Commentary - Exodus 40:17-33

Bird's-eye view

This passage is the grand finale of the book of Exodus. After the apostasy with the golden calf in chapter 32, which was a catastrophic failure in worship, this chapter presents the restoration of true worship. It is a meticulous, step-by-step account of the erection of the Tabernacle and the arrangement of its holy furniture. The central, driving theme, repeated like a drumbeat, is that Moses did everything "just as Yahweh had commanded Moses." This is not merely a construction report; it is a theological statement of the highest order. It teaches that God's presence is secured among His people not through human ingenuity, enthusiasm, or innovation, but through humble, faithful obedience to His revealed Word. The Tabernacle itself is a microcosm, a portable Mount Sinai, a model of the heavens and the earth, and most importantly, a magnificent type of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would one day tabernacle among us. This chapter is the formal setup of the Old Covenant's central sanctuary, the place where a holy God would meet with a sinful people through sacrifice and mediation.

The narrative is deliberately repetitive and procedural. This is not boring filler; it is the literary equivalent of a solemn liturgical act. We are watching the creation of a new world, a holy space carved out of the wilderness, where God will place His name. The structure is erected, the most holy things are placed first, and then the outer courts are established. It all moves from the inside out, from God's presence outward to the people. The chapter concludes with Moses finishing the work, an echo of God finishing His work of creation, setting the stage for the divine seal of approval when the glory of the Lord fills the Tabernacle in the final verses.

Outline

Context In Exodus

Exodus 40 is the capstone of the entire book. The first part of Exodus (chapters 1-18) details God's redemption of Israel from bondage in Egypt. The second part (chapters 19-40) details the establishment of God's covenant with this redeemed people at Sinai. This section includes the giving of the Law (chapters 20-24), the detailed instructions for the Tabernacle (chapters 25-31), the disastrous breach of the covenant with the golden calf (chapters 32-34), and the faithful construction of the Tabernacle components by the people (chapters 35-39). Chapter 40 is the culmination of all this. It is the answer to the problem of how a holy God can dwell in the midst of a stiff-necked people. The instructions given in chapters 25-31 are now executed to the letter. This final chapter demonstrates Israel's repentance and renewed obedience after the golden calf fiasco, and it provides the physical space for the sacrificial system detailed in Leviticus to be enacted. Without the Tabernacle, there is no priesthood, no sacrifice, and no mediated access to God for Israel.

Key Issues

God's House, God's Rules

There is a glorious monotony to this passage. Over and over again, the text says that Moses did something, "just as Yahweh had commanded Moses." This repetition is the whole point. The central issue in the second half of Exodus has been worship. How is a holy God to be approached? At the golden calf, the people answered that question with their own imaginations. They took the forms of worship they knew from Egypt, blended it with some Yahweh-language, and created a syncretistic disaster. It was worship born of impatience, unbelief, and human creativity. God's response was a fiery judgment.

Now, in this chapter, we see the divine alternative. True worship is not invented; it is revealed. True worship is not a matter of what works for us, what we find aesthetically pleasing, or what seems culturally relevant. True worship is a matter of strict and joyful obedience to the commands of God. Moses is not an architect here; he is a contractor following a divine blueprint down to the last detail. The entire Tabernacle project, from the weaving of the curtains to the placement of the lampstand, is a testimony to the principle that God alone dictates the terms of His worship. This is the foundation of what the Reformers would later call the regulative principle of worship. We are not authorized to innovate. Our duty is to listen and obey. This faithful obedience is what prepares the way for the glory of God to descend and dwell with His people.

Verse by Verse Commentary

17 Now it happened, in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.

The timing is precise and significant. This is New Year's Day for Israel, the first day of the first month, almost one year to the day since they had been preparing for the first Passover in Egypt. A new year is beginning, and it is being inaugurated by the establishment of God's house at the center of their national life. Their calendar, their existence as a people, is now to be ordered around the presence of God in their midst. This is a new creation moment. God is starting afresh with them, and the Tabernacle is the heart of this new world.

18-19 Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its bases and set up its boards and inserted its bars and erected its pillars. He spread the tent over the tabernacle and placed the covering of the tent on top of it, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Here the work begins. Moses, acting as the master builder and mediator, oversees the assembly. The structure itself is put together first: the silver bases, the acacia wood boards, the bars to hold them firm, and the pillars. Then the layers of coverings are spread over this framework. It is an orderly process, from the foundation up. And right away, we get the refrain that will dominate the chapter: this was all done according to the divine command. Moses is not ad-libbing. Every socket, every board, every curtain is placed according to the pattern God showed him on the mountain.

