Exodus 40 ~ the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle

Exodus 40


The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put 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 had commanded Moses. 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court.

 So Moses finished the work.


34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud 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 people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.


If you look to see a summation of Exodus and The Book of Numbers:

[The first three plagues seemed to affect "all the land of Egypt," the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th did not affect the children of Israel. The slaves were only spared from the final plague by sacrificing the Paschal lamb, marking the place directly above the doors with the lamb's blood, and eating the roasted sacrifice together.

Chapter 16, 17, 18 discusses problems, Chapters 19 and 20 are about fear.  The Governing Disputes Discussed and the Temple . Complaining begins again as soon as God's business concludes for the Tabernacle in Exodus 32.  Sadness Chapter 33. Fear in Chapter 34.  Blessing in 39 for the last few Chapters of Building the Tabernacle. Glory follows the Blessing in Exodus 40.

 Numbers 9 Describes the Pillar  Numbers 11 ends the setting up of Government and Tabernacle to see complaining again. The pattern is of work or complaints. Numbers 12 is Aaron and Miriam oppose Moses. 13 is the refusal to participate in the promises of God.  14 is more rebellion. 15 Work. 16 Complain. 17 is really sad with miracles and complaints. Numbers 20 is a return back to every day life with Moses having rash words over Water and being provoked with the people again. 21 is deliverance in war and grumbling. 22 Is the surround countries getting worried about this crowd. Numbers 25 Moab Seduces Israel and a plague. Numbers 26 The Second Census. Numbers 27 Zelophehad’s Daughters certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them. 30 is Holy days and vows. Numbers 31 war against the Midianites. 32 is Land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord. 33 Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Numbers 34 is the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries. Numbers 35 have towns to live in and pasturelands. Numbers 36 the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.

Deuteronomy continues in the Exodus we have learned.]

Okay, what the mussing develops into - this is like the beginnings of great logistics. When people think of themselves - they fuss. If building and being a Team - then peace. This is sometimes like Newlyweds. And Corporate Unions.

Poor Moses. Even his father-in-law Jethro is oh-my-gosh-we-have-to-get-the-people-off-your-back-logistics. You have to like Jethro. There is joy in Moses setting up the Tabernacle.  Moses is Worshiping.

Worship even- Today - evokes this.

We are called away from the push and pull - even of the week end to be part of something larger than ourselves.  Have your weekly gratitude list at hand.

This is pleasing to God. And that - Father God - when He is pleased - He pleases back. Go and be nourished. We are only a soul - wrapped by a body.

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