EXODUS CHAPTER FORTY

40:1-33, THE LORD'S TENT IS SET UP.

40:1-8, THE DIRECTIONS ARE GIVEN TO SET UP THE TABERNACLE.

40:1 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING,

40:2 ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH SHALT THOU SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION.

A.ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH: On New Year's Day, which for Israel was the first day of the month Abib (or Nisan), which roughly corresponds to our month of April. It was the month for the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The people had now been at Mt Sinai ten months, for they camped there in the third month of their first year out of Egypt (Ex 19:1), and this is now the first month of their second year - see Verse 17 below ("And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first [day] of the month, [that] the tabernacle was reared up").

B.SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT: The structure was to be erected first, then the tent would be placed over it - see this in Verses 18-19, ("18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars. 19 and he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the cover-ing of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses").

40:3 AND THOU SHALT PUT THEREIN THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, AND COVER THE ARK WITH THE VEIL.

**"Passing through the veil into the Holy of Holies, we see that most sacred gold-covered acacia chest, the ark, speaking of covenant relationship between God and His people; and, above it, on the lid, the mercy seat, with the two cherubim, one at each side, facing each other and touching their outstretched wings above the mercy seat and the shekinah fire which burned just over it -- the blood-sprinkled, shekinah-lit mercy seat speaking of intercession in the very presence of God, and of the very life of God imparted." -- J. Sidlow Baxter.

40:4 AND THOU SHALT BRING IN THE TABLE, AND SET IN ORDER THE THINGS THAT ARE TO BE SET IN ORDER UPON IT; AND THOU SHALT BRING IN THE CANDLESTICK, AND LIGHT THE LAMPS THEREOF.

40:5 AND THOU SHALT SET THE ALTAR OF GOLD FOR THE INCENSE BEFORE THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, AND PUT THE HANGING OF THE DOOR TO THE TABERNACLE.

40:6 AND THOU SHALT SET THE ALTAR OF THE BURNT OFFERING BEFORE THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION.

40:7 AND THOU SHALT SET THE LAVER BETWEEN THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION AND THE ALTAR, AND SHALT PUT WATER THEREIN.

40:8 AND THOU SHALT SET UP THE COURT ROUND ABOUT, AND HANG UP THE HANGING AT THE COURT GATE.

40:9-16, THE DIRECTIONS REGARDING ANOINTING THE PRIESTS.

40:9 AND THOU SHALT TAKE THE ANOINTING OIL, AND ANOINT THE TABERNACLE, AND ALL THAT [IS] THEREIN, AND SHALT HALLOW IT, AND ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF: AND IT SHALL BE HOLY.

40:10 AND THOU SHALT ANOINT THE ALTAR OF THE BURNT OFFERING, AND ALL HIS VESSELS, AND SANCTIFY THE ALTAR: AND IT SHALL BE AN ALTAR MOST HOLY.

**IT SHALL BE AN ALTAR MOST HOLY: Perhaps this is not saying the ALTAR was more holy than the other equipment, but since it was exposed to the people and would often be touched, it was necessary to impress the people with its holiness.

40:11 AND THOU SHALT ANOINT THE LAVER AND HIS FOOT, AND SANCTIFY IT.

40:12 AND THOU SHALT BRING AARON AND HIS SONS UNTO THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND WASH THEM WITH WATER.

40:13 AND THOU SHALT PUT UPON AARON THE HOLY GARMENTS, AND ANOINT HIM, AND SANCTIFY HIM; THAT HE MAY MINISTER UNTO ME IN THE PRIEST'S OFFICE.

40:14 AND THOU SHALT BRING HIS SONS, AND CLOTHE THEM WITH COATS:

40:15 AND THOU SHALT ANOINT THEM, AS THOU DIDST ANOINT THEIR FATHER, THAT THEY MAY MINISTER UNTO ME IN THE PRIEST'S OFFICE: FOR THEIR ANOINTING SHALL SURELY BE AN EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS.

