Exodus 39, 40.
CHAPTER 39 finishes the work on the tabernacle, with the clothes for the men who were to attend to the service there, and, we see once more that everything was done as the Lord had said (verses 42, 43).
Very soon it was different, just as it has always been with whatever God does for this world; just as soon as He puts it into men’s hands to look after, they fail, and sin comes in. How good it is for us, that salvation isn’t given into our hands to take care of, for we who are saved would surely be lost again, and perish with the ungodly who have never turned to God at all. He can’t trust us: can we trust Him? Yes, indeed!
A year had now gone by since that time in Egypt when God was forcing Pharaoh to let His people go, and on the anniversary New Year’s Day (which would not be the first day of January, but in the Spring), Moses, at God’s word set up the tabernacle, and put everything in its place. Everything inside, and the altar of burnt offering and the laver which were in the court of the tabernacle, were touched with the holy anointing oil, to mark them out as belonging to the service of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Moses put the stone tablets, on which were written the ten commandments, into the ark; then he brought in, and put the twelve loaves of “shew bread” on the gold covered table; lit the lamps of the “candlestick”; burned sweet incense on the little golden altar; also burned other offerings about which we read in the next book, Leviticus, on the altar of burnt offering, and put water in the brass laver for washing hands and feet—of all these things we have talked already.
Everything was now done, and when Moses had come out, a cloud covered the tent—the tabernacle itself—so that he could not go in again, and the glory of the Lord filled the place. God had accepted the work, and showed His approval by coming down in this way that might been seen by all.
Day and night, God was there. Over the tabernacle by day always hung that cloud, and by night fire was seen there, where all the people might see. If the cloud rose from the tabernacle, the people of Israel knew it was time to go on with their journey, but as long as it stayed, they were to remain where they were. There is a lesson in this for us who love the Lord, that we should not do anything in self-will, but always try to be directed and guided by God in all our ways. This means that we must be constantly praying that we may be kept from using our own wills which are not safe for us to follow. The Word of God and prayer are safe.
ML 10/29/1922