Move in Ready Exodus 35-40

Move in Ready!

When you are building a building, home or bridge, you might wonder; Where do I start? You could

guess or use trial and error, however once you put the structure to use, there is a lot at stake; especially if it is un-structurally sound. On the other hand, if you are building a home or structure for someone else to use for a specific purpose and you ignore the blueprint, the person may not only decided not to pay you for the job they may never inhabit the building, leaving it empty for vandals, and purposes the building was never meant for. God is very specific on how he wants the tabernacle built in Exodus 35-40. He doesn't leave details out. This is a pattern we see though out God's word. It begins with the order of creation, to Noah's boat, and even for Salvation. There is one way to get saved. Once the Holy Spirit inhabits us at the time we place our faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work at the cross, he will begin to finish the work He intended for us. He is the craftsman. There is a blueprint and a high price paid for your life. Just as God did not inhabit the tabernacle until it was finished the way he planned, our lives can only be inhabited by Him once we have been redeemed according to His instructions. He began our lives, knit us together, and planned our purpose. We can follow the Architect and be inhabited by Him or we can ignore His plan and live with the consequences.
Ephesians 2:10New Living Translation (NLT)
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Philippians 1:6

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Ephesians 2:8-9New Living Translation (NLT)⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Tidbits from Exodus 35-40

• In chapter 36 we see the sometimes disobedient Israelites showing their devotion to God by bringing much more than needed to build the tabernacle.
• Attention to every detail was extremely important to Israelite artisans
• They present to Moses the work they have done according to God's design and instruction. There is not room for human plan in this statement. Exodus 39:33
• 39:43 Moses who was with God when the instructions were given blesses them and  give them the seal of approval
• 40:34 God inhabits the tabernacle after the instruction had been followed obediently.

Dig Deeper

Exodus 35-40New Living Translation (NLT)

Instructions for the Sabbath

35 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the Lord has commanded you to follow. ² You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. ³ You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.”

Offerings for the Tabernacle

⁴ Then Moses said to the whole community of Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ⁵ Take a sacred offering for the Lord. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord:

gold, silver, and bronze;
⁶ blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
⁷ tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
⁸ olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
⁹ onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

¹⁰ “Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen. Construct everything that the Lord has commanded:

¹¹ the Tabernacle and its sacred tent, its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;
¹² the Ark and its carrying poles;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
the inner curtain to shield the Ark;
¹³ the table, its carrying poles, and all its utensils;
the Bread of the Presence;
¹⁴ for light, the lampstand, its accessories, the lamp cups, and the olive oil for lighting;
¹⁵ the incense altar and its carrying poles;
the anointing oil and fragrant incense;
the curtain for the entrance of the Tabernacle;
¹⁶ the altar of burnt offering;
the bronze grating of the altar and its carrying poles and utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
¹⁷ the curtains for the walls of the courtyard;
the posts and their bases;
the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;
¹⁸ the tent pegs of the Tabernacle and courtyard and their ropes;
¹⁹ the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests.”

²⁰ So the whole community of Israel left Moses and returned to their tents. ²¹ All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle,^[a] for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. ²² Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord. ²³ All those who owned the following items willingly brought them: blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth; and tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather. ²⁴ And all who had silver and bronze objects gave them as a sacred offering to the Lord. And those who had acacia wood brought it for use in the project.

²⁵ All the women who were skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen cloth. ²⁶ All the women who were willing used their skills to spin the goat hair into yarn. ²⁷ The leaders brought onyx stones and the special gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece. ²⁸ They also brought spices and olive oil for the light, the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense. ²⁹ So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord.
³⁰ Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The Lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. ³¹ The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. ³² He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. ³³ He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. ³⁴ And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. ³⁵ The Lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.

36 “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.”

² So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the Lord and were eager to get to work. ³ Moses gave them the materials donated by the people of Israel as sacred offerings for the completion of the sanctuary. But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. ⁴ Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. ⁵ They went to Moses and reported, “The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!”
⁶ So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. ⁷ Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.

Building the Tabernacle

⁸ The skilled craftsmen made ten curtains of finely woven linen for the Tabernacle. Then Bezalel^[b] decorated the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ⁹ All ten curtains were exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide.^{[c] 10} Five of these curtains were joined together to make one long curtain, and the other five were joined to make a second long curtain. ¹¹ He made fifty loops of blue yarn and put them along the edge of the last curtain in each set. ¹² The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain matched the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. ¹³ Then he made fifty gold clasps and fastened the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle was made of one continuous piece.

