(Exodus 38-40) “Tabernacle Completed!”
Published 25 September 2025
Scroll down for “Lessons Learned…”
Designed for Personal Bible Study or for Bible Teaching
⚠️ Lessons Learned – The 5 Greatest Mistakes
- 1️⃣ Treating God’s specifications as suggestions (Ex. 38–39).
- 2️⃣ Rushing assembly without reading the directions (Ex. 40:1–16).
- 3️⃣ Assuming timing is random—not God’s “first day, first month” precision (Ex. 40:1–2).
- 4️⃣ Confusing completion with complacency—finished work but no expectancy for glory (Ex. 40:33–35).
- 5️⃣ Refusing restraint/accountability in the building process (quality/inspection ignored; Ex. 39:32–43).
💥 Lessons Learned – The 5 Greatest Failures
- 1️⃣ Failure to work “just as the LORD commanded” (Ex. 39:32, 42–43; 40:16).
- 2️⃣ Failure to receive inspection and blessing—dodging review (Ex. 39:43).
- 3️⃣ Failure to see the tent as a “meeting” place, not a monument (Ex. 40:2, 34–38).
- 4️⃣ Failure to prepare people for mobility—portable and mobile by design (Ex. 40:36–38).
- 5️⃣ Failure to expect God’s presence to actually arrive (Ex. 40:34–35).
🚫 Lessons Learned – The 5 Greatest Sins
- 1️⃣ Pride of craftsmanship without obedience of heart (Ex. 39:32–43).
- 2️⃣ Irreverence—treating holy furnishings as mere objects (Ex. 38–39; 40:9–11 implied).
- 3️⃣ Independence—moving without the cloud, or refusing to move when it lifts (Ex. 40:36–38).
- 4️⃣ Control—preferring fixed comfort over God-led mobility (Ex. 40:36–38).
- 5️⃣ Unbelief—doubting that God dwells among His people (Ex. 40:34–35).
🏆 Lessons Learned – The 5 Greatest Successes
- 1️⃣ Exact obedience—“just as the LORD commanded” repeated (Ex. 39:32, 42–43; 40:16).
- 2️⃣ Healthy review—Moses inspects and blesses the people (Ex. 39:43).
- 3️⃣ Perfect timing—assembly on the first day of the first month (Ex. 40:1–2).
- 4️⃣ Glory arrival—the cloud covers; the tabernacle is filled (Ex. 40:34–35).
- 5️⃣ Guided community—cloud by day, fire by night through all travels (Ex. 40:36–38).
🌱 Lessons Learned – The 5 Greatest Spiritual Growth Lessons
- 1️⃣ Build your life by God’s pattern, not preference (Ex. 38–39).
- 2️⃣ Welcome inspection—invite blessing and correction (Ex. 39:43).
- 3️⃣ Honor God’s timing—new starts on God’s calendar (Ex. 40:1–2).
- 4️⃣ Expect the Presence—work completed becomes worship inhabited (Ex. 40:34–35).
- 5️⃣ Move with God—wait for the cloud, walk when it lifts (Ex. 40:36–38).
🧭 Lessons Learned – The 5 Greatest Leadership Principles
- 1️⃣ Lead for precision—document, review, and build “as commanded” (Ex. 39:32, 42–43; 40:16).
- 2️⃣ Celebrate teams—skilled men and women honored under godly oversight (Ex. 38–39).
- 3️⃣ Set the cadence—align milestones to God’s timing (Ex. 40:1–2).
- 4️⃣ Make room for glory—plan for God to inhabit the work (Ex. 40:34–35).
- 5️⃣ Be presence-led—strategy follows the cloud, not the crowd (Ex. 40:36–38).