Exodus 40:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2  On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
3  And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
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.
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.
6  And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
7  And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
8  And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
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.
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.
11  And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
12  And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
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.
14  And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
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.
16  Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

The details of the setting up of the tabernacle are given in this closing chapter of Exodus. God gave us much detail of this important part of Jewish life. The reason being that Jesus Christ needs to be central to our lives, if we want to have true success. Success is not about how much money you have or can make. It is not about how high up the corporate ladder you can climb or how popular a politician you can be.
Success is found in knowing the fear of God in your heart and walking humbly with the Lord. God would challenge Joshua with this in Joshua 1.
In our text today we are once again reminded that this is God’s Word. Moses was just the writer, the man God chose to record what He had commanded him and the nation of Israel. God is the Author of the Scriptures. It is important to know this. Those who truly know this would never settle for a perversion. They would want to hear directly from God through His Word.
God gave specific instructions as to when the tabernacle was to be set up. It was called the tent of the congregation. It was the important meeting place for the entire nation of Israel. There was no place more important than that place. They did not have a sporting arena or a golf course, or anything else. Their life was to revolve around this important meeting place.
We are again reminded of what was to be in this tabernacle. It was to be the place for the ark of the testimony. This ark was not going to be visible to the general public. Only the high priest was allowed to enter that place and he could only do so once a year. However, that ark of the covenant was there the entire year, year after year. God’s representation was behind the vail, however, God was very much with the nation of Israel at all times.
There was also the table of shewbread with the things that pertained to that table. There was also the candlestick and the lights that made up that vessel. This was a constant reminder of the place of sustenance, which is with the Lord, and with the place to find wisdom and true guidance — in the Lord.
The golden altar for incense was also there, as a reminder of the privilege of praying to the true God. God had already revealed His power and wisdom to the nation in His miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The nation had no power to escape Egypt on their own. They had cried unto the LORD, but they could not get out on their own. The Pharaoh had resisted the many opportunities to let the nation go. He had put the Egyptians through much suffering because of his pride and stubbornness.
Israel had no reason to doubt God’s power and authority. They also had no reason to doubt His ability to feed this massive nation. He provided bread, meat, and water for them. He also protected them from any enemies that might try to attack them.
God also gave them the brazen altar at which they were to bring their burnt offerings. This was an essential part of that tabernacle and it would be used on a daily basis. The priest would be busy receiving the offerings of the people and bringing them to God.
The laver also was there for the priests to wash at. They needed to be prepared to serve the LORD. The laver was a reminder of the spiritual cleansing that was necessary for both priest and the common people.
The court also needed to be set up as the meeting place for the people. Everything needed to be anointed with the special oil in a symbolic manner to demonstrate the holy nature of the tabernacle and its vessels. This was a very special place that God was providing for the nation of Israel.
All the vessels in that tabernacle needed to be anointed with that oil as well. The work of God must be done through the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit in order to keep His Father’s will. There was never a moment when He was not filled with the Holy Spirit.
We read that Aaron and his sons were brought to the door of the tabernacle to wash with water. After that Aaron needed to put on his holy garments and Moses needed to anoint him with oil. This anointing was an outward picture of the inner sanctification that Aaron needed in his heart. He could not minister unto the LORD if he was not sanctified first of all.
Aaron’s sons were also brought in and they were clothed with their coats and anointed in the same manner that Aaron had been anointed. Aaron was the first high priest. He alone could enter into the holiest once a year. However, his sons also needed to be set apart unto holiness. Their duties as priests required that they be holy. In Leviticus 10 we read that two of Aaron’s sons despised this separation and they lost their lives through their sinfulness. God made sure that Aaron and his remaining sons, as well as the entire nation would see that it is never wise to play around with God’s holiness.
We see that the priesthood was given to Aaron and his sons. God showed the nation that they would never “grow up” to a place where they did not need a priest. The only change that came was that Jesus Christ abolished the need for a human priest because He came as the Great High Priest. He is the Mediator between God and men. He is the final sacrifice and He is also the One Who presented Himself as the One who would administer that sacrifice. The chief priests would lead in the arrest of Jesus Christ. The Roman soldiers would be employed in arresting Him. However, He laid down His life. They had no power to arrest Him or try Him without His consent. They would never have been able to nail Him to a cross if He did not lay down His life. He demonstrated His power in so many ways. The Jews and the Romans assumed they had the power to capture Him or let Him go. They were wrong.
We read here again that Moses did according to all that the LORD commanded him. Nothing was left out. Nothing was ignored. The nation was prepared for success. They often missed out on that success but that was due to their rebellion. God provided all that was needed for success.
Today, God has provided all that is needed for us to know true success. We have the preserved Word of God. We have the promise of forgiveness of sins through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the promise of eternal life if we trust in the Lord for salvation.
Pastor Bartel