Exodus 40 & Leviticus 8 Move In Day
It is ‘move in day’ for the Lord. The Tabernacle is ready to be set up. God calls for Moses to erect it on the first day of the year. His presence inhabits it once it is set up.
It has been seven months in the making, but the Tabernacle is complete. It is exactly as God showed Moses in their time together on the mountain. The Lord’s Spirit has worked through the hands of the people and brought the vision to life. More than that, it is the place where God will dwell WITH His people. Even after their great sin, God agreed to come with them to the place He had promised them. Let’s join our group as they erect the Tabernacle. One final note before we set off in our story. In scripture it looks like Moses did all the work himself. I seriously doubt that. I believe the “he” references are more of him overseeing the work that doing all the labor himself. NO ONE MAN could do everything required in setting up the Tabernacle.
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It has been two weeks since the Tabernacle pieces were completed. The people are anxious for word from Moses regarding erecting it. They put their hearts and souls into it. But they are not about to move forward without the Lord. They have learned a little patience since the time Moses was ‘delayed’ coming down the mountain.
Moses is in his Tent of Meeting outside the camp. He is enjoying his time with the Lord. He comes here daily for refreshing and direction. He too has been waiting for the Lord to tell him it’s time to erect the Tabernacle. He longs to see the Lord in the camp of His people. But he has learned to be patient too.
“Moses.”
“Yes Lord. I am here.”
“It’s time to erect the Tabernacle; My holy dwelling place.”
“We people are ready Lord. They want You in their midst.”
“On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 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. You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.” (Exodus 40:2-8)
Moses thinks about this. The date is a little more than a week away. Before he gets too distracted planning it out, God continues.
“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. 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. You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 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.” (Exodus 40:9-15)
Moses hadn’t even considered this. He felt honored that the Lord would ask him to do this. He was also blown away by the Lord’s complete trust in Aaron.
“It will be done exactly as You say Lord” answered Moses.
When Moses came out of the Tent of Meeting, he brought Joshua out with him. “Go tell Aaron to gather the people. The Lord has a message for them.
Joshua hurried off to find Aaron while Moses waited at the entrance. He didn’t put the veil over his face, as he was going to be delivering a message to the people from the Lord.
Joshua found Aaron sitting with his sons. They were judging between the people. While the work was going on for the Tabernacle, there had been fewer disagreements brought forward by the people. Now that the work was done, and the people anxiously waiting, the number of cases had risen significantly. Joshua waited patiently while Aaron concluded his interaction with the person he was currently dealing with. It was a nuisance matter which should have been settled easily between the neighbors. And Aaron told them so while rendering his decision.
“What were you thinking? This matter should never have even arisen! We are ALL brothers here. Don’t let me catch you treating your brother so shamefully again” demanded Aaron.
As soon as the two parties stepped back, Joshua approached. “Excuse me Aaron, but Moses sent word for you to assemble the people. He has a message from the Lord for us.”
Aaron nearly leaps to his feet. He is hoping it is the message they are ALL waiting for. “I will sound the ram’s horn immediately. Is he still at the Tent of Meeting? Or are we to meet him at the mountain?”
“He is at the Tent of Meeting. He didn’t indicate a change of location.”
Aaron retrieves the ram’s horn and blows a long blast on it. The sound penetrates even the tents in the camp. None miss its call. The people begin to gather in the location of the sound. Aaron stands on a stool to make an announcement to them.
“Moses has called us to meet him at the Tent of Meetings. He has a message from the Lord.”
Once the announcement is over, Aaron steps down and begins leading the people to the Tent of Meeting.
Once all are assembled in front of Moses, and have quieted, Moses begins to deliver the Lord’s message.
“We are to erect the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month. This will begin our second year of freedom from the hand of Egypt. I can think of no better way of celebrating that event.”
A hand goes up in the middle of the crowd. Moses recognizes the person’s need for information. He points to the owner of the hand, indicating that he may ask his question.
