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Exodus 40

The Tabernacle Erected and Filled with the Glory of the Lord

The Lord’s glory fills the completed tabernacle, confirming that the holy God will dwell among and guide His redeemed people through ordered worship, consecrated priesthood, and His visible presence.

Chapter Summary

The Lord’s glory fills the completed tabernacle, confirming that the holy God will dwell among and guide His redeemed people through ordered worship, consecrated priesthood, and His visible presence.

Overview

Exodus 40 argues that the goal of redemption is the Lord dwelling among His people. The tabernacle is set up and consecrated according to divine command. The priests are washed, clothed, and anointed for ministry. Moses obeys in every detail. Then the cloud covers the tent and the glory of the Lord fills it. God’s presence is graciously near, yet still holy, since even Moses cannot enter when the glory fills the tabernacle. The chapter closes with divine presence guiding Israel in all their journeys.

Context
Author

Moses

Audience

Israel, the covenant people redeemed from Egypt, restored after the golden calf rebellion, and now receiving the visible confirmation that the Lord will dwell among them.

Setting

At Mount Sinai, after the tabernacle structure, furnishings, courtyard, altar, basin, priestly garments, anointing oil, and incense have been completed and inspected.

The Biblical World

Chapter At A Glance

Chapter Movement

The chapter moves from the Lord’s command to set up the tabernacle on the first day of the first month, to the placement of the ark, veil, table, lampstand, incense altar, altar of burnt offering, basin, courtyard, and entrance curtain, to the anointing and consecration of the tabernacle and priests, to Moses’ careful obedience, and finally to the cloud covering the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle. The book closes with the cloud guiding Israel through all their travels.

Covenant Significance

Exodus 40 is the covenant climax of the book. The Lord has redeemed Israel, entered covenant with them, renewed covenant after rebellion, and now fills the tabernacle with His glory. The tabernacle becomes the center of Israel’s worship and guidance. The Lord’s presence is restored and confirmed, but it remains holy and mediated. The cloud over the tabernacle becomes the visible sign that the covenant God dwells among and leads His people.

Gospel Clarity

Exodus 40 clarifies the gospel by showing that God saves His people in order to dwell with them. Deliverance from Egypt was not the final goal. The final movement of Exodus is the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle. Yet the tabernacle also shows that sinners need sacrifice, cleansing, priesthood, and mediated access. Christ fulfills all of this. He is God with us, the true tabernacle, the sacrifice, the cleanser, the priest, and the one through whom God’s people will finally dwell with Him forever.

Formation Aim

Reverence, obedience, consecration, dependence, patience, gratitude, worship, and Christ-centered confidence.

Focus Points

  • Tabernacle erected
  • Tent of meeting
  • Ark of the covenant law
  • Atonement cover
  • Veil
  • Table and bread
  • Lampstand and lamps
  • Incense altar
  • Altar of burnt offering
  • Basin
  • Courtyard
  • Anointing oil
  • Consecration
  • Priestly washing
  • Priestly anointing
  • Moses’ obedience
  • Glory of the Lord
  • Cloud
  • Fire
  • Divine guidance
  • God dwelling with His people
  • Redemption unto dwelling
  • Obedience according to command
  • Holy arrangement
  • Consecrated space
  • Consecrated priesthood
  • Sacrifice and cleansing
  • Glory and holiness
  • Presence and guidance
  • Completion
  • Visible assurance
  • Divine Presence
  • Holiness
  • Obedience
  • Priesthood
  • Sacrifice
  • Cleansing
  • Guidance
  • Christological Fulfillment

Cross References

Exodus 25:8
And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.
Purpose fulfilled
Exodus 29:45-46
Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. And they will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
Redemption unto dwelling
Exodus 33:14-17
And the Lord answered, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” “If Your Presence does not go with us,” Moses replied, “do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
Presence promised
Leviticus 8:1-36
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”
Priestly consecration continued
Numbers 9:15-23
On the day that the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it and appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. It remained that way continually; the cloud would cover the tabernacle by day, and at night it would appear like fire. Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites would set...
Cloud guidance expanded
1 Kings 8:10-11
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
Temple parallel
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Tabernacle fulfilled
Hebrews 9:11-14
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption. For if the blood of...
Greater tabernacle fulfilled
Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Access fulfilled
Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
Final dwelling

Passages

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