Julia Evelina Smith Parker (1876)

1And Jehovah will speak to Moses, saying, 2In the day of the first month, in the one of the month, thou shalt raise up the dwelling of the tent of the appointment 3And put there the ark of the testimony, and cover over the ark with the vail. 4And bring in the table and arrange its arrangement; and bring in the chandelier and raise up its lamps. 5And set the altar of gold for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the covering of the door to the dwelling. 6And set the altar of the burnt-offering before the door of the dwelling of the tent of appointment 7And set the wash-basin between the tent of appointment and between the altar, and set water there. 8And put the enclosure round about, and give the covering of the gate of the enclosure. 9And take the oil of anointing, and anoint the dwelling and all that is in it, and consecrate it, and all its vessels: and it was holy. 10And anoint the altar of burnt-offering and all its vessels, and consecrate the altar: and the altar was the holy of holies. 11And anoint the wash-basin and its foot, and consecrate it 12And bring near Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of appointment and wash them in water. 13And put upon Aaron the garments of the holy place, and anoint him and consecrate him; and he was priest to me. 14And his sons thou shalt bring near, and put tunics upon them. 15And anoint them as thou didst anoint their father, and they were priests to me; and it was to be to them an anointing for the priesthood forever for their generations. 16And Moses will do according to all which Jehovah commanded him; so did he. 17And it will be in the first month, in the second year, in the one of the month, the dwelling was raised up. 18And Moses will raise up the dwelling and will set its bases, and will put up its boards, and will give its bars, and will raise up its pillars. 19And he will spread out the tent upon the dwelling, and will put the covering of the tent upon it from above; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 20And he will take and give the testimony to the ark, and will put the poles upon the ark and will give the cover upon the ark from above. 21And he will bring the ark to the dwelling and will put up the vail of the covering, and he will cover over the ark of the testimony; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 22And he will give the table in the tent of appointment, upon the thigh of the dwelling northward from without the vail. 23And he will set in order upon it the arrangement for the bread before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 24And he put the chandelier in the tent of appointment, opposite the table, upon the thigh of the dwelling southward. 25And he will raise up the lamps before Jehovah, as Jehovah commanded Moses. 26And he will put the altar of gold in the tent of appointment, before the vail. 27And he will burn upon it incense of aromatics; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 28And he will put up the covering of the door of the dwelling.  29And the altar of burnt-offering he put at the door of the dwelling of the tent of appointment, and he will bring up upon it the burnt-offering and the gift; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 30And he will put up the washbasin between the tent of appointment and between the altar, and he will give there water to wash. 31And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed from it their hands and their feet: 32In their going into the tent of appointment, and in their drawing near to the altar, they will wash; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 33And he will raise up the enclosure round about to the dwelling and to the altar, and he will give the covering of the gate of the enclosure: and Moses will finish the work. 34And a cloud will cover the tent of appointment, and the glory of Jehovah filled the dwelling. 35And Moses was not able to come in to the tent of appointment, for the cloud settled down upon it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the dwelling. 36And in the going up of the cloud from above the dwelling, the sons of Israel removed in all their departures. 37And if the cloud shall not go up, they will not remove till the day it went up. 38For the cloud of Jehovah was upon the dwelling the day, and fire was upon it the night, in the eyes of all the house of Israel in all their departures


Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary
 1   The materials and furniture of the tabernacle had been viewed severally and approved, and now they must be put together. 1. God here directs Moses to set up the tabernacle and the utensils of it in their places. Though the work of the tabernacle was finished, and every thing ready for rearing, and the people, no doubt, were very desirous to see it up, yet Moses will not erect it till he has express orders for doing so. It is good to see God going before us in every step, Pss 37:23. The time for doing this is fixed to the first day of the first month (Exod 40:2), which wanted but fourteen days of a year since they came out of Egypt; and a good year's work there was done in it. Probably the work was made ready but just at the end of the year, so that the appointing of this day gave no delay, or next to none, to this good work. We must not put off any necessary duty under pretence of waiting for some remarkable day; the present season is the most convenient. But the tabernacle happening to be set up on the first day of the first month intimates that it is good to begin the year with some good work. Let him that is the first have the