We have examined the Tabernacle, its setting, its internal design, and furniture.  Yahweh continued to give Moses instructions with details about the dress, duties, and consecration of the High Priest and priests.  You can find those instructions in Exodus 28-29.

And in Exodus 31 Yahweh points out the men called to create all of the pieces and design the artistic work. 

Exodus 31:1-6 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:² “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.³ And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,⁴ to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,⁵ in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

⁶ “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

It was then that Yahweh told Moses to tell the people their first commandment: 

 Exodus 31:12-17And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹³ “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. ¹⁴ You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut . off from among his people. ¹⁵ Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. ¹⁶ Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷ It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

The seventh day—our Saturday, is the only day God blessed and commanded to be spent in rest.  We see that in the story of creation.

Genesis 2:2-3 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Each of these sets of instruction are full of treasure, and we could spend months searching them out.  But, when I’ve sought the LORD in prayer about them, I’ve sensed we are done for now.  We may look into them more in the future, but we will be moving into other themes. 

After Moses’ 40 days on the mountain, he found the people worshipping the golden calf and he broke the two tablets. Yahweh was not happy.  He tells Moses that He is going to wipe them out. (Exodus 32:7-10)

Moses found Aaron, and asked him, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

Aaron answered with a dosey of a story—blaming and fantasy. 

²² So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. ²³ For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ ²⁴ And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.” Exodus 32:21-24  

The tribe of Levi were the only ones who didn’t participate in this idol worship.  So, Moses called them to gather at his tent and then said, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” ²⁸ So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Exodus 32:27-28

After this“ the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. Exodus 34:1

Another trip up the mountain for Moses and another 40 days wait. 

FYI—Moses was in his 80’s.  Mt. Sinai wasn’t a rolling hill, it was a sizable mountain.  This was his 3^rd trip up.

Thus, Yahweh gave all of the instructions to Moses again and this time when Moses came down the mountain they started constructing the tabernacle. 

After all of the work was done, Yahweh spoke to Moses again.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. ³ You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. ⁴ You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. ⁵ You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. ⁶ Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. ⁷ And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. ⁸ You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.

⁹ “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. ¹⁰ You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. ¹¹ And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.

¹² “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. ¹³ You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. ¹⁴ And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. ¹⁵ You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”

¹⁶ Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.Exodus 40:1-16

So, the Tabernacle was raised and Exodus 40 ends with this:   Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of theLord filled the tabernacle.³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of theLord filled the tabernacle.³⁶ Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys.³⁷ But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up.³⁸ For the cloud of theLord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Yeshua was their cloud by day and their pillar of fire by night

Yahweh also gave Moses instructions how the tribes needed to position their camps around the Tabernacle. When seen from above they formed a cross with the Tabernacle being at its heart. (Note that the tribe of Judah is right in front of the Gate…Judah was the Praise tribe. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Psalm 100:4)

When they traveled there were specific instructions about how to carry the Tabernacle.  Its holiness and beauty were never seen by the people Israel passed.  It was hidden in the coverings we discussed earlier. But Yahweh’s power was ever with them. 

Now, we are His tabernacles (1 Corinthians 3:16).  He is hidden in us.  His power and redeeming love and light are ever present with us.  He never changes.  His power and love are the same today as they were then.  

“Even when we can’t see Him, He’s working.” Just as the Lampstand burned 24/7, His light is in us.  We carry His love and mercy to forgive, restore, and bless every person we meet.  We carry His Gate of invitation to salvation.  We carry His Brazen Altar of forgiveness.  We carry His Laver of cleansing water of the Word.  We carry the Shewbread table of fellowship with each other and Yahweh.  The Lampstand of Truth is ever burning in us.  The Altar of Incense is ever open to lift up our Prayers.  And the Ark our Covenant Keeping God – Face to Face encounters with the Creator of the Universe, is in our very heart.  

Our dark world is crying out for salvation.  And we have the One who has it all, IN US.  It’s time to start being His tabernacles and share His hope with our world.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Matthew 5:14

Shalom for now.  I will see you again soon. ♥