Exodus 40:17-38

¹⁷ In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. ¹⁸ Moses set up the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. ¹⁹ And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had instructed Moses. ²⁰ He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and placed the propitiatory lid above on the ark. ²¹ And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses. ²² He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, ²³ and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. ²⁴ He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, ²⁵ and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had instructed Moses. ²⁶ He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, ²⁷ and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. ²⁸ He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. ²⁹ And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. ³⁰ He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, ³¹ with which Moses and Aaron and his sons were to their hands and their feet. ³² When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they would wash, as the LORD had instructed Moses. ³³ And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. ³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁶ Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud ascended from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. ³⁷ But if the cloud had not ascended, then they did not set out till the day that it ascended. ³⁸ Because the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

the glowing cloud

The glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle, causing it to glow even when covered by a cloud. This cloud glowed like fire in the night. The cloud would ascend whenever it was time to move to another place. I find it interesting that the Lord Jesus ascended into the clouds with a command for his disciples to make disciples to all nations. They were to set out upon the ascension of the tabernacle, which was Christ. John said of Christ that “the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory–the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.”[1]

And so we are a people always on the move accomplishing the Father’s will until the Son descends again and his glory returns to us. Our pilgrimage has a purpose.

LORD, we ask that you sanctify us through and through, and prepare us for the journey that you have in store. We await the return of your glory among us – that of your one and only.

[1] John 1:14 NET.