The Work Completed and Inspected / Tabernacle Filled with God's Glory
Exodus 39:1-40:38
I. Co ntext
Who are the main characters in this passage? What do we kno w ab o ut them?
Moses:
When and where do es this passage take place?
When: Since this is a continu ation of the passage before it, we can also assu me that the events of this passage take
place after Moses retu rned from the top of Mt. Sinai with the second set of tablets. We can estimate that it was abou t
6-7 months since the people had left Egypt. It took exactly three months from the time the Israelites left Egypt u ntil
they arrived at Mt. Sinai (19:1), and almost 2 months passed u ntil Moses destroyed the golden calf (3 days of
preparation after arrival [19:16], 7 days of God's glory descended u pon Mt. Sinai before Moses is called u p to the top
[24:16], and 40 days that Moses dwelt on Sinai with the Lord [24:18 ], plu s any u nmentioned travel time). Moses
retu rned with the second set of tablets 40 days later (34:28 ). We know from 40:1-2 that all of the tabernacle
constru ction and related projects were completed by "the first day of the first month, " so it wou ld appear that it took
no more than 6 months to complete all the work. The Tabernacle was erected approximately 1 year after the Israelites
left Egypt.
Where: The events of the passage take place at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, probably somewhere in the Sinai valley.
What is go ing o n? (Summary o f Events)
The Priests' Garments: The craftsmen made garments for Aaron's sons and for Aaron, ju st as the Lord had instru cted
Moses on Sinai. (39:1-31)
Mo ses Inspects the Wo rk: When the work was completed, the Israelites brou ght it to Moses for inspection and
Moses blessed them becau se they had completed all the work ju st as God had instru cted Moses to do while he was on
Sinai (39:32-43)
Mo ses Erects the Tab ernacle: The Lord told Moses to set u p the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month and
to arrange all the articles as he had commanded. So Moses did as the Lord said and he himself erected the tabernacle,
placed the ark of the Testimony in it and arranged all the articles as the Lord had told him to do. (40:1-33)
The Glo ry o f the Lo rd fills the Tab ernacle: When all the parts of the Tabernacle had been set u p, the clou d
covered the Tent of Meeting and God's glory filled the tabernacle. From that point on in their travels, they moved
onward when the clou d lifted and stayed when it was u pon the Tent of Meeting. (40:34-38 )
II. Interpretatio n
What principles are illu strated in this passage? What wou ld you consider the theme of this passage?
What do we learn of God's character from this passage? Does this passage point u s toward or connect with Christ? If so,
how?
Why do you think that God had the people go to the trou ble of bu ilding the Tabernacle? Cou ldn't he ju st continu e to lead
them by the pillar of fire/clou d as he had been?
Looking back over the book of Exodu s, what wou ld you say is the main theme of the book? How have Moses and the
Israelites changed at the end vs. the start?
Read Genesis 15 and Exodu s 19:3-6. How were God's covenant with Abraham and God's covenant with Moses similar? How
were they different?
III. Applicatio n
Exodu s is a book abou t redemption and, in many ways, a foreshadowing of Christ's coming. The Lord redeemed his people
from the physical slavery by the Egyptians. In the same way, God redeems u s from slavery to sin thou gh the death, bu rial,
and resu rrection of his son, Jesu s. Ju st as God sent Moses to Egypt, he also sent his only son into the world. Despite the
mu ltitu de of similarities, there is one stark difference: only Christ was able to fu lly resolve the sin issu e of mankind. It is to
this tru th that we stake ou r eternity.