What a sight to see the tabernacle majestically rise from the desert floor—God’s home on earth!
Fourteen times in Exodus 40 we hear the Lord say to Moses, “you shall.” What was it he was to do? There at the base of Mount Sinai, Moses was going to put together a model, yes, a model of the true dwelling place of God in heaven. All of the components had been carefully crafted, but they had to be assembled in a very orderly way. Just as Bezalel and Aholiab followed the instructions for making the tabernacle, now Moses followed the instructions in assembling it. Of course, he would need help in erecting the structure, spreading the coverings, and moving the furniture. Interestingly, he wasn’t the high priest; that was Aaron, his brother. But he was acting for God, getting everything ready for Moving-In Day. You recall Moving-Out Day from Egypt had been the 15th day of the first month. Now “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” (Ex 40:17). They were two weeks shy of their first anniversary of deliverance. What an unforgettable year it had been! The Passover and the Red Sea crossing; Mara and Elim; manna from heaven and water from the Rock; victory over Amalek and defeat through unbelief. Yet for all that, God had always been faithful. The journey from Egypt brought them to the mount in the third month, and Moses had spent a total of 80 days on Sinai with the Lord. That means the whole construction project had been accomplished in about six months. Remarkable! Even a quick reading of chapter 40 can be exhausting if we consider how much had been accomplished. Sometimes we may feel there is just too much to do, but what a good thing to remember: there is always enough time to do the will of God.