first; and let the things of his kingdom be first sought. In Hezekiah's time we find they began to sanctify the temple on the first day of the first month, 2Chr 29:17. The new moon (which by their computation was the first day of every month) was observed by them with some solemnity; and therefore this first new moon of the year was thus made remarkable. Note, When a new year begins, we should think of serving God more and better than we did the year before. Moses is particularly ordered to set up the tabernacle itself first, in which God would dwell and would be served (Exod 40:2), then to put the ark in its place, and draw the veil before it (Exod 40:3), then to fix the table, and the candlestick, and the altar of incense, without the veil (Exod 40:4, Exod 40:5), and to fix the hanging of the door before the door. Then in the court he must place the altar of burnt offering, and the laver (Exod 40:6, Exod 40:7); and, lastly, he must set up the curtains of the court, and a hanging for a court-gate. And all this would be easily done in one day, many hands no doubt being employed in it under the direction of Moses. 2. He directs Moses, when he had set up the tabernacle and all the furniture of it, to consecrate it and them, by anointing them with the oil which was prepared for the purpose, Exod 30:25, etc. It was there ordered that this should be done; here it was ordered that it should be done now, Exod 40:9-Exod 40:11. Observe, Every thing was sanctified when it was put in its proper place, and not till then, for till then it was not fit for the use to which it was to be sanctified. As every thing is beautiful in its season, so is every thing in its place. 3. He directs him to consecrate Aaron and his sons. When the goods were brought into God's house, they were marked first, and then servants were hired to bear the vessels of the Lord; and those must be clean who were put into that office, Exod 40:12-Exod 40:15. The law which was now ordered to be put in execution we had before, ch. 29. Thus in the visible church, which is God's tabernacle among men, it is requisite that there be ministers to keep the charge of the sanctuary, and that they receive the anointing.

 16   When the tabernacle and the furniture of it were prepared, they did not put off the rearing of it till they came to Canaan, though they now hoped to be there very shortly; but, in obedience to the will of God, they set it up in the midst of their camp, while they were in the wilderness. Those that are unsettled in the world must not think that this will excuse them in their continued irreligion; as if it were enough to begin to serve God when they begin to be settled in the world. No; a tabernacle for God is a very needful and profitable companion even in a wilderness, especially considering that our carcases may fall in that wilderness, and we may be fixed in another world before we come to fix in this.
The rearing of the tabernacle was a good day's work; the consecrating of it, and of the priests, was attended to some days after. Here we have an account only of that new-year's-day's work. 1. Moses not only did all that God directed him to do, but in the order that God appointed; for God will be sought in the due order. 2. To each particular there is added an express reference to the divine appointment, which Moses governed himself by as carefully and conscientiously as the workmen did; and therefore, as before, so here it is repeated, as the Lord commanded Moses, seven times in less than fourteen verses. Moses himself, as great a man as he was, would not pretend to vary from the institution, neither to add to it nor diminish from it, in the least punctilio. Those that command others must remember that their Master also is in heaven, and they must do as they are commanded. 3. That which was to be veiled be veiled (Exod 40:21), and that which was to be used he used immediately, for the instruction of the priests, that by seeing him do the several offices they might learn to do them the more dexterously. Though Moses was not properly a priest, yet he is numbered among the priests (Pss 99:6), and the Jewish writers call him the priest of the priests; what he did he did by special warrant and direction from God, rather as a prophet, or law-giver, than as a priest. He set the wheels a going, and then left the work in the hands of the appointed ministry. (1.) When he had placed the table, he set the show-bread in order upon it (Exod 40:23); for God will never have his table unfurnished. (2.) As soon as he had fixed the candlestick, he lighted the lamps before the Lord, Exod 40:25. Even that dark dispensation would not admit of unlighted candles. (3.) The golden altar being put in its place, immediately he burnt sweet incense thereon (Exod 40:27); for God's altar must be a smoking altar. (4.) The altar of the burnt-offering was no sooner set up in the court of the tabernacle than he had a burnt-offering, and a meat-offering, ready to offer upon it, Exod 40:29. Some think, though this is mentioned here, it was not done till some time after; but it seems to me that he immediately began the ceremony of its consecration, though it was not completed for seven days. (5.) At the laver likewise, when he had fixed that, Moses himself washed his hands and feet. Thus, in all these instances, he not only showed the priests how to do their duty, but has taught us that God's gifts are intended for use, and not barely for show. Though the altars, and table, and candlestick, were fresh and new, he did not say it was a pity to sully them; no, he handselled them immediately. Talents were given to be occupied, not to be buried.