20-21 Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark and attached the poles to the ark and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. He brought the ark into the tabernacle and placed the veil of the screen and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Once the structure is up, the furnishing begins, and it begins in the most important place: the Most Holy Place. The first and most crucial item is the Ark of the Covenant. Inside it, Moses places the "testimony," the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. God's presence with His people is founded upon His law. But on top of the Ark, covering the law, is the mercy seat. This is where the blood of atonement would be sprinkled. God's presence is therefore based on law and mercy, on covenant and atonement. The Ark is then brought into the innermost room, and the veil is hung, separating it from the Holy Place. This veil signifies that the way into God's immediate presence is not yet open for sinful man. It is a barrier, but also a promise of a future reality when the veil would be torn.

22-23 Then he put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. He set the arrangement of bread in order on it before Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Moving out from the Most Holy Place into the Holy Place, Moses sets up the table for the bread of the Presence. This bread, twelve loaves for the twelve tribes, symbolized God's continual provision for His covenant people. It was perpetually "before Yahweh," a constant reminder of the fellowship and sustenance that God provides. This is a clear type of Christ, who is the true Bread of Life, providing eternal sustenance for His people.

24-25 Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. He lighted the lamps before Yahweh, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Opposite the table, on the south side, goes the golden lampstand. As there were no windows in the Tabernacle, this was the only source of light in the Holy Place. Its seven lamps were to be kept burning continually. This represents the light of God's truth and His life-giving presence. Jesus Christ is the true light of the world, and His church, in turn, is to be a light to the nations. The priests had to tend these lamps, just as we are called to tend the light of the gospel in our own day, all according to His command.

26-27 Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil; and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

The final piece of furniture in the Holy Place is the golden altar of incense, placed directly in front of the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. The smoke from the burning incense would rise up and drift over the veil, symbolizing the prayers of God's people ascending to His throne. This is a beautiful picture of intercession, a ministry fulfilled perfectly by our great High Priest, Jesus, whose prayers on our behalf are a fragrant aroma to the Father.

28-29 Then he placed the screen at the doorway of the tabernacle. He placed the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and he offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Now we move outside the tent itself into the courtyard. The first thing one would encounter is the great bronze altar of burnt offering. It stands right before the doorway. The message is unmistakable: no one enters the house of God without first passing by the place of sacrifice. Access to God is predicated on a substitutionary death. An atonement must be made for sin. This altar is the gospel in bronze and fire, pointing directly to the final, perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

30-32 He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing. From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Between the altar of sacrifice and the entrance to the tent stood the bronze laver, filled with water. After dealing with the blood and ashes of the sacrifice, the priests had to wash before they could enter the Holy Place. This speaks of the need for daily cleansing and sanctification. We are justified by the blood of the altar, but we must also be cleansed by the water of the Word. The priests had to wash every time they approached. This was not optional; it was commanded. It teaches us that we must constantly deal with the defilement of the world as we serve a holy God.

33 He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and he he put up the screen for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

Finally, the outer boundary is established. The courtyard fence is erected, separating the holy ground from the common wilderness. A screen is placed at the gate, creating a single, official entrance. And with that, the job is done. The text says, "Thus Moses finished the work." This phrase deliberately echoes the language of creation in Genesis 2:1. Moses, as God's covenant mediator, has completed a work of new creation. He has built a model of the cosmos, a heaven-and-earth structure, where God will come to dwell. All that remains is for God to inhabit it.

Application

We are not called to build a physical tabernacle today. The book of Hebrews makes it clear that this entire structure was a shadow, and the reality has come in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the true temple, the true sacrifice, the true priest, the true bread, and the true light. The veil was torn in two when He died, signifying that the way into the Most Holy Place is now open to all who come by faith in Him.

But the central principle of Exodus 40 remains absolutely binding upon the New Covenant church. That principle is this: God's house is to be ordered by God's rules. Our worship, our church life, our doctrine, and our ethics are not things we get to invent. We are not called to be creative in these areas; we are called to be faithful. Our task is to look to the divine blueprint, which is the completed Word of God, and do all things "just as Yahweh has commanded." The temptation to build a golden calf, to create a religion that is more to our liking, is ever-present. This chapter is a solemn call to set aside our preferences, our traditions, and our bright ideas, and to simply and humbly obey the Word of the King. When we do this, when we build His church according to His Word, we can expect His presence and glory to fill the house.