Exodus 39: 32-43, 40: 16-38

32And so at last the Tabernacle was finished. The Israelites had done everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33And they brought the entire Tabernacle to Moses: the sacred tent with all its furnishings, the clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; 34the layers of tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; the inner curtain that enclosed the Most Holy Place; 35the Ark of the Covenant and its carrying poles; the Ark's cover--the place of atonement; 36the table and all its utensils; the Bread of the Presence; 37the gold lampstand and its accessories; the lamp cups and the oil for lighting; 38the gold altar; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense; the curtain for the entrance of the sacred tent; 39the bronze altar; the bronze grating; its poles and utensils; the large washbasin and its pedestal; 40the curtains for the walls of the courtyard and the posts and bases holding them up; the curtain at the courtyard entrance; the cords and tent pegs; all the articles used in the operation of the Tabernacle; 41the beautifully crafted garments to be worn while ministering in the Holy Place--the holy garments for Aaron the priest and for his sons to wear while on duty.
42So the people of Israel followed all of the LORD's instructions to Moses. 43Moses inspected all their work and blessed them because it had been done as the LORD had commanded him.

16Moses proceeded to do everything as the LORD had commanded him. 17So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the new year. 18Moses put it together by setting its frames into their bases and attaching the crossbars and raising the posts. 19Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the roof layers, just as the LORD had commanded him.
20He placed inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, and then he attached the Ark's carrying poles. He also set the Ark's cover--the place of atonement--on top of it. 21Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and set up the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the LORD had commanded.
22Next he placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side of the Holy Place, just outside the inner curtain. 23And he arranged the Bread of the Presence on the table that stands before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded.
24He set the lampstand in the Tabernacle across from the table on the south side of the Holy Place. 25Then he set up the lamps in the LORD's presence, just as the LORD had commanded. 26He also placed the incense altar in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place in front of the inner curtain. 27On it he burned the fragrant incense made from sweet spices, just as the LORD had commanded.
28He attached the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle, 29and he placed the altar of burnt offering near the Tabernacle entrance. On it he offered a burnt offering and a grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded.
30Next he placed the large washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could use it to wash themselves. 31Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons washed their hands and feet in the basin. 32Whenever they walked past the altar to enter the Tabernacle, they were to stop and wash, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33Then he hung the curtains forming the courtyard around the Tabernacle and the altar. And he set up the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. So at last Moses finished the work.
34Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. 35Moses was no longer able to enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the Tabernacle was filled with the awesome glory of the LORD.
36Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle and moved, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37But if the cloud stayed, they would stay until it moved again. 38The cloud of the LORD rested on the Tabernacle during the day, and at night there was fire in the cloud so all the people of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

Points of Interest:
• ‘the people of Israel followed all of the LORD's instructions’—earlier, the people follow Aaron’s bad advice to gather their earrings to make an idol. Here, they successfully follow God’s instructions for building The Tent. This second time through the covenant, so far the Israelites have passed every test.
• ‘Moses put it together ‘—The names of the twelve tribes are around the outside because each tribe was responsible for constructing the curtains for a certain portion of God’s tent. Not only did that distribute the work evenly among the tribes, but it created the symbolism that all twelve tribes (as represented by their curtains) are in constant attendance at the place of worship. The little icon in the Holy of Holies (which is called ‘the inner curtain’ in our text) is the ark. The little box in the Holy Place near the entrance to the Holy of Holies is the incense altar. The rectangle on the north side is the table of bread. The dot on the south side is the lamp stand. The circle in the outer court is the washbasin in which the priest washed themselves before entering.
• ‘Moses proceeded to do everything as the LORD had commanded him’—everyone does their part. The people faithfully construct the different components of God’s Tent, and Moses then assembles it.
• ‘placed inside the Ark’—although it isn’t mentioned here, besides the stone tablets of the law, a jar of manna was placed in the Ark, so that future generations would have a memorial to God’s provision in the desert.
• ‘in the LORD's presence’—the area behind the inner curtain, also known as the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies, was meant to represent the throne room of the LORD. The Ark symbolized the throne of God, and the Israelites pictured God sitting on the Ark, attended by an angelic court represented by the two angels on the Ark’s lid.
Over the course of history, many sects of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have been suspicious of art—and particularly of representational art. They’ve taken God’s commandment against making idols as an indictment of art altogether. Thus, in most mosques and many synagogues, while there is frequently quite intricate abstract, geometric art, there are no portrayals of animals, humans, or angels. On a recent trip to Tyre, in Lebanon, I took a tour of the Byzantine-era ruins and saw how, when the Muslims conquered Tyre, they struck out the faces of angels on the Christian tombs, in order to comply with God’s commandment against the making of idols. Our own New England Puritans took things a step farther, prohibiting the visual arts from their churches altogether—some sects of Baptists don’t allow music either.
Such asceticism doesn’t seem to be at all what God has in mind in the design of his tent. Although he clearly prohibits the people of Israel from making any physical representations of him, he encourages them—in fact, commands them—to make representations of his throne and of his angels. The Israelites are intended to use all of their artistic talents to build the tabernacle, and to enjoy all of their senses in worship at the tabernacle: the curtains are made of several different colors of rich material woven into tapestry and embroidered with portrayals of angels; gold, silver, bronze, and many different kinds of gems ornament the tent’s furnishings; different sorts of wood are used for the different wooden element; and the whole experience is infused with the sweet smell of incense. God expects worship of him to fully engage the senses and the imaginations of his people.
• ‘the Bread of the Presence on the table’—there are twelve loaves of bread on this table, one for each of the tribes. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary postulates that they are meant to be continual reminders that God is the source of all provision (1447). I wonder if they are meant to be a memorial and a continuation of the meal that the elders shared with God at the dedication of the covenant. If that’s the case, this table is a constant invitation to friendship and companionship with God.
• ‘he burned the fragrant incense made from sweet spices’—the incense may have been meant to lend the Holy Place an air of smoky mystery, or it may symbolize the prayers of the people (Bible Background Commentary 115). Revelation, chapters 5 and 8, would lend weight to the theory that it represents the prayers of the people.
• ‘the glorious presence of the LORD filled it’—since the golden calf incident, Moses has had to meet with God in his own tent of meeting, far outside of the camp. Now, the LORD’s presence has fallen in the midst of the people, on a tent made by the people.
• ‘Moses was no longer able to enter the Tabernacle’—the presence of God so intensely rests on God’s Tent that even Moses, the man who met with God on the mountain, saw his glory, and has daily face-glowing encounters with him, can’t stand to enter.
• ‘if the cloud stayed, they would stay until it moved again’—Moses’ big request—almost a demand, even—of the LORD is that God himself accompany them and lead them on their journey. Here we see that prayer answered. By his mercy, on this journey God dwells in a tent made by the same people who had rejected him for the golden calf. The rebellious people who nearly ruined Moses’ chance of taking on this adventure with God end up providing the vehicle for his hopes to be answered.

Taking it home:
• For you: Following God for the Israelites sometimes meant moving and sometimes meant staying right where they were. They knew which one to do by taking their cues from God: when they noticed him moving, they moved; when he stayed, they stayed. Ask God to give you the eyes to see what he is doing, so that you can follow in his wake.
• For your six: In this passage, after some distance between them, God again draws close to the people. Ask God to draw near to your six, and pray for them that they would be able to feel his presence with them and enjoy it.
• For our church: Pray that we would be drawn into a deeper, multi-sensory experience of worship. Ask God to be creating in our community a group of people who are wholly about worship and are able to enter into a space of worship with genuine humility and desire to honor God.