Daily Devotion | Exodus 39–40 | 2026 January 13

Title: Daily Devotion

Dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. By God’s grace, we have come to a new day to study the Daily Devotion. Today we will study two chapters—Exodus 39 and 40. Let us see whether we can cover both.

Let us pray. Lord, we thank and praise you for your grace. Lord, thank you for leading us and for letting us see that the tabernacle has now been completed. Lord, it is your grace and your mercy. Lord, you are willing to show us favor. Lord, you have given these revelations to us, so that we may see how willing you are to dwell with us. We are weak, and our hearts are weak. We often live in sins and trespasses. Lord, have mercy on us.

O God who fills the whole earth, renew and change us, so that we may serve you more and more inwardly. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Alright, let us look at Exodus 39. This chapter still repeats the content of chapter 28. The content in chapter 28 basically does not seem to have anything especially new. But you should notice that there are still some differences here. If you were doing a study, you would need to compare carefully—some phrases appear earlier but not later, and some appear later but not earlier. You can find things to compare. But since this is a devotional study, we will not examine every detail in that kind of depth.

For example, Exodus 39:2 mentions how the gold thread was made—how the gold was hammered into thin plates and then cut into threads. The making of gold thread is actually a very complicated process. It is not as simple as we might imagine. Gold has very high ductility, but to hammer it into thin sheets, cut it into threads, and still be able to weave those threads in—this is not easy at all. And pure gold is very soft, so this requires very high skill. It is not simple. But thanks be to the Lord: God gave Bezalel wisdom, and he was able to do all this work. That is one difference worth noticing.

Then there is another difference—where is it? In the making of the holy garments: in Exodus 39, the making of the crown is placed at the end. That is, after all the work is done, finally they put on the crown, “Holy to the LORD.” In Exodus 28 it is not recorded this way. In Exodus 28 the crown is made in the middle, and then the other garments are recorded afterward. This is a small difference, but I am simply reminding you: you can find these small differences and meditate on what kind of difference it might be pointing to.

Here is one way to think about it: why is “Holy to the LORD” placed at the very end? It may be because Moses wants to emphasize that all the making of these holy instruments—why do they go through so many complicated procedures, why do they make such a complex and glorious tabernacle—ultimately, the purpose is “Holy to the LORD.” The purpose is to make it clear how God dwells with man. Everything inside typifies Christ. We already mentioned this when we explained earlier sections, so I will not repeat all of that here.

In any case, the purpose is that it all belongs to the LORD as holy. So here we can see something of God’s intention: God hopes to establish on earth a new people—a people who walk with God, a people who have the distinct mark of being set apart from the world. Their worldview, their values, their understanding of life, the principles they hold—these are completely different from the people of the world. This is the most fundamental meaning of the word “holy”: to be set apart, to be distinct. We must be distinct from the world.

So this also reminds us: what kind of people are we? We need to be distinct from this world, not to identify ourselves with this world. But that does not mