March 15, 2024 | Be God's Light
The Tabernacle
Scripture: Exodus 40(NIV)
1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.
12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.
17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. 19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.
20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.
22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
24 He placed 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 commanded him.
26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.
28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.
30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
Devotional
The last sixteen chapters of the book of Exodus are largely dedicated to preparing a house of worship for the Israelites. Since the people were not yet in the Promised Land, then needed a sanctuary that was portable as they moved from place to place. In Exodus 25:8-9 the Lord said, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”
The tabernacle was so important to the ordering of their spiritual lives that 50 chapters of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are about it. This includes the construction of the tabernacle itself, the contents (including the ark of the Covenant, altar table, lampstands and basins) and instructions for priests (including their garments, duties, feasts, and sacrifices). This larger tabernacle Tent of Meeting used by the priests replaced the smaller Tent of Meeting used by Moses
Here in Exodus 40, the tabernacle is set up exactly according to God’s instructions. When it was finished, the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. When have you sensed God that intimately? Have you ever been in a worship setting where His presence was thick? How did it affect you?
God’s presence was so thick that the people determined whether to stay put or move on based on the cloud of the Lord covering it. Back when the people were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, they were led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Now, as a people freed from slavery, they were again led by the cloud covering by day and the fire by night (see also Numbers 9:15-16).
Take time to thank God that He guides your life, day and night, year by year. Make Psalm 25:4-5 a prayer to Him: “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Poem
Finish The Work
I've listened, LORD, to your commands
I've fashioned, hued with my own hands
I've done all that you have required
Now finish the work, O LORD.
You formed the temple in my womb
You birthed them from death's darken tomb
You taught them from your precious word
Now finish the work, O LORD.
My children, LORD, are just like me
In need of fashioning from Thee
I've done my best and offer them
Now finish the work, O LORD.
Your cloud of cover, your glory fill
Your Spirit's call to do your will
You are the potter, they are the clay
Now finish the work, O LORD.
