Exodus 40

Let’s all celebrate together. 1, 2, 3, YEA!!! We have reached the final chapter of Exodus. For me the celebration is twofold, 1. As much as I enjoy doing a study on each book sometimes it can seem that the book does not end and that can get mundane. I pray that I have been able to keep the studies interesting for you. The second reason is that we get to get into a new book to study.

Chapter 40 is divided into three sections. Section one is verses 1 – 15 deals with the instructions for setting up the tent. Section two is verses 16 – 33 and deals with actually setting up the tent. The final section is verse 34 – 38 and here we see the LORD coming to the tent.

Section 1: We see a specific time and order of setting up the tent in this section. God instructed Moses to set up the tent on the first day of the first month of the year. God then lays out the order of the setting up the tent through the washing and dressing of the priests. Notice in the setting up of the tent includes the anointing of the tent and the priests, a sign of setting the priest and the tent aside for God as holy.

Section 2: Goes through the process of Moses setting up the tent. What I see as important in this section is the repeating of the words, “…following the LORD’s instructions.” I think this is very important. We don’t have the tent of meeting to be able to say whether there was a easier, quicker way to set it up. We only have scripture that says how it was to be set up. Moses could have had a simpler way to set up the tent. There could have been steps that could have been combined any number of things but he made the choice that he was going to do as God had instructed.

Section 3: Once the tent was set up we see that God moves in. This is evident by the fact that the column of smoke that had been with them settled over the tent covering it. The glory of the LORD filled the tent so that Moses was not able to go into it. Just as the column was smoke by day and fire by night as it lead the Israelites through the desert so it was while over the tent. When the column moved the Israelites packed up and moved. When the column stopped they stopped and set up the tent of meeting.

The Application

This whole chapter as I see it is about following instructions. It may not seem like the easiest or the simplest you may even think you have a better way. The bottom line is, are you willing to follow God and the instructions he gives you. For in the following of instructions that is when Gods glory is revealed in your life. That is when God’s blessings are poured out. God’s ways are not ours they are higher. What has he instructed you to do? Are you following his instructions to the letter?