Exodus 40

Exodus 40 is the final chapter of Exodus. The tabernacle (the portable tent in which God dwells among His people) and its furnishings were specified in chapters 25–31 and made in chapters 35–39. In this chapter they are actually erected.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 The LORD commands Moses to set up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month and to put in place the ark of the testimony, the table, the lampstand, the golden altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering, the laver, and the hangings of the court.
• Verses 9–11 He commands Moses to anoint the tabernacle and its furnishings with the anointing oil (oil used to set things apart as holy) and so sanctify them.
• Verses 12–15 He commands Moses to wash Aaron and his sons, clothe them, and anoint them, so that they may serve as priests throughout their generations.
• Verses 16–33 On the first day of the first month of the second year, Moses sets up the tabernacle and arranges the furnishings one by one. The phrase "as the LORD commanded Moses" is repeated seven times, and the section closes with "So Moses finished the work."
• Verses 34–35 The cloud covers the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD fills the tabernacle, so that even Moses cannot enter.
• Verses 36–38 When the cloud was taken up, the people set out; when it remained, they stayed encamped. The cloud was over the tabernacle by day, and fire by night.

Key Verses

• Exodus 40:16 "Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he." This verse summarizes the entire construction of the tabernacle as an act of obedience to God's command.
• Exodus 40:34 "The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." This is the climax of Exodus, in which God's dwelling among His people is realized.

People and Places

• Moses: sets up the tabernacle and arranges its furnishings.
• Aaron and his sons: commanded to be installed as priests.
• The tabernacle (tent of meeting): consists of the inner room housing the ark of the testimony (the ark of the covenant); the room containing the table set with the showbread, the lampstand, and the golden altar of incense; and the court in which stand the altar of burnt offering and the laver.

Points for Reflection

• This chapter only commands the consecration of the priests; the ordination ceremony itself is recorded in Leviticus 8.
• Some interpreters see the sevenfold repetition and the phrase "So Moses finished the work" as echoing the conclusion of the creation account in Genesis.
• The scene of the glory filling the sanctuary recurs at the dedication of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:10–11). In the New Testament, the word rendered "dwelt" in John 1:14 means "to pitch a tent" and is read in connection with the tabernacle. Hebrews 8–9 presents the tabernacle as a pattern of heavenly things.
• Interpretation that relates each furnishing of the tabernacle to Christ has traditionally been widespread. Others, however, urge caution, holding that such readings should go only as far as the text clearly supports, and interpreters differ on how far to apply them.