Exodus 40:1–38
As their deliverance from the house of bondage constituted the commencement of their spiritual history, so the dwelling of Jehovah in their midst marked an altogether new and most blessed stage in their experiences. That which was foreshadowed by this we shall point out later. Its spiritual application to Christians is given in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
The Tabernacle and everything connected with it was typical of our Lord Jesus Christ and of God’s salvation in and by him. Everything we read here refers to things spiritual. In the Book of Hebrews, the Spirit of God tells us that all these things were “The shadow of heavenly things” (8:5), — “The patterns of things in the heavens (9:23), “ — “The figures of the true” (9:24). Those blind to spiritual things see neither beauty nor meaning in this wonderful arrangement; but the Tabernacle was God’s own picture to his people of “good things to come (Hebrews 9:11; 10:1).
1. One Year After God Brought Israel out of Egypt (40:1-17)
40 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
One year after the Lord God brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, — one year after he set his captive people free from the bondage, affliction and tyranny of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, — one year after the children of Israel cross over the Red Sea and sang Jehovah’s praise, in the fresh, sweet experience of divine deliverance, the Lord God commanded Moses to set up the Tabernacle and to set in order the things to be set in order. — And on the first day of the first month of Israel’s first new year…
16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.
2. Moses Builds the Tabernacle, Jesus builds the House (40:19-33)
18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put 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 had commanded Moses. 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
Next we would observe that Moses is the sole actor in this chapter:
18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
All subordinates disappear from view and only Moses is seen: read vv. 19-33, at the end of which we are told, “so Moses finished the work.” The present application of this is given us in Hebrews 3:3-6,
Hebrews 3:3–6 (ESV)
3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
Christ is counted worthy of great honor because of His faithfulness. Jesus was sent by God the Father to secure salvation for the elect. He did so perfectly. He lived a perfect life free from sin and in obedience to everything God had asked Him to do. Moses was faithful as well. Moses’ faithfulness is not made light of in this text. However, Jesus is found to be in a class all by Himself. He is in a totally different category.
The comparison and flow of this text goes like this:
Jesus is worthy of more honor than Moses because He is the Creator and Moses is the creation, just like the Creator or Builder of a house is more worthy than the house that was built.
When the writer explains things to us in this way, he is showing us that Jesus is the Creator of God’s house or people. The people of God are often referred to as God’s house.
Col. 1:15-17 (ESV)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
The whole argument hinges on the point the author is making, namely, Jesus is the Creator God and Moses is the creation.
[5] Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, [6] but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
The first thing I want us to see is that the metaphor of God’s house continues. In Scripture, God’s house refers to the children of God. In the Old Testament God’s people are referred to as a house. Hebrews tells us Moses was faithful as a servant. He did what God asked him to do. Moses was unique among God’s servants.
When Miriam and Aaron rise up against Moses in Numbers 12, God explains just how special Moses is. To Moses God spoke clearly, audibly, and mouth to mouth. With the other prophets, God spoke in dreams, riddles, and things like that. As great as Moses was, he was simply a caretaker or a servant in the house. He did what God said to do. He led the people as God said to lead them.
Look at that very interesting phrase in verse 5: [5] Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, In other words, Moses’ faithful ministry points to something that would transcend his own time and his own ministry and even his own understanding. And according to the author of Hebrews, that thing is the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. What Moses represents in Jewish history is incomplete. And he points forward to what would be said in the future.
Moses’ greatness as a servant was in how he pointed the people of God to Christ. Moses was faithful because his life and ministry was a picture of things which would come about later. As great as Moses was, he was a servant…Jesus is the blessed Son of the house.
Notice the thrust of verse 6.
We are included in God’s house or God’s people the writer tells us, we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
As Christians, we are called to persevere in the faith. Our Christian hope is in Christ. Our confidence is in the work of Christ on our behalf.
Beloved, we have a superior builder. We have Christ. We have the Tabernacle and all its furnishings all rolled into one Man, the Lord Jesus. He is the fulfillment of Moses and the Tabernacle.
3. The Glory of the Lord (40:34-38)
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
In the closing chapter of this book of redemption we behold the full and perfect accomplishment of God’s purpose of grace. Notwithstanding man’s failure, notwithstanding Israel’s sin of the golden calf, notwithstanding the broken tables of stone: in the end, grace superabounded over sin, and all the counsels of God were made good by the typical mediator. In its ultimate application what has been before us points forward to Jesus and the new earth:
Revelation 21:1–4 (ESV)
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
I’d like to end our study of the Book of Exodus with this reminder. Through the Book we saw God deliver the Israelites by a mighty hand. We saw the Mediator Moses intercede for the people. We saw the Tabernacle built, that place where God said He would dwell with His people. We saw how every detail practically points us to Christ our Mediator.
Now with the Tabernacle built and God’s glory descended we are reminded that God’s glory descended for us in Jesus Christ.
Patrick Fairbairn writes this…
We too have been delivered and are awaiting to arrive at the final destination. We, like the Israelites are poised to reach our rest. On this journey we follow our holy Redeemer and He guides us to the Promised Land. Admittedly, there is no cloud overhead but we have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us. He brings us to the goal of our salvation just as surely as the cloud guided the Israelites to their final destination. The people of God should take great comfort in this. The God of Exodus is still guiding. God is present with His people wherever they go, for He still leads and guides them not to Canaan but to a better country—a heavenly one.
Resources Used:
Exodus 40 by Don Fortner
Gleanings in Exodus by A W Pink
Exodus by Ryken
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