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The LORD spoke to Moses:
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“On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
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You shall place the ark of the testimony in it, and you shall hang the veil as a covering before the ark.
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You shall bring in the table and arrange its things upon it; you shall bring in the lampstand and set its lamps upon it.
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You shall place the golden altar for burning incense before the ark of the testimony. You shall hang the curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle.
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You shall place the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
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You shall place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
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You shall set up the court all around, and hang the curtain for the gate of the court.
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Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; thus you shall consecrate it, with all its furnishings, so that it may be holy.
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You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; thus you shall consecrate the altar, so that the altar may be most holy.
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You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and thus you shall consecrate it.
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Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.
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You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve as priest for Me.
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You shall also bring his sons near and put tunics on them.
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Anoint them, as you anointed their father, so that they may serve as priests for Me; and this shall be, that by virtue of that anointing they may serve as priests forever throughout their generations.”
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And Moses did all these things exactly as the LORD had commanded him; so he did.
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And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was set up.
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Moses set up the tabernacle: he laid its bases, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars.
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He spread the tent covering over the tabernacle and placed the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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He took the tablets of the testimony and put them into the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and placed the mercy seat on top of the ark.
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He brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of covering, and set it as a covering before the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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The table was placed in the Tent of Meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.
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He set the bread of the Presence on it in order before the LORD — as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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He placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.
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He set the lamps on it before the LORD — as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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He placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil.
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He burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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He hung the curtain for the entrance of the tabernacle.
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He placed the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings — as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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He placed the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing.
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Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet with water from it.
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Whenever they went into the Tent of Meeting and whenever they came near the altar, they washed their hands and feet — as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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He set up the court’s posts all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung the curtain for the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
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Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle,
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so that Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud rested upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
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Whenever the cloud rose from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out from every place where they camped.
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But if the cloud did not rise, they did not set out until the day it rose.
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For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel at every place where they camped.
🌈🕍🔥 Summary of Exodus 40 – The Tabernacle Is Set Up and God’s Glory Is Present
Exodus 40 is the climax of the whole book: the Tabernacle is finally set up in full, all the furnishings are placed, and the glory of the LORD comes down and fills the holy place. This becomes the sign that God is pleased to dwell among His people.
1. The LORD Commands the Setting Up of the Tabernacle (verses 1–15)
- The LORD commanded Moses to set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month, in the second year after leaving Egypt.
- Moses was given detailed instructions:
Place the Ark of the Covenant
Set up the curtain, table, lampstand, altar, basin
Anoint the whole Tabernacle and its furnishings
Anoint Aaron and his sons as priests
📝 This is not merely arranging objects, but sanctifying the whole system of worship.
2. Moses Sets Up the Holy Tent (verses 16–33)
- Moses did everything exactly as the LORD had commanded.
- The Holy Tent was completed:
The curtain was hung
The ark was placed in its position
The lampstand was lit, the bread set out, the offering burned
The basin was filled with water for the priests’ washing
- Moses finished the work.
3. The Glory of the LORD Descends (verses 34–38)
- The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the Holy Tent.
- Moses could not enter, because the glory of God was so great.
- The cloud became the guide of the people of Israel:
When the cloud rose, they set out
When the cloud remained, they stayed in place
- A sign of God’s presence accompanied them throughout their journey.
📖 Main Lessons
- Obedience brings God’s presence.
- God is worthy to be worshiped in order, holiness, and reverence.
- God’s glory is present when the work is done according to His command.
- God’s people are led not by human strength, but by the sign of His presence.
- All spiritual life begins and is sustained by the presence of the Lord.
✨ Spiritual Meaning
- The Tabernacle is a picture of Christ and the church. Through Him, God dwells among His people.
- The cloud and the glory of the Lord show Shekinah—the real presence of God.
- The glory that kept Moses from entering stands as a parallel to the glory now accessed through Christ (Hebrews 10:19–22).
- In the journey of life, we too are called to move only when the Lord leads.
- The completion of Moses’ work and the descent of God’s glory close the book of Exodus with a strong message:
“The Lord is with His people when they live in holiness, obedience, and true worship.”
