Exodus 40 - The Tabernacle is Dedicated
Timeline: 1451 BC
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Israelite Journeys Rameses
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On the fourteenth day of the first month, Abib (Nisan), the Israelites left Egypt. In the third month, the children of Israel arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain on two different occasions. Work on the tabernacle began in the sixth or seventh month and the tent and its furnishings were complete in the twelfth month. One year after their departure, they are now ready to set up the tabernacle. God gave Moses a specific command, instructing him to set up the tabernacle, also known as the tent of meeting, emphasizing the importance of God's timing and obedience to His instructions. He is establishing His dwelling among His people at the start of a new year, signifying new beginnings and His ongoing relationship with Israel. 1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate. 9 "And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it. 12 "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations." 16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did. Moses now has given his instructions so they begin assembling the tabernacle according to all that the Lord had commanded. Each piece was placed exactly where God had told them to. 17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses directed the children of Israel to carefully assemble the tent. The stability of the tabernacle must have depended almost entirely on the sockets which were the foundation of the building. The tent coverings, comprised of curtains made from fine linen, goat's hair, ram skins dyed red and badger skins, were placed over the tabernacle. The ark of the Testimony was brought into the tabernacle and the Ten Commandment tablets, Aaron's staff and the jar of manna were placed inside. According to Jewish tradition, the pieces of the first set of the Ten Commandments were also placed into the ark. The mercy seat was set on top of the ark and the poles inserted into the rings. The veil was then hung separating the holy of holies and the holy place. 22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; and he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; and he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Each piece was placed exactly where God had told them to. In one day the sanctuary was completely set up and the lampstand was lit. Moses anointed the objects first because he needed to use the basin for part of the process of anointing Aaron. He also burnt incense on the altar and made the first sacrifice of burnt offering and grain offering in God's new house. All was now ready for the perpetual service to the Lord. 34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. The cloud which had led them from the Red Sea all the way to Mt. Sinai now enveloped the tent of meeting. God has come to dwell in the midst of Israel as a nation, sanctified by His glory.Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Bible Study Questions 1. When did God tell Moses to set up the tabernacle? 1. On the first day of the first month. 2. What is to be put in first? 1. The lampstand. 3. What is set before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting? 1. The The ark of the testimony. 4. What did God tell Moses to anoint with oil? 1 The children of Israel. 5. Why did Moses put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him? 1. So that he would be recognized as priest. 6. When was the tabernacle finally raised up? 1. On the first month of the first year, on the first day of the month. 7. What did they burn in the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting? 1. Burnt offering. 8. What did Moses, Aaron, and his sons have to do whenever they went into the tabernacle? 1. They would wash their face and their hands with water from the laver. 9. What filled the tabernacle when the cloud appeared? 1. The glory of the Lord. 10. How did God appear over the tabernacle? 1. The glory of the Lord by day and fire by night |
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