FRIDAY 07 January 2022 “Project Completed” Exodus 40

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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

Do you find great joy when watching a plan or project come to completion in the way you had hoped? Yesterday I left you wandering around a construction site with Moses, watching very skilled people fabricate materials for something God Himself had designed… a “Tent of Meeting”. Today join me please in Exodus 39 and 40 as we watch the project being completed.

The detailed description of the work on that project is found in Exodus 36, 37, 38 and part of 39. While we don’t have an exact detail of how many people were involved in making all the materials, nor exactly how long the process took, finally everything was prepared and ready. Moses then records this summary statement in Exodus 39:42 “The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it all just as the LORD had commanded and so Moses blessed them.” If you’ve ever been on a construction site, even if it’s building a house, you know there are reams of paper, of drawings and plans, which the architect has prepared so every part, every piece of the project, will fit together as designed in completing the project. There are inspectors who regularly visit the construction site to be sure every phase of the project meets the building codes of the area.

One of the things that has always amazed me in this “Tent of Meeting” project is the fact there were no formal drawings! Moses had received detailed verbal descriptions from God in the cloud up on Mount Sinai. Somehow Moses made notes or sketches of the details God gave him about the “Tent of Meeting” itself and each of the very special artifacts which would be fabricated for use inside the Tent. Then Moses supervised all the workers as they, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, did their best to fabricate what had never existed before, as Moses described to them what he had heard from God! Can you imagine that? The Biblical description is clear enough that even now, 3400 years later, a replica can be made.

Once all the various pieces were inspected and found to be just as the LORD had described it, then Moses received this word from God: “Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month.” (Ex. 40:1) I’ve noticed that when the Bible gives specific dates it’s important to ask yourself why? In this case I think it’s not difficult to see why God chose this specific day as the day for assembling the “Tent of Meeting” for the first time. Exactly one year before, in Exodus 12, God instructed Moses to begin their Hebrew calendar and prepare the people for their miraculous rescue from Egypt! So Moses went to work. The record says: So the “Tent of Meeting” was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year.” (Ex 40:17)

While no helpers are named, I can’t imagine Moses did it all himself. I would imagine Moses assembled this “Tent of Meeting” with the help of Mr. Bezalel and Oholiab who had been the primary skilled and inspired craftsmen. Perhaps they had others helping them also. Carefully, piece by piece they assembled, for the very first time, this God designed “Tent of Meeting”. I imagine a huge crowd surrounding the work site watching history being made right in front of their eyes.

Please notice that from God’s perspective this was far more than a construction project. Exodus 40:9 records that God said to Moses “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings and it will be holy…” This was a holy project, a sacred project, a God designed project, and every step of the assembly process was undertaken as an experience of worship unto the LORD God. I imagine there was no shouting, no inappropriate language when someone banged their finger with a hammer or some pieces didn’t fit exactly right together. Moses and all who were with him engaged the work this day as though God Himself was there with them, supervising their work on this “Tent of Meeting” project! Now ponder that a moment my friends. No matter what your work is, do you engage it as a God given assignment, making every effort to accomplish it for God’s glory? And do you work as though God Himself is there with you as your supervisor?

As you read through Exodus 40 you’ll notice Moses also called his brother Aaron and Aaron’s sons to the “Tent of Meeting” to consecrate them as the first God selected “priests” for the Hebrew people. God instructed that “Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come.” (Ex. 40:15) Did you know that statement has a link to the Christmas story? Yes! When Dr. Luke introduces us to Zechariah and Elizabeth, who would miraculously become the parents of John the forerunner of Messiah, Luke describes them with these words: “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was ALSO a descendant of Aaron.“ (Luke 1:5) God’s promise made to Moses, Aaron and Aaron’s sons in Exodus 40:15, reaches all the way to BOTH Zechariah and Elizabeth 1400 years later! Can you imagine how many generations that is?? Isn’t our God amazing my friends?

As the “Tent of Meeting” neared its construction assembly, Moses prepared to bring INTO the “Tent” those amazing, one of a kind, artifacts Bezalel and Oholiab had fashioned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: the Ark of the Covenant; the Golden Lampstand: the Table of Shewbread; the Altar of Incense. I can see Moses standing there with Bezalel and Oholiab almost overwhelmed by the sacredness of this moment. But first, something very special needed to be placed inside that Ark of the Covenant, do you remember? I wonder if perhaps Moses had kept it hidden in his tent for safe keeping since bringing it down from Mount Sinai. The Exodus record says: “Then Moses took the Testimony [the 10 commandment tablets] and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover on it. Then Moses brought the ark into the tabernacle [the Tent of Meeting] and hung the shielding curtain…as the LORD had commanded him.” (Ex. 40:20) This was a sacred and historic moment. The tablets of stone, engraved by the finger of God, were placed for the very first time by Moses, into the Ark of the Covenant. And then after Moses put the poles into the gold rings, I imagine Aaron, his two sons, and Moses lifted that Ark and took it into the Most Holy Place, for the very first time. It must have been a breathtaking moment. I imagine the crowd all around must have been huge, with parents raising their children up on their shoulders to be able to see.

May I urge you my friends to read the final few verses of Exodus 40 slowly, carefully, respectfully, as Moses brings each sacred piece into the “Tent of Meeting”, and then he set up the courtyard around it. “And so Moses finished the work.” (Ex. 40:33) I imagine Moses, Aaron and his sons, Bezalel and Oholiab, the other skilled workers and a huge throng of people applauded and praised God for the “Tent of Meeting” project was complete! But then suddenly their celebration was interrupted by a miracle: “Then the cloud covered the “Tent of Meeting” and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the “Tent of Meeting” because the cloud covered it…” (Ex. 40:34) The miraculous ‘cloud of God’s Presence’ into which Moses had gone to meet with God up on Mount Sinai had descended and encompassed the “Tent of Meeting”. God came to be among His people and His glory filled the Tabernacle. A hush fell over the crowd, perhaps many fell to their knees. God, the Creator of the Universe, was among them!

I imagine the people lingered a very long time there, watching this miraculous sight. No one wanted to leave. Everyone wondered what God might do or say from within that cloud. So let’s do the same my friends, let’s linger here. I urge you to go back and re-read the entire 40th chapter and then spend some time in worship and prayer as you contemplate what was happening here. This very same God has the very same desire to be close to you and me and to invite us into sacred encounters with Him. Don’t rush from this moment… invite God to speak to you as you read Exodus 40. And here’s a song to help you worship…

Today’s Scripture is Exodus 40.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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