Chapter Forty
The Tabernacle is Assembled
40:1 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.
God told Moses to assemble the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month, which gives us a time stamp. In Exodus 19:1 the text stated that the people of Israel arrived in the vicinity of Mount Sinai on the first day of the third month after leaving Egypt and now it is nine months later. Many believe that the Tabernacle was completed in just four months. The structure is the first item to be assembled.
Following a similar format of how God first told Moses how to build the various components for the Tabernacle, followed by the account of the construction; the assembly instructions are first given to Moses, then the account of it being assembled.
40:3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
With the structure in place, the Ark of Testimony, without question being the most important item, was to be put inside first. The reference to the Ark would have included the Mercy Seat (see verse 20).[1] Once in place, the Most Holy Place which contained the Ark, was to be separated by the veil.
40:4 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.
Next the furnishings for the Holy Place (the front two-thirds section of the structure) were to be placed inside. The table on the north side (see verse 22), the lampstand on the south side (see verse 24) and the golden altar for incense in front of the veil in the back of the room. A second screen was to be setup in front of the structure (east side) to act as a door.
40:6 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.
God tells Moses where the bronze altar and bronze water basin were to be placed outdoors in the courtyard. Coming in from the entry into the courtyard would first be the altar followed by the basin. Both items would be in line between the entry of the courtyard and the entry into the structure. Water was to be put in the basin.
40:8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
The fence structure with the hangings was to be assembled around the courtyard. The screen was to be placed in front as a gate.
40:9 “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.
Once the Tabernacle was fully assembled, it was to be consecrated by pouring the anointing oil over each component and furnishing inside the structure, to dedicate them to the exclusive service of God, to be made holy (see Leviticus 8:10-13).
40:10 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.
The bronze altar and the bronze basin were to be anointed in the same manner. Everything made for use in the courtyard (including all the utensils) were to be consecrated and made holy. God refers to the consecration of the altar as to make it “most holy” (same wording found earlier in Exodus 29:37).[2]
40:12 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.”
Now the people who were going to serve God as priests, Aaron, and his sons, were next to be consecrated (the ordination process was outlined in Exodus chapter 29 and the actual ordination is recorded in Leviticus chapter 8). Moses was to first wash them in front of the structure, then dress them and then anoint them. This anointing was to admit them to an ongoing priesthood, known as the Aaronic priesthood.
It is interesting to note that neither the text of the instructions given in Exodus 29:7, nor the record of the event in Leviticus 8:12-13, record the anointing of Aaron’s sons using oil. However, here in verse 15, Moses is to anoint them as he had first anointed their father. Plus, they will be later referred to as “the anointed priests” (see Numbers 3:3). Although not anointed initially like their father was (as another title for the high priest is the anointed priest), they are each consecrated with the anointed oil and blood from the second ram, the ram of ordination, “Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.” (Leviticus 8:30)
40:16 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.
The narrative now turns to how Moses followed God’s instructions. On the first day of the first month (Hebrew month called Abib, later will be referred to as Nisan, the start of their second year from Egyptian captivity), Moses assembled the Tabernacle.
40:18 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.
Moses begins by erecting the structure, by putting the bases in place, setting up the frames, putting in the poles and raising its pillars. Then he spread out the layers made to cover the structure. When finished, he placed the Ark and the Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place.
40:21 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.
With the structure erected, Moses first brings in the Ark and installs the veil to separate the Most Holy Place (rear room) from the Holy Place (front room). Moses then brought in the table and placed the bread on the table. The lampstand was set up next, followed by the golden altar of incense. Once everything was inside, Moses installed the screen for the door.
40:29 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.
Once the Tabernacle was ready for service, Moses sets the bronze altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle and offers God a ram for a burnt offering and a grain offering as a gift. The text states he did this as YHWH commanded him to do, but what was he commanded to do? He did have the altar constructed per God’s command (see Exodus 27:1-8; 38:1-7) and placed it where God wanted it (see verse six), however, the offerings appear to be Moses’ own idea, a personal response to God, as they were not part of the instructions given for the priest’s consecration (see Exodus chapter 29), which is later recorded in Leviticus chapter 8.
40:30 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.
The wash basin was brought in the courtyard and placed between the bronze altar and the door to the structure. Whenever Moses, Aaron, or any of Aaron’s sons were to enter the structure or approach the bronze altar, they were to wash their hands and their feet.
40:33 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.
It is interesting to note that the text in this chapter referred to Moses doing all the work. Did he singlehandedly assemble the Tabernacle? The text seems to imply that he did. Here Moses did the work that will be later tasked to the priests and Levites. He will soon proceed with the consecration of the priests. Seeing what Moses has done, and will continue to do, returns us to the question asked earlier, who is this man?[3] He is not the High Priest or even a priest but appears to have a higher recognition and acceptance from God. With Scripture saying he did all the work, that should remind you of another who did all the work for your salvation, Jesus Christ. Moses is indeed an Old Testament model of Christ (see Appendix 3). The commentator Arthur Walkington Pink connects this chapter to the description of Moses in the book of Hebrews, which looks at the unique role of Moses and points out the superiority of Christ:
Next we would observe that Moses is the sole actor in this chapter: “And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the pillars thereof, and reared up his pillars” (v. 18). All subordinates disappear from view and only Moses is seen: read vv. 19–33, at the end of which we are told, “so Moses finished the work.” The present application of this is given us in Hebrews 3:3–6, “For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is builded by some man: but He that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all His house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”[4]
Considerations
Before proceeding with the tenth plague, God instructed Moses and Aaron to change the calendar. "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you." (Exodus 12:2) As discussed in the commentary for Exodus chapter twelve, the month of Abib (or later referred to as Nisan) becomes the first month in God's calendar. While the meaning of the word 'Nisan' is often debated (from referring to the "first flower" to that of "their flight"), it embraces the concept of "new beginnings." In that month we see three God-ordained and appointed times celebrated (the spring feasts) which are Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits. Each being a commemorating event (connecting a past event to a future time) that were fulfilled by Jesus as He died on Passover, was in the grave during the feast of Unleavened Bread, and rose from the grave on the Feast of Firstfruits, all representing components leading to our salvation.