“Who will do the actual work?”
“As the Levites are the ones who responded to the call when the people sinned, they will be the ones to erect the Tabernacle. Any of you may watch and offer encouragement though. The Lord has called me to also anoint all of the works after they are assembled and to anoint Aaron and his sons to minister as priests before Him.”
The people are satisfied with this arrangement. They are excited to finally have a date for its use.
Before the day arrived, Moses went over the different sacrifices and the requirements thereof with the people. There was MUCH to cover. He would go over these several times before the people ready to enter into the land the Lord had promised to Abrahan, Isaac, and Jacob. The one Moses stressed for the important upcoming day was the sin offering. This would be the offering that Aaron and his sons would bring before the Lord on the day they are to be anointed.
Morning dawns on the first day of the year. As soon as the first rays of light brighten the sky, the tribe of Levi assembles at the door of the tent where the pieces of the Tabernacle have been waiting. Bezalel, who was of the tribe of Judah and Oholiab, who was of the tribe of Dan were in attendance too. They would not be allowed to do the actual work, but their intricate knowledge of how everything fit together may be needed. This was the first time this structure would be assembled. Instructions would be greatly appreciated.
It took many hours to complete the task. The hardest part was lifting the Tent of Meeting coverings over the structure without putting strain on the joints of the frames. One layer after the other was rolled, raised, centered, unrolled, then anchored. The men on this team were MORE than happy after the badger skin covering was anchored with the bronze stakes. Getting the spacing correct for the courtyard was a bit tricky too. The pillars needed adjusted more than once before the curtains were held taut.
Everything was ready by midday. Moses chose to push on with the instructions of the Lord. He had considered starting fresh the next morning, but he didn’t feel God releasing him to do so.
“Aaron, take your sons and wash. You need to be clean when you are presented to the Lord. Also, gather the pieces of the sacrifice the Lord has commanded you to bring this day.”
Aaron and his sons did as Moses had instructed as the people enjoyed their midday meal. Moses was busy in the Tent of Meeting, getting everything perfect while waiting for everyone to be ready. He straightened the lamps, put the showbread on the table, placed the incense on the Altar of Incense, filled the bronze basin with water, and gathered anointing oil for the upcoming ceremony.
The people gathered again. This time it was at the entrance to the new Tent of Meeting. They filled the courtyard. Those who couldn’t fit watched through the curtain at the entrance to the outer courtyard. The curtains had been drawn completely back so the people could see the proceedings. There would be time for everyone to visit the Tabernacle in the future. Now was the time to anoint Aaron and his sons.
Aaron and his sons, bringing their offerings, followed Moses to where the bronze basin stood. Moses turned and faced the people who had gathered outside of the Tent of Meeting.
“This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.” And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him. And Moses brought Aaron’s sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. And he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. But the bull and its skin and its flesh and its dung he burned up with fire outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. He cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat. He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar. Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.
And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.” (Exodus 8:5-35)
Aaron and his sons bowed their heads to Moses in acceptance of his instructions. They would keep the fire on the altar burning night and day, as well as care for the lamps in the Tent of Meeting. This would be their duty from this day forward.
Moses and the people left the outer courtyard and returned to their tents rejoicing. This was the beginning of their God being in their midst.
(to be continued)
I’m sorry for skipping the details of all the sacrifices. I didn’t want to make this story too long. It’s also a bit dry and hard to put into story format. I don’t’ know how God is going to have me tackle that portion of scripture. I have a feeling there will be several places we skip over on this walk through ‘stories’ of the Bible.
Father God, thank You for sharing Your stories with me. I hope I did it justice. I don’t know the exact time when Your presence fell on the Tabernacle. I hope I chose the end of Moses’ part of the dedication ceremony. It would have been MARVELOUS to watch You move into Your house.
There is still a LONG way to go, but You going with them made ALL the difference in the journey. Be with me on my journey; wherever You take us.
