Exodus Chapter 40

EXODUS 

CHAPTER 

40

1. The LORD spoke to Moses: 2. On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of the meeting. 3. You shall put in it the ark of the covenant, and you shall screen the ark with the curtain.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 1 to 3)

According to the Author of this Chapter Mr. Devain Pawar, God gave Moses the mentioned instructions in order to hold the meeting with Him on a particular day of the month and year. God gives us a fresh start, a new beginning even though, at times we lose contact with God due to our sin. God gives us the opportunity to reunite with Him and start all over again by means of the sacrament of reconciliation. 

Moreover, even though the people had a free access to God by means of the tent of the meting, where the presence of God was always available, the people still had a barrier before them meaning that of the curtain. Our sinful selves can at times be the curtain that blocks our understanding of Your Word oh God, therefore when experiencing such a blockage we are to refer to you in a spirit of humility admit our weakness and ask for Your enlightenment.


Moreover as referred to by the author of this chapter You ordered that Your people obey your will. Laws are there to help us control our behaviour therefore we are to obey them. Without laws we would be no better than animals who simply act upon egoistic instinct in order to satisfy their needs wants and desires that at time clash with those of others and deprive them of their basic needs.  

4. You shall bring in the table, and arrange its setting; and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5. You shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant, and set up the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 4 to 5)


The lampstand that was fashioned by the hands of humanity was to be placed on a table and be set in the vicinity of the ark of the covenant along with the golden altar on which incense was to be offered as a burnt offering to You.


Oh father as in the case of the lampstand may we also receive our light from You. May You be our reference point and our main source of enlightenment. May our days be offered to You as an offering as in the case of the incense that was burnt on the golden altar in Your presence. May my prayers be like the fragrance of the incense that rises up and gives You pleasure.


6. You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7. and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8. You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 6 to 8)


In order to have an overview of the mentioned setup according to the will of God, please click on the following link:-


Setup of the Tent of the Meeting


On reflecting God made everything according to a perfect order. The given setup had a precise purpose as does all that happens in our lives. As in the case of the tent of the meeting God also works in detail in our lives covering even those issues that we consider not of value or importance.

9. Then you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it shall become holy. 10. You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar shall be most holy. 11. You shall also anoint the basin with its stand and consecrate it.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 9 to 10)

Thanks oh God for teaching your people such practises which are still being applied to this very day. With reference to the consecration and anointing of the altar please click on the following link-

Anointing of an Altar

12. Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water. 13. and put on Aaron the sacred vestments, and you shall anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may serve me as a priest. 14. You shall bring his sons and also put tunics on them, 15. and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests; and their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout all generations to come.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 12 to 15)


According to the author of this chapter, the symbolism of the anointing is that the person or object that was being anointed was being consecrated for a holy purpose that of being dedicated to God forever. A typical example is the rite of baptism where we were also consecrated to God.


16. Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him.

(Exodus chapter 40 verse 16)

According to the author of this chapter, we are all obliged to obey God because when He asks or commands us to do something it is not entirely for His benefit but for our own. He is always aware of what will be of benefit to us and what will be of harm. Therefore as a rule of thumb we are to enquire the will of God in every thing we do and say.

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 commanded Moses.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 17 to 19)

On reflecting anything that happens in this world, does so for a purpose, which we do not always understand, however even from the biggest disaster in the world, God can bring out positive actions. A typical example is when Your people were persecuted in Egypt which was followed by their liberation. In the New Testament your apostles were persecuted by the Jews of their time and consequently the Roman Catholic Church came into existences by means of the power of the Holy Spirit. During the present times many Christians are being persecuted by this terrorist group and even have had their heads cut off, however others became strong in faith and escaped the country.

20. He took the covenant and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat above the ark; 21. and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the curtain for screening, and screened the ark of the covenant; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

(Exodus chapter 40 verse 20 to 21)


Moses obeyed the instructions that God had given him. When obeying You oh God You lead us on new ways that take us beyond our own ways that at times may lead us to live in a rut that is stuck to our old ways. God wants us to expand our horizons even on a spiritual level. If Moses the scared and timid stutterer had not said yes to You oh God, he would never had grown and helped others to grow in their relationship with You. Your people and even us would never have had the opportunity to learn how to give You worship by means of ways that are according to Your will.