Here in the last chapter of Exodus we read about the final assembly of the Tabernacle occurring on the first day of the first month (see Exodus 40:1, 17), truly "new beginnings" for the Israelites. This Tabernacle (Hebrew miš·kān, which means 'dwelling') was built, per God's instruction so He could 'dwell' among His people. Now after examining the construction materials, the furnishings, and the priestly protocols, we can clearly see that the Tabernacle truly pointed to Jesus! Remember when Isaiah foretold of Jesus' arrival, he said He would be called "Immanuel," which means "God is with us" (see Isaiah 7:14). Understanding that whenever a prophecy in the Bible is fulfilled, it is always done precisely on the right day and time, we may be overlooking another important event that also occurred on the first day of the first month.
The following may appear at first as being a "non sequitur" statement, so please be patient. We celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th, a date rich in pagan meaning (remember Roman Emperor Constantine, who officially embraced December 25, believed in multiple gods, Jesus was just added to the list of a growing pantheon of gods and goddesses), so we know for multiple reasons that Jesus was not born on that date. Since the Bible does not give us a date, we cannot know for certain Jesus' birthday. But we are given a number of clues that help us recognize that Jesus was likely born in the spring just before the spring festivals began.
For example, we know that John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus (see Luke 1:36). His father, Zechariah, a priest, received word from an angel that his wife would have a son while on duty at the Temple. Due to an abundance of priests back in King David's reign, the king developed a system of priest rotation to serve at the Temple (see 1 Chronicles 24:1-31), Zechariah was of the "Abijah Division," (see Luke 1:5) which when traced in history would place Zechariah's conversation with the angel between the Hebrew months of Chislev and Tebeth, making John's birth nine months later around the first of Tishri (September-October). Six months later would place Jesus' birthday near the beginning of the month of Nisan (March-April).
Plus, we know that shepherds were rarely out at night with their flocks (as described in Luke 2:8), unless there was a problem, such as inclement weather, or it was during lambing season (unlike humans, sheep only give birth once a year in the spring), when they could watch for newborns and take care of them after they're born.
There are several other clues in the Bible, but these are probably sufficient to begin thinking that Jesus was born sometime in the spring, not during fall months and certainly not during winter. With God being precise in His timing it is also likely He was born on the first day of the first month, on the same day on God's calendar the Tabernacle (which every detail of construction and operation was about Jesus and His ministry) officially went into service. Truly a time of New Beginnings! Just imagine the Shepherds were watching their flocks for newborn lambs while the Lamb of God (see John 1:29), the Savior was born.
Why keep the date a secret? Probably for the same reason the appearance of Jesus was never described in the Bible, to prevent people from putting too much emphasis on unimportant aspects. As Christians our eyes must always be on Jesus. If He wanted us to know, the Bible would have clearly stated, remember, this discussion is just speculation.
The Glory of YHWH
40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
The presence of God was manifested in a tangible and visible way with a cloud covering the structure (similar to Exodus 13:21-22; 24:15-16). The glory of YHWH filled the Tabernacle. Through this visual evidence of His presence, God was demonstrating acceptance of the work done.
40:35 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.
The text does not explain why Moses could not enter the structure, other than the glory of YHWH filled the Tabernacle (perhaps it was indeed filled, Hebrew word ‘mā·lē(‘)’,[5] meaning to be full or complete, and there was no more room). The word translated here as ‘settled’, is the Hebrew word ‘šā·ḵǎn’,[6] meaning to dwell.[7]
40:36 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.
As promised God would be with the people of Israel as they traveled to the Promised Land. The Tabernacle was to be centerpiece of their lives, it will literally be placed in the center of their camp. In this summary (or perhaps it might best be described as a parenthetical statement) we read that whenever God wanted His people to move, “the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted.” (Exodus 40:36b-37, NLT) During the day God’s presence was manifested as a cloud during the day and by fire at night. God wanted the people to know that He was with them and that He was the one leading the way.
Considerations
Identified as, “A Prayer of Moses, the man of God,” this psalm refers to God as a dwelling place (Hebrew ‘mā·’ôn’[8], a habitation, a refuge) a major theme of the Tabernacle as its name implies. Many connect this psalm to the final assembly and dedication of the Tabernacle along with the blessing of the people of Israel (see Exodus 39:43) offered by Moses. An appropriate closing to any study of the book of Exodus as Moses’ prayer helps raise the eyes of its readers from something beautiful, but only exists for a short period of time, to the eternal and awesome beauty of a gracious and loving God!
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You return man to dust, and say,
“Return, O children of man!”
For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as with a flood;
they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and isrenewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh,
The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O Lord!How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the world of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
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[1] See also Considerations under Exodus 30:36-38.
[2] See commentary under Exodus 29:35-36.
[3] See Considerations under Exodus 25:38-40.
[4] Pink, A. W. (1962). Gleanings in Exodus (p. 377). Chicago: Moody Press.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 4390.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 7931.
[7] See commentary under Exodus 3:2 regarding God’s glory and the word Shekinah.
[8] Strong’s Hebrew 4583.