The tabernacle has been finished.
Exodus 40: 1-5, Set up the tabernacle and the ark
Then the LORD said to Moses: "Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month. Place the ark of the Testimony in it and shield the ark with the curtain. Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle."
Mose has the tabernacle set up and everything placed as in it required position.
"Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it.
Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.
"Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them."
Exodus 40: 12-16, Bring in Aaron and anoint them
"Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.
"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 for all generations to come."
Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him.
The priests are also consecrated.
Exodus 40: 17-25, Setting up the tabernacle
So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the LORD commanded him. He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it.
Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded him.
Moses placed the table in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain and set out the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him. He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded him.
The work of Moses in setting up the tabernacle is described in detail. We have enough of a description to draw an image of the tabernacle and outer courtyard. In addition to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, where Moses had previously met with YHWH, is set up on the north side of the tabernacle.
Exodus 40: 26-33, The altar is set up
Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD commanded him. Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 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.
He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the Tent of Meeting or approached the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses.
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.
The tabernacle is finished. Now it is time to invited YHWH to physically join the Israelites.
Exodus 40: 34-35, The Glory fills the temple
Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
Moses cannot enter the tent because YHWH has taken residence. The solution to this problem is given in the next book, the book of Leviticus, which describes the additional actions priests must take in order to appear before YHWH.
Exodus 40: 36-38, Cloud by day, fire by night
In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted.
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 house of Israel during all their travels.
This is the end of the book of Exodus. YHWH is present among His people as they move toward Canaan. Some of the history of that travel is given in the book of Numbers but we will move next to the book of Deuteronomy, which repeats some of the history as given in a series of speeches by Moses.
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