22. He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain, 23. and set the bread in order on it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 22 to 23)


According to Mr.Pawar the author of this chapter according to the same known fact which says that bread fills our stomach and reduces our hunger, God is able to sustain our souls. During the breaking of bread or the 'Mass" or "Eucharist', God offers us food from two tables. The first table is that of the 'Word of God' which nourishes our soul and the next table is his body and blood which is consecrated on the altar and distributed for all present to consume which again nourishes both our souls and even our bodies

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 commanded Moses.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 24 to 25)

Just as the lamp lightens the room allowing us to see clearly, God also enlighten us with His knowledge and allows us to have a clear perception of the world thus enabling us to differentiate between good and bad and make good choices. Your Word oh God is also like a lampstand because it guides us throughout the course of our life and has guidelines valid for almost every situation that we may encounter.

26. He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the curtain, 27. and offered fragrant incense on it; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 26 to 27)

According to the author of this chapter Incense sticks, when burnt, always leave a pleasant smell, which makes us calm and happy. Moreover when God is with us, we are filled with everlasting joy and happiness. When we offer our prayers to You my God they float up to you like the sweet fragrance of the incense.

28. He also put in place the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle. 29. 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.

(Matthew chapter 40 verses 28 to 29)


In order to obey the will of God Moses placed a screen at the entrance of the tabernacle. This was a form of transparent barrier. At times without being aware we may also become transparent barriers to others. This is the case when the lives we live do not correspond with the will of God or the teaching of the Church. Instead of being a signpost for others to follow we become a barrier that hinders the spiritual progress of others instead of helping them.


 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 washed their hands and their feet. 32. When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar; they washed; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 30 to 32)


Oh God pure loving and caring, you made it a necessity for us to be clean before coming before you. As humans we are sinners and therefore we cannot be always spick and span, however in order to help us by means of Your Church You gave us the sacrament of reconciliation that helps us to clean away the dirt and reconcile back to You. Moreover as stated by the author of this chapter Mr.Devain Pawar:-

Our body is itself a temple of God in which His grace resides in us and it is therefore up to us that we are to keep our body holy or else we lose both God's grace and His presence in us.

33. He set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and put up the screen at the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

(Exodus chapter 40 verse 33)

Moses finally finished all that You oh God had asked of him to accomplish. At times we might complain when things do not go according to our agenda. However what we may have been planning may not have been totally according to the will of God. On the other hand after some time of doing the will of God we might feel tired and worn out, or even reach the level of burnout. Even so God is able to give us the much needed rest so that we may bring to its end the goal that He has assigned us to accomplish.

In order to view the setup of the tabernacle and the court please refer to the following link:-

Setup of the Tent of the Meeting

34. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 34 to 35)


As in the case of the tabernacle God always attempts to fill us with the presence of His glory. When we accept Him in our lives, you oh God can help us to accomplish both simple and even great accomplishments for the good of humanity. The presence of His grace in us helps us to lead a happier life on the other hand if we deny the presence of God we will always be lacking in some area or another in our lives.


36. Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; 37. but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day it was taken up. 38. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.

(Exodus chapter 40 verses 36 to 38)


According to the human author of this chapter, Mr. Devain Pawar who in as spirit of prayer has written this chapter, God is always with us, every step of the way throughout our journey on earth even though at times we may not always see Him. As in the case of the cloud and the fire You oh God always shows us the way and the decisions we need to make that are according to Your Holy Will.


Mr. Pawar chose to end this chapter with the following prayer:-


God thanks for being with us in our life. Thanks for permitting us to complete 40 chapters of the book of Exodus. Without doubt it was You who helped us in completing this work. May all who reflect on this book benefit from the graces of God as much as we have and may your lives be always enriched and enlightened with the presence of God. 


Thank you God for all that You have done for us.


I also would like to say a special thank You to You my God by inviting those who are reading this last chapter of the book of Exodus to click on the following link and join me in this prayer to God

Thanks giving prayer to God 


In order to move on to the Book of Leviticus please click on the following link:-

The Book of Leviticus Chapter 1