, then they didn’t travel until the day that it was taken up.

 

VERSE 38. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

When the LORD God liberated his people from Egypt, he led them with the spectacular Pillar of Cloud and Pillar of Fire. Read more »

 


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EXODUS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 3940

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Pharaoh’s Heart, Moses’ fast

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.