¹⁴ He made eleven curtains of goat-hair cloth to serve as a tent covering for the Tabernacle. ¹⁵ These eleven curtains were all exactly the same size—45 feet long and 6 feet wide.^{[d] 16} Bezalel joined five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, and the other six were joined to make a second long curtain. ¹⁷ He made fifty loops for the edge of each large curtain. ¹⁸ He also made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the long curtains together. In this way, the tent covering was made of one continuous piece. ¹⁹ He completed the tent covering with a layer of tanned ram skins and a layer of fine goatskin leather.
²⁰ For the framework of the Tabernacle, Bezalel constructed frames of acacia wood. ²¹ Each frame was 15 feet high and 27 inches wide,^{[e] 22} with two pegs under each frame. All the frames were identical. ²³ He made twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. ²⁴ He also made forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. ²⁵ For the north side of the Tabernacle, he made another twenty frames, ²⁶ with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. ²⁷ He made six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle— ²⁸ along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. ²⁹ These corner frames were matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Both of these corner units were made the same way. ³⁰ So there were eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.
³¹ Then he made crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle ³² and five for the south side. He also made five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which faced west. ³³ He made the middle crossbar to attach halfway up the frames; it ran all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. ³⁴ He overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. Then he overlaid the crossbars with gold as well.
³⁵ For the inside of the Tabernacle, Bezalel made a special curtain of finely woven linen. He decorated it with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. ³⁶ For the curtain, he made four posts of acacia wood and four gold hooks. He overlaid the posts with gold and set them in four silver bases.
³⁷ Then he made another curtain for the entrance to the sacred tent. He made it of finely woven linen and embroidered it with exquisite designs using blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ³⁸ This curtain was hung on gold hooks attached to five posts. The posts with their decorated tops and hooks were overlaid with gold, and the five bases were cast from bronze.

Building the Ark of the Covenant

37 Next Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[f] 2} He overlaid it inside and outside with pure gold, and he ran a molding of gold all around it. ³ He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on each side. ⁴ Then he made poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He inserted the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it.

⁶ Then he made the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold. It was 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^{[g] 7} He made two cherubim from hammered gold and placed them on the two ends of the atonement cover. ⁸ He molded the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. ⁹ The cherubim faced each other and looked down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they protected it.

Building the Table

¹⁰ Then Bezalel^[h] made the table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[i] 11} He overlaid it with pure gold and ran a gold molding around the edge. ¹² He decorated it with a 3-inch border^[j] all around, and he ran a gold molding along the border. ¹³ Then he cast four gold rings for the table and attached them at the four corners next to the four legs. ¹⁴ The rings were attached near the border to hold the poles that were used to carry the table. ¹⁵ He made these poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ Then he made special containers of pure gold for the table—bowls, ladles, jars, and pitchers—to be used in pouring out liquid offerings.

Building the Lampstand

¹⁷ Then Bezalel made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. He made the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. ¹⁸ The lampstand had six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. ¹⁹ Each of the six branches had three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ²⁰ The center stem of the lampstand was crafted with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. ²¹ There was an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extended from the center stem, all made of one piece. ²² The almond buds and branches were all of one piece with the center stem, and they were hammered from pure gold.

²³ He also made seven lamps for the lampstand, lamp snuffers, and trays, all of pure gold. ²⁴ The entire lampstand, along with its accessories, was made from 75 pounds^[k] of pure gold.

Building the Incense Altar

²⁵ Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was 18 inches square and 36 inches high,^[l] with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. ²⁶ He overlaid the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and he ran a gold molding around the entire altar. ²⁷ He made two gold rings and attached them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles. ²⁸ He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

²⁹ Then he made the sacred anointing oil and the fragrant incense, using the techniques of a skilled incense maker.

Building the Altar of Burnt Offering

38 Next Bezalel^[m] used acacia wood to construct the square altar of burnt offering. It was 7 1⁄2 feet wide, 7 1⁄2 feet long, and 4 1⁄2 feet high.^{[n] 2} He made horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar were all one piece. He overlaid the altar with bronze. ³ Then he made all the altar utensils of bronze—the ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans. ⁴ Next he made a bronze grating and installed it halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge. ⁵ He cast four rings and attached them to the corners of the bronze grating to hold the carrying poles. ⁶ He made the poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ He inserted the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar. The altar was hollow and was made from planks.

Building the Washbasin

⁸ Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.^[o]

Building the Courtyard

⁹ Then Bezalel made the courtyard, which was enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side the curtains were 150 feet long.^{[p] 10} They were held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. He hung the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹¹ He made a similar set of curtains for the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. He hung the curtains with silver hooks and rings. ¹² The curtains on the west end of the courtyard were 75 feet long,^[q] hung with silver hooks and rings and supported by ten posts set into ten bases. ¹³ The east end, the front, was also 75 feet long.

