The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the Lord commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. (Exodus 40)
Introduction
As we saw last week in chapters 35-39 where the contributions for the tabernacle are received, and where the tabernacle is constructed by Israel, so now in chapter 40 as Moses finally erects the tabernacle, all was done “as the LORD commanded” – the common refrain. God said it, and it came to pass. God gave the instructions and commands, they were diligently followed and obeyed at this time, and so it was done.
We mentioned last week how this reminded us of the creation of the world in Genesis. God spoke it, and it came to be. And God looked at what He had made and said it was good. Here, in the construction of the Tabernacle, it is a new creation, or a new-world tabernacle that is made, and so at the end of chapter 39, Moses sees what is done and blesses the people, signifying that it is good. And now, at the end of chapter 40, God comes down in the cloud to fill the tabernacle, or in other words, to rest, just as He rested on the 7th day.
This is His Footstool
In this we see God making the tabernacle His footstool. If you recall from our time looking at the inner sanctuary, the holy place of the tabernacle, from all the pieces of furniture, that it was a scene of the throne room of God, indeed it is the dwelling place of God. The mercy seat between the two cherubim, the heavenly colors, such as blue linen, inner curtains etched with angels, and the 7 eyes of flames of fire on the golden lampstand. God is in heaven, but the tabernacle is His footstool, His dwelling place amongst His people on earth.
And this point in redemptive history is a microcosm of what God would bring about through Israel. This was the next step in God moving history toward when all the world is His footstool. To when all the world is His dwelling place. In the garden, God dwelt on a mountain-garden, then man rebelled and was expelled, no longer to dwell with God. Then God would speak to the patriarchs from time to time and they would set up altars at various points in worship to God, in a land they did not own. Then, as God’s people were held in bondage in Egypt, God came down from His mountain-dwelling to speak to Moses in a burning bush, revealing His plan to bring the people out of Egypt and into a promised land. And now, at the end of Exodus, they have built the tabernacle, the temporary tent-dwelling of God amidst His people. Then eventually they would build a temple, to await the time until Christ, God in flesh, came and tabernacled on earth. Then after His death and resurrection, He ascended on a cloud, and shortly thereafter the Spirit would descend in fire, to fill the living tabernacle, the living temple of God’s people on earth, where, in obedience to our Lord’s instructions, would take the gospel to all nations, even unto the ends of the earth, that God may dwell in His Church, spread through all the world. And as history marches on fulfilling God’s purposes, we, the Church of the living God, continue to take the gospel unto all the earth, that God’s dwelling in His people would continue to increase and cover the earth.
Your life as a Christian is not insignificant. It is not meaningless or forgettable. It is part of the grand story that God is telling in history. It is part of God’s mission in the earth. It is part of God’s dwelling continuing to spread through the earth. And as we disciple our children, and by God’s grace they are redeemed, the dwelling of God on earth spreads. And as we evangelize and teach others to obey all that Christ commanded, and commit ourselves to the body of Christ, encouraging and building her up, we are building up the living tabernacle, where God dwells by His Spirit on earth. You are not the main character of the story or the center of your life, but you are a part of the grand scheme of God’s purposes on earth. It matters. Some people think their life is meaningless because they don’t know or see the intricate purposes of God in all of history and life. Others’ lives have become meaningless to them because they think the story is all about them, which becomes a very small story. But when you humble yourself before the Almighty and confess, “You are the Potter, and I am the clay; all I have is Christ, or I have nothing.” Then you are brought into the grand purposes of God and are made a little joint in the amazing living tabernacle where God dwells on earth. This is what your life – this is what history is all about – God redeeming His people and God dwelling with man, being brought to peace by the blood of Christ, and so walking in His ways, and living our lives unto His glory, so that everything matters. All that we do, say, and think; our work, our homelife, our good works toward our neighbor, our membership in a local church; our endeavors great and small belong to the Lord, for His purposes. A slave people made a redeemed people where God dwells. This has not changed. It is the story of Exodus, and it is the story of every Christian. Jesus gave us our Exodus from sin and darkness to be a part of a people amongst whom God dwells, that we might build up that living temple, to one day see Him face to face.
Pentecost
So in the glory-cloud covering the tabernacle and the glory of the LORD filling it, we see here a type of Pentecost, which this points forward to. For the cloud in Exodus is often associated with the Spirit of God. And the people were led through the wilderness by this cloud and at night fire was in the midst of the cloud. And so when we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 it says, “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Just as the Spirit of God in Exodus filled the tent-house tabernacle, so at Pentecost it says it filled the entire house, and every one of them there. As Exodus points forward to, here is the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in His living house, living tabernacle, His people, the church, on earth. This is something newer and greater than the tabernacle of Exodus filled by the Spirit. This is an advance or progress in redemptive history in a New Covenant. It is a new era. A new thing God is doing. And we have talked at length in previous sermons on the Holy Spirit indwelling His Church.
