Exodus 40:1-38: "1 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. 17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. 18 So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; 23 and he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; 25 and he lit the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26 He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; 27 and he burned sweet incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 28 He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD 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 the LORD 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 the LORD 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."
Today we wrap up our reading from the Book of Moses, commonly called Exodus. Starting Monday, we will begin to read the Book of Moses, commonly called Numbers. We will read through that book for the next two and a half weeks, and then read from the Book of Moses, commonly called Deuteronomy until Passiontide begins. The Book of Moses, commonly called Leviticus, is not read in this Lectionary, not even in part, which follows the ancient practice. But today, we wrap up the Book of Moses, commonly called Exodus, and in it we are shown the final preparations of the Tabernacle of Meeting, and our Lord God, taking up His dwelling place within the Tabernacle.
The first thing to point out about this pericope is the time. The Lord God tells Moses to set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the the first month. You may remember that this was the day when the Israelites left Egypt. This means it was the one year anniversary of their leaving Egypt. Therefore, if we view this reading chronologically. One year ago, the Angel of the Lord, came down, and through His presence killed all the firsborn sons of Egypt. Now, our Lord shows His presence among His people once more, this time dwelling among them in peace.
The second thing to be noted is the care with which the Tabernacle and all the instruments and furniture of the Tabernacle were prepared, and set in their proper places. Only Moses is allowed to do this (although, we can be sure that he probably enlisted help for some of the heavier objects, such as the Altar made out of gold). Moses is the one to do this, for he is the prophet of God. He has been appointed by God to do this task. It is also part of his calling to consecrate Aaron, the high priest, and all the sons of Aaron.
The next thing is that our Lord God, takes His dwelling among the people. Whenever the cloud was over the Tabernacle of Meeting, the Israelites remained where they were at, and whenever it was removed, then they would march on. But here we see the great benefit that the Israelites are granted. For, for forty years, while they sojourned in the wilderness, they had the benefit of seeing the presence of the Lord before them. Even though they were in the wilderness, and life was hard, they got to see the Lord dwelling among them.
We too have this benefit, as we dwell in the wilderness of this life fill with sorrow and woe, and trial and tribulation, for our Lord comes to us, and dwells with us, through the Blessed Sacrament. There on the Altar, our Lord dwells in His Body and Blood. We receive Him on our lips, and are granted forgiveness, life, and salvation. This holy meal, is our visible proof that our Lord is here among us until the Last Day, when He appears to us, and the whole world, as He appeared to His disciples on the day of His ascension.
Therefore, we can rejoice at the presence of our Lord Jesus, who gives us constant proof that He cares for us, and provides for us, just like the Israelites had opportunity to joy in the presence of the Lord God in the Tabernacle of Meeting for those forty years.
God be with you!
Deacon Dulas
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