¹⁴ The courtyard entrance was on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side was 22 1⁄2 feet long^[r] and was supported by three posts set into three bases. ¹⁵ The curtain on the left side was also 22 1⁄2 feet long and was supported by three posts set into three bases. ¹⁶ All the curtains used in the courtyard were made of finely woven linen. ¹⁷ Each post had a bronze base, and all the hooks and rings were silver. The tops of the posts of the courtyard were overlaid with silver, and the rings to hold up the curtains were made of silver.
¹⁸ He made the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard of finely woven linen, and he decorated it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It was 30 feet long, and its height was 7 1⁄2 feet,^[s] just like the curtains of the courtyard walls. ¹⁹ It was supported by four posts, each set securely in its own bronze base. The tops of the posts were overlaid with silver, and the hooks and rings were also made of silver.
²⁰ All the tent pegs used in the Tabernacle and courtyard were made of bronze.

Inventory of Materials

²¹ This is an inventory of the materials used in building the Tabernacle of the Covenant.^[t] The Levites compiled the figures, as Moses directed, and Ithamar son of Aaron the priest served as recorder. ²² Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ²³ He was assisted by Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman expert at engraving, designing, and embroidering with blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth.

²⁴ The people brought special offerings of gold totaling 2,193 pounds,^[u] as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. This gold was used throughout the Tabernacle.
²⁵ The whole community of Israel gave 7,545 pounds^[v] of silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. ²⁶ This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census. (The tax is one beka, which is half a shekel,^[w] based on the sanctuary shekel.) The tax was collected from 603,550 men who had reached their twentieth birthday. ²⁷ The hundred bases for the frames of the sanctuary walls and for the posts supporting the inner curtain required 7,500 pounds of silver, about 75 pounds for each base.^{[x] 28} The remaining 45 pounds^[y] of silver was used to make the hooks and rings and to overlay the tops of the posts.
²⁹ The people also brought as special offerings 5,310 pounds^[z] of bronze, ³⁰ which was used for casting the bases for the posts at the entrance to the Tabernacle, and for the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all the altar utensils. ³¹ Bronze was also used to make the bases for the posts that supported the curtains around the courtyard, the bases for the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard, and all the tent pegs for the Tabernacle and the courtyard.

Clothing for the Priests

39 The craftsmen made beautiful sacred garments of blue, purple, and scarlet cloth—clothing for Aaron to wear while ministering in the Holy Place, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Ephod

² Bezalel^[aa] made the ephod of finely woven linen and embroidered it with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ³ He made gold thread by hammering out thin sheets of gold and cutting it into fine strands. With great skill and care, he worked it into the fine linen with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread.

⁴ The ephod consisted of two pieces, front and back, joined at the shoulders with two shoulder-pieces. ⁵ The decorative sash was made of the same materials: finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁶ They mounted the two onyx stones in settings of gold filigree. The stones were engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel, just as a seal is engraved. ⁷ He fastened these stones on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod as a reminder that the priest represents the people of Israel. All this was done just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Making the Chestpiece

⁸ Bezalel made the chestpiece with great skill and care. He made it to match the ephod, using finely woven linen embroidered with gold and with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. ⁹ He made the chestpiece of a single piece of cloth folded to form a pouch nine inches^[ab] square. ¹⁰ They mounted four rows of gemstones^[ac] on it. The first row contained a red carnelian, a pale-green peridot, and an emerald. ¹¹ The second row contained a turquoise, a blue lapis lazuli, and a white moonstone. ¹² The third row contained an orange jacinth, an agate, and a purple amethyst. ¹³ The fourth row contained a blue-green beryl, an onyx, and a green jasper. All these stones were set in gold filigree. ¹⁴ Each stone represented one of the twelve sons of Israel, and the name of that tribe was engraved on it like a seal.

¹⁵ To attach the chestpiece to the ephod, they made braided cords of pure gold thread. ¹⁶ They also made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings and attached them to the top corners of the chestpiece. ¹⁷ They tied the two gold cords to the rings on the chestpiece. ¹⁸ They tied the other ends of the cords to the gold settings on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod. ¹⁹ Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the inside edges of the chestpiece next to the ephod. ²⁰ Then they made two more gold rings and attached them to the front of the ephod, below the shoulder-pieces, just above the knot where the decorative sash was fastened to the ephod. ²¹ They attached the bottom rings of the chestpiece to the rings on the ephod with blue cords. In this way, the chestpiece was held securely to the ephod above the decorative sash. All this was done just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Additional Clothing for the Priests