 34   As when, in the creation, God had finished this earth, which he designed for man's habitation, he made man, and put him in possession of it, so when Moses had finished the tabernacle, which was designed for God's dwelling-place among men, God came and took possession of it. The shechinah, the divine eternal Word, though not yet made flesh, yet, as a prelude to that event, came and dwelt among them, John 1:14. This was henceforward the place of his throne, and the place of the soles of his feet (Ezek 43:7); here he resided, here he ruled. By the visible tokens of God's coming among them to take possession of the tabernacle he testified both the return of his favour to them, which they had forfeited by the golden calf (Exod 33:7), and his gracious acceptance of all the expense they had been at, and all the care and pains they had taken about the tabernacle. Thus God owned them, showed himself well pleased with what they had done, and abundantly rewarded them. Note, God will dwell with those that prepare him a habitation. The broken and contrite heart, the clean and holy heart, that is furnished for his service, and devoted to his honour, shall be his rest for ever; here will Christ dwell by faith, Ephes 3:17. Where God has a throne and an altar in the soul, there is a living temple. And God will be sure to own and crown the operations of his own grace and the observance of his own appointments.
As God had manifested himself upon mount Sinai, so he did now in this newly-erected tabernacle. We read (Exod 24:16) that the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, which is said to be like devouring fire (Exod 40:17), and that the cloud covered it on the outside, and the glory of the Lord filled it within, to which, probably there is an allusion in Zech 2:5, where God promises to be a wall of fire round about Jerusalem (and the pillar of cloud was by night a pillar of fire) and the glory in the midst of her.
I. The cloud covered the tent. That same cloud which, as the chariot or pavilion of the shechinah, had come up before them out of Egypt and led them hither, now settled upon the tabernacle and hovered over it, even in the hottest and clearest day; for it was none of those clouds which the sun scatters. This cloud was intended to be, 1. A token of God's presence constantly visible day and night (Exod 40:38) to all Israel, even to those that lay in the remotest corners of the camp, that they might never again make a question of it, Is the Lord among us, or is he not? That very cloud which had already been so pregnant with wonders in the Red Sea, and on mount Sinai, sufficient to prove God in it of a truth, was continually in sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys; so that they were inexcusable if they believed not their own eyes. 2. A concealment of the tabernacle, and the glory of God in it. God did indeed dwell among them, but he dwelt in a cloud: Verily thou art a God that hidest, thyself. Blessed be God for the gospel of Christ, in which we all with open face behold as in a glass, not in a cloud, the glory of the Lord. 3. A protection of the tabernacle. They had sheltered it with one covering upon another, but, after all, the cloud that covered it was its best guard. Those that dwell in the house of the Lord are hidden there, and are safe under the divine protection, Pss 27:4, Pss 27:5. Yet this, which was then a peculiar favour to the tabernacle, is promised to every dwelling-place of mount Zion (Isa 4:5); for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 4. A guide to the camp of Israel in their march through the wilderness, Exod 40:36, Exod 40:37. While the cloud continued on the tabernacle, they rested; when it removed, they removed and followed it, as being purely under divine direction. This is spoken of more fully, Num 9:19; Pss 78:14; Pss 105:39. As before the tabernacle was set up the Israelites had the cloud for their guide, which appeared sometimes in one place and sometimes in another, but henceforward rested on the tabernacle and was to be found there only, so the church had divine revelation for its guide from the first, before the scriptures were written, but since the making up of that canon it rests in that as its tabernacle, and there only it is to be found, as in the creation the light which was made the first day, centered in the sun the fourth day. Blessed be God for the law and the testimony!
II. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, Exod 40:34, Exod 40:35. The shechinah now made an awful and pompous entry into the tabernacle, through the outer part of which it passed into the most holy place, as the presence-chamber, and there seated itself between the cherubim. It was in light and fire, and (for aught we know) no otherwise, that the shechinah made itself visible; for God is light; our God is a consuming fire. With these the tabernacle was now filled, yet, as before the bush was not consumed, so now the curtains were not so much as singed by this fire; for to those that have received the anointing the terrible majesty of God is not destroying. Yet so dazzling was the light, and so dreadful was the fire, that Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, at the door of which he attended, till the splendour had a little abated, and the glory of the Lord retired within the veil, Exod 40:35. This shows how terrible the glory and majesty of God are, and how unable the greatest and best of men are to stand before him. The divine light and fire, let forth in their full strength, will overpower the strongest heads and the purest hearts. But what Moses could not do, in that he was weak through the flesh, has been done by our Lord Jesus, whom God caused to draw near and approach, and who, as the forerunner, has for us entered, and has invited us to come boldly even to the mercy-seat. He was able to enter into the holy place not made with hands (Hebre 9:24); nay, he is himself the true tabernacle, filled with the glory of God (John 1:14), even with the divine grace and truth prefigured by this fire and light. In him the shechinah took up its rest for ever, for in him dwells all the fulness of the godhead bodily. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!