And what does the Holy Spirit do in His people whom He indwells? In Galatians 6 we see that the Spirit produces fruit. This is garden language – bearing fruit. We’ve talked about how the tabernacle was filled with garden themes as a new dwelling place for God since man was kicked out of the garden. And now, since Pentecost, in God’s people, the Spirit makes a new garden temple – a new garden dwelling place, and He is the gardener producing fruit – real, spiritual, living fruit in His people. This is God’s redeeming man from the fall.
Waiting on God
We are also told here about how the cloud would lead them through their wilderness journeys. If the cloud rested on and covered the tabernacle, they would set up camp and remain there, being taught to wait upon God. And they would not move until the cloud was taken up into a pillar for them to follow. They were being taught to wait upon the LORD, unlike they had done while Moses was on the mountain. They did not wait upon the LORD, they grew impatient, and so they built the golden calf – a golden chariot with which they might coax God to ride and move out upon – some believe. But God is not a god that can be manipulated with images, nor does He inhabit idols. He is the sovereign. And instead, His people are to wait on Him and follow Him – He moves when He wills and not at the behest of sinful men.
With Them to the End
And notice the beautiful ending of the book of Exodus, which is not the end of the story, but stretches into the next stage of redemptive history. The final verse of the book, verse 38, “For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” As Exodus began, the people of Israel were in a foreign land, the land of Egypt, and quickly we find them crying out for deliverance from the hard labor and slavery of Pharaoh. God hears their cry, He raises up Moses, and the angel of God’s presence saved them out of Egypt, as He was afflicted in all their affliction and had compassion upon them. And now, here they are: freed from Egypt, Pharaoh is at the bottom of the sea, they have been taught the consequences of disobedience, the covenant is renewed, the tabernacle is built, the glory of the LORD fills it, and the cloud of the LORD, in which was the angel of the Lord wrapped up in the cloud, remained in their sight throughout all their journeys.
When they first left Egypt they feared Moses had brought them out to die. But here is the LORD, ever with them. He did not leave them to fend for themselves, or leave them for dead, but led them all their days. He did this, not because they were special, or because they were worthy, or because they deserved it, but because of His mercy, and His sovereign purposes of redemption through Christ which was marching on toward its fulfillment. For His own namesake and glory He led them all the way.
As the Church of Jesus Christ today, God continues on His mission through us to make the world His dwelling place. And Jesus has promised us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will be with us to the end. Jesus has come in the flesh, and shed His blood to atone for our sins, and He has risen from the dead, ascended on High, given us His Spirit, so that He will always be with us. In your fight with sin, as you battle the flesh, Christ will never leave you. In your trials and suffering when the clouds seem so dark, Christ will never leave you. In the disappointments and frustrations of life, Christ will never leave you. In living your life for His glory in making disciples, raising your children, and evangelizing the world, Christ will never leave you. In the continued mission of His church, filled with imperfect people who fail us, Christ will never leave you. When those you love turn their backs and walk away, Christ will never leave you. When you face down the giants and the dragons in the land for the honor of Christ’s name, Christ will never leave you. When you fail, stumble, and fall, Christ will never leave you.
All of life is an exodus – out of sin and into Christ. And Christ has given us our definitive exodus at the cross where we are delivered from sin and darkness into His marvelous light. And if we are His, one day when we enter the grave, Jesus will lead us out and into His presence, where He dwells. Our exodus in Christ is a glorious one.
The book of Exodus is a remarkable book. I hope you’ve seen that. And I hope you’ve seen that it is Christ’s story, and our story with Christ. It started with slaves who are made sons. From an ungodly tyrant empire, to a conquered and defeated empire giving way to a new nation, a nation of priests. From monuments built to Egyptian gods, to a tent-house built for the one true God. From Moses being face to face with death as a baby on the Nile, to face to face with God as a friend on the mountain. From a people who had forgotten the God of their fathers, to a people receiving the law from God on Sinai. To a people under unethical law, to receiving God’s righteous laws for their life. From work to rest. From death to life. And there was Christ, the Angel of the LORD, hearing their cry, coming down to the burning bush, leading them out and through the waters, and in the cloud all their days.
Do you know this God? Have you had your exodus from slavery to freedom in Christ? Is this also your story? The same God who saved Israel out of Egypt came in the flesh to save all Israel, and make us part of His holy nation of priests. Won’t you come to Him today and see that He is good, that His ways are just, and that He is abounding in steadfast love sufficient for sinners like us? May God be praised.
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