²² Bezalel made the robe that is worn with the ephod from a single piece of blue woven cloth, ²³ with an opening for Aaron’s head in the middle of it. The opening was reinforced with a woven collar^[ad] so it would not tear. ²⁴ They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and attached them to the hem of the robe. ²⁵ They also made bells of pure gold and placed them between the pomegranates along the hem of the robe, ²⁶ with bells and pomegranates alternating all around the hem. This robe was to be worn whenever the priest ministered before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²⁷ They made tunics for Aaron and his sons from fine linen cloth. ²⁸ The turban and the special head coverings were made of fine linen, and the undergarments were also made of finely woven linen. ²⁹ The sashes were made of finely woven linen and embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
³⁰ Finally, they made the sacred medallion—the badge of holiness—of pure gold. They engraved it like a seal with these words: Holy to the lord. ³¹ They attached the medallion with a blue cord to Aaron’s turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Moses Inspects the Work

³² And so at last the Tabernacle^[ae] was finished. The Israelites had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³³ And they brought the entire Tabernacle to Moses:

the sacred tent with all its furnishings, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;
³⁴ the tent coverings of tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
the inner curtain to shield the Ark;
³⁵ the Ark of the Covenant^[af] and its carrying poles;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
³⁶ the table and all its utensils;
the Bread of the Presence;
³⁷ the pure gold lampstand with its symmetrical lamp cups, all its accessories, and the olive oil for lighting;
³⁸ the gold altar;
the anointing oil and fragrant incense;
the curtain for the entrance of the sacred tent;
³⁹ the bronze altar;
the bronze grating and its carrying poles and utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
⁴⁰ the curtains for the walls of the courtyard;
the posts and their bases;
the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard;
the ropes and tent pegs;
all the furnishings to be used in worship at the Tabernacle;
⁴¹ the beautifully stitched garments for the priests to wear while ministering in the Holy Place—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests.

⁴² So the people of Israel followed all of the Lord’s instructions to Moses. ⁴³ Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the Lord had commanded him, he blessed them.

The Tabernacle Completed

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “Set up the Tabernacle^[ag] on the first day of the new year.^{[ah] 3} Place the Ark of the Covenant^[ai] inside, and install the inner curtain to enclose the Ark within the Most Holy Place. ⁴ Then bring in the table, and arrange the utensils on it. And bring in the lampstand, and set up the lamps.

⁵ “Place the gold incense altar in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Then hang the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle. ⁶ Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the Tabernacle entrance. ⁷ Set the washbasin between the Tabernacle^[aj] and the altar, and fill it with water. ⁸ Then set up the courtyard around the outside of the tent, and hang the curtain for the courtyard entrance.
⁹ “Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and all its furnishings to consecrate them and make them holy. ¹⁰ Anoint the altar of burnt offering and its utensils to consecrate them. Then the altar will become absolutely holy. ¹¹ Next anoint the washbasin and its stand to consecrate them.
¹² “Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. ¹³ Dress Aaron with the sacred garments and anoint him, consecrating him to serve me as a priest. ¹⁴ Then present his sons and dress them in their tunics. ¹⁵ Anoint them as you did their father, so they may also serve me as priests. With their anointing, Aaron’s descendants are set apart for the priesthood forever, from generation to generation.”
¹⁶ Moses proceeded to do everything just as the Lord had commanded him. ¹⁷ So the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year. ¹⁸ Moses erected the Tabernacle by setting down its bases, inserting the frames, attaching the crossbars, and setting up the posts. ¹⁹ Then he spread the coverings over the Tabernacle framework and put on the protective layers, just as the Lord had commanded him.
²⁰ He took the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant and placed them^[ak] inside the Ark. Then he attached the carrying poles to the Ark, and he set the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—on top of it. ²¹ Then he brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Tabernacle and hung the inner curtain to shield it from view, just as the Lord had commanded him.
²² Next Moses placed the table in the Tabernacle, along the north side of the Holy Place, just outside the inner curtain. ²³ And he arranged the Bread of the Presence on the table before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded him.
²⁴ He set the lampstand in the Tabernacle across from the table on the south side of the Holy Place. ²⁵ Then he lit the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded him. ²⁶ He also placed the gold incense altar in the Tabernacle, in the Holy Place in front of the inner curtain. ²⁷ On it he burned the fragrant incense, just as the Lord had commanded him.
²⁸ He hung the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle, ²⁹ and 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 him.
³⁰ Next Moses placed the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could wash themselves. ³¹ Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons used water from it to wash their hands and feet. ³² Whenever they approached the altar and entered the Tabernacle, they washed themselves, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
³³ Then 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.

The Lord’s Glory Fills the Tabernacle

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

³⁶ Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. ³⁷ But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. ³⁸ The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.