The Tabernacle is Set Up and God Takes Possession of It

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Exodus 40:1) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation."

In the last chapter, Moses had just inspected the newly completed work on the tabernacle, and now the Lord told Moses to set up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month, which was Nisan, and would have been about April.  It is generally supposed that the Israelites began the work of the tabernacle about the sixth month after they had left Egypt, and as the work was finished about the end of the first year of their exodus (it was to be set up the first day of the second year), they had therefore spent about six months making it, meaning the tabernacle had been constructed and (would be) set up one year after they had left Egypt.

(3) "And you shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and cover the ark with the veil."

The first thing to be placed in the tabernacle was the ark of the Testimony which was to be placed in the most holy place of the tabernacle and was to be closed in and covered from view by the veil that divided the holy place from the most holy place.

(4) "And 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 candlestick and light its lamps."

Next the table that was to be the table of showbread was to be brought in and the dishes and utensils that were to be placed on it were to be arranged in order.  Then they were to bring in the candle stand and light its lamps.

(5) "And you shall set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the hanging of the door to the tabernacle."

Then was to be set up the altar of gold which was the incense altar that was to be placed before the ark of the Testimony, not within the most holy place, but before it within the holy place.  Then they were to put up the door or curtain of entrance into the holy place, separating it from the court of the tabernacle.

(6) "And you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation."

Next they were to set up the altar of the burnt offering where the sacrifices of the people were to be brought, and offered up by the priests.  This was to be set up in the open courtyard, before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

(7) “And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and shall put water in it."

Then was to be placed the laver of brass between the tabernacle and the altar, and water was to be put into it for washing.

(8) "And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the hanging at the court gate."

Then was to be set up the curtains of the court all around, and a hanging for a court gate.

(9) “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall hallow it and all its vessels, and it shall be holy. (10) And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar; and it shall be an altar most holy. (11) And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it."

The Lord then told Moses to consecrate the tabernacle and all that was in it, by anointing them with the oil which had been prepared for that purpose (Exodus 30:25).  The tabernacle, all its utensils, the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, and the laver and its base, would all be rendered holy by the anointing.

(12) "And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and wash them with water."

After anointing the tabernacle, Aaron and his sons were to be brought to the door of the tabernacle to be washed and then anointed as follows:

(13) "And you shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and sanctify him, that he may minister to Me in the priest's office. (14) And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with coats. (15) And 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.”

First the holy garments were to be put on Aaron, and he was to be anointed and sanctified so that he may minister to the Lord as priest.  Then Aaron's sons were to be clothed in their coats, and also anointed so that they, too, could minister to the Lord as priests.  By this anointing a right was given to Aaron and his family to be high priests among the Jews throughout their generations, until the Messiah, the true priest, would come, and put an end to the Aaronic priesthood, which served as an illustrative type of Christ.

(16) Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did. (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.

Moses did all that the Lord had commanded he do.  On the first day of the first month, Nisan, the beginning of the second year after they had come out of Egypt, the tabernacle was raised up.

(18) And Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. (19) 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.

These two verses tell how the tabernacle itself was raised up by Moses, and surely others under his direction.  They set up the boards, bars, and pillars, fastened the sockets, and spread out the tent and the covering, just as the Lord had commanded Moses to do.

(20) And he took the Testimony and put it into the ark, set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. (21) 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 took the Testimony, the two tables of the Ten Commandments, and placed them inside the ark.  He set the poles in place, with which to carry the ark, and he placed the mercy seat on top of the ark.  He brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung up the "veil of the covering" that divided the holy place from the most holy place, wherein the ark of the Testimony was kept out of view.  All this Moses did according to the instructions given to him by the Lord.

(22) And he put the table in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. (23) And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses set up the showbread table inside the tabernacle on the north side, outside the veil that covered the ark in the most holy place.  He set the bread "in order" upon the table before the Lord, and as the Lord had commanded.  Setting up the showbread has been mentioned previously in Exodus 25:30, Exodus 35:13, and Exodus 39:36, but the exact order of placing twelve loaves in two piles of six, I don't believe has been described yet, but is detailed in Leviticus 24.

(24) And he put the candlestick in the tabernacle of the congregation, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. (25) And he lighted the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses put the candlestand in the tabernacle across from the showbread table, on the south side of the tabernacle.  He lit the seven lights before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him to do.

(26) And he put the golden altar in the tabernacle of the congregation in front of the veil; (27) And he burned sweet incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses placed the golden incense altar in the tabernacle in front of the veil enclosing the ark.  It appears to have been set in the middle between the table of showbread on the north side and the candlestand on the south side.  Moses then burned sweet incense on the golden incense altar, just as the Lord had instructed him to do.

(28) And he hung up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

Moses then hung up the curtain at the door of the tabernacle, separating the sanctuary from the courtyard.

(29) And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle and appears to have immediately offered upon the altar a burnt offering and a meat offering, as the Lord had commanded him.

(30) And he set the laver between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and put water there for washing. (31) And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there. (32) When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Moses set the laver, or wash basin, between the tabernacle and the altar and put water in it.  Moses, Aaron, and his sons all washed their hands and feet from it.  Whenever they went into the tabernacle and whenever they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed out that the phrase "as the Lord commanded Moses" was "near twenty times expressed in this and the preceding chapter, to show that everything was done by the workmen, and everything put in its proper place by Moses, exactly according to the will of God; no one pursuing his own fancy and private judgment, but all consulting the mind of God, and acting according to that."

(33) And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

Moses raised up the courtyard hangings all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the curtain of the court gate, and that finished the raising of the tabernacle.

(34) Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (35) And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

I assume this cloud was the same pillar of cloud that went before the Israelites as they came out of Egypt, but now expanded to cover the tabernacle.  This showed the people the Lord's approval of their work and was a sign that He was with them.  The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  Scripture doesn't tell exactly how this was manifested, but it may have been some extreme brightness that was unbearable to the eyes because Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle because of the cloud and the glory.

(36) And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys. (37) But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. (38) For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

When the Lord in the pillar of cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites moved onward in their travels.  When the cloud rested on the tabernacle, they camped until which time it rose and led them forward again.  Just as the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night led and comforted and protected the people early on in their travels, it again preserved and guided them.  The pillar of cloud continued to guide them, but when it and the people stopped, it came down and expanded to cover the tabernacle.  In this way, the Israelites saw that the Lord was with them constantly.  It must have been a great comfort and source of protection and strength for the people.  Besides being a guide, the cloud may have been a source of shade from the hot sun in the day, and a source of light and heat in the night.  Imagine what an awesome and terrifying sight it would have been to other people and wild beasts to see this cloud of fire in the night!  This constant daily and nightly appearance was a merciful providence and demonstrative proof of the presence of their Lord with His people.