**THEIR ANOINTING SHALL SURELY BE AN EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD: It was to last as long as there was this approved anointing, and such would last THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS as God's people.

40:16 THUS DID MOSES: ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THE LORD COMMANDED HIM, SO DID HE.

40:17-33, THE ACTUAL SETTING UP OF THE TABERNACLE.

40:17 AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE FIRST MONTH IN THE SECOND YEAR, ON THE FIRST [DAY] OF THE MONTH, [THAT] THE TABERNACLE WAS REARED UP.

40:18 AND MOSES REARED UP THE TABERNACLE, AND FASTENED HIS SOCKETS, AND SET UP THE BOARDS THEREOF, AND PUT IN THE BARS THEREOF, AND REARED UP HIS PILLARS.

40:19 AND HE SPREAD ABROAD THE TENT OVER THE TABERNACLE, AND PUT THE COVERING OF THE TENT ABOVE UPON IT; AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES.

40:20 AND HE TOOK AND PUT THE TESTIMONY INTO THE ARK, AND SET THE STAVES ON THE ARK, AND PUT THE MERCY SEAT ABOVE UPON THE ARK:

40:21 AND HE BROUGHT THE ARK INTO THE TABERNACLE, AND SET UP THE VEIL OF THE COVERING, AND COVERED THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY; AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES.

**The ARK was the central feature; As soon as it was brought into the Tabernacle, the VEIL OF THE COVERING (which hung on the four pillars between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place) was put into place to conceal the ARK from sight.

40:22 AND HE PUT THE TABLE IN THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION, UPON THE SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE NORTHWARD, WITHOUT THE VEIL.

40:23 AND HE SET THE BREAD IN ORDER UPON IT BEFORE THE LORD; AS THE LORD HAD COMMANDED MOSES.

40:24 AND HE PUT THE CANDLESTICK IN THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION, OVER AGAINST THE TABLE, ON THE SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE SOUTHWARD.

40:25 AND HE LIGHTED THE LAMPS BEFORE THE LORD; AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES.

40:26 AND HE PUT THE GOLDEN ALTAR IN THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION BEFORE THE VEIL:

40:27 AND HE BURNT SWEET INCENSE THEREON; AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES.

40:28 AND HE SET UP THE HANGING [AT] THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE.

40:29 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 COMMANDED MOSES.

40:30 AND HE SET THE LAVER BETWEEN THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION AND THE ALTAR, AND PUT WATER THERE, TO WASH [WITHAL].

40:31 AND MOSES AND AARON AND HIS SONS WASHED THEIR HANDS AND THEIR FEET THEREAT:

40:32 WHEN THEY WENT INTO THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION, AND WHEN THEY CAME NEAR UNTO THE ALTAR, THEY WASHED; AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES.

40:33 AND HE REARED UP THE COURT ROUND ABOUT THE TABERNACLE AND THE ALTAR, AND SET UP THE HANGING OF THE COURT GATE. SO MOSES FINISHED THE WORK.

40:34-38, THE DESCENT OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD UPON THE TENT, SIGNIFYING THAT JEHOVAH WAS PLEASED TO DWELL THERE.

40:34 THEN A CLOUD COVERED THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE TABERNACLE.

A.The Israelites now had their "Tent Of Meeting," and could come to God in the way He had taught them.

B.Each year the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat under the cherubim.

C.This had to be repeated every year because the blood of ani-mals cannot pay for sin - Heb 10:4 ("It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins").

D.In His mercy, God made it possible for punishment which was deserved to be held off for another year, while those who lived by faith waited for the Lamb Of God Who can take away the sins of the world - Jn 1:29. When He went to the cross, the Father laid on Him the sins of the Old Testament believ-ers which, in the forbearance of God, He had left unpunished until He gave His Son - Rom 3:24-25; ("24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God"); And carefully read Heb 9:1-15.

40:35 AND MOSES WAS NOT ABLE TO ENTER INTO THE TENT OF THE CONGREGATION, BECAUSE THE CLOUD ABODE THEREON, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE TABERNACLE.

**The intensely brilliant light was too dazzling for man to see.

40:36-38, THE PURPOSE THE CLOUD SERVED.

40:36 AND WHEN THE CLOUD WAS TAKEN UP FROM OVER THE TABERNACLE, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT ONWARD IN ALL THEIR JOURNEYS:

40:37 BUT IF THE CLOUD WERE NOT TAKEN UP, THEN THEY JOURNEYED NOT TILL THE DAY THAT IT WAS TAKEN UP.

40:38 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.

A.THE CLOUD OF THE LORD guided them as it directed their course, and also showed them when to move and how long to stay at each encampment. It was always visible, as a column of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

B.Of this CLOUD, brother R. L. Whiteside said, "It was one way of training them in the art of obedience. They dared not go beyond the cloud, not stop till it stopped. Without words it told them exactly what to do. It would be well if Christians marched and halted faithfully, as the Word of God directs."

NOTE: Interesting questions raised, and answered: "How could 3 million people be provided with 1,000 tons of food daily? With 3 million gallons of water in the desert? Well, you see, Moses believed in God, and God was going to take care of these things for him. Let us take courage, we have the same God. We think our problems are so big. Remember what God can do! Just team up with God, and your problems will be in His care. Let Him run your life, and as the old song says, HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU." -- Author Unknown.

**EXODUS IN THREE WORDS, OR SIX WORDS:

EXODUS ----- LAW ----- TABERNACLE

(POWER) (HOLINESS) (WISDOM)

**CONTRIBUTION OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS TO THE BIBLE:

  1. The Book shows GOD is in control of the nations for the sake of achieving His purposes.
  2. EXODUS exposes the falsehood of idolatry; Reveals Yahweh as infinitely superior to the "gods" of paganism.
  3. It shows the Hebrew Nation as the Chosen People of God for the fulfillment of the promises God made to Abraham (ALL of them are now fulfilled).

a.Beginning of life as a new nation - cf 12:2

b.Beginning of new liberty - 13:3.

c.Beginning of new fellowship - 12:14 cf 24:11.

d.Beginning of new assurance - 6:7-8.

e.The Gospel of Christ is all of this to us - Jn 3:5; Gal 5:1; 1Jn 1:3; Rev 2:7.

f.The Book shows the foolishness and sinfulness of resisting Jehovah - 5:2; 9:13-16.

g.Thus it is an early indication in history that evil systems and false religions will finally be destroyed.

4.It teaches that obedience to God continues to be necessary for redeemed and set-apart people.

**CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS:

  1. God did not forget His promise to Abraham in Gen 12:3; 22:18.
  2. There are no Messianic prophecies, but many types/pictures:

a.MOSES: Prophet, Lawgiver, Deliverer, Mediator - Deu 18:18.

b.PASSOVER: The Sacrificial Lamb points forward to the Lamb of God - Jn 1:29; 1Co 5:7.

c.SEVEN FEASTS: Each one of these feasts may suggest some aspect of the ministry of Christ.

d.THE EXODUS: Death to old alliance, identification with the new - 1Co 10:1-2; Rom 6:1-6; cf Rom 6:17-18 with Ex 14:30.

e.MANNA AND WATER: Jn 6:31-35,48-63; 1Co 10:3-4.

f.TABERNACLE: See the beauty, the holiness, and the glory of God; All are reached through the blood of sacrifice.

g.HIGH PRIEST: Heb 4:14-16; 9:11-12,24-28.

3.THE EXODUS from Egypt is the standard of power in the Old Testament - Mic 7:15.

4.JESUS CHRIST is seen to be the standard of power in the New Testament - Eph 3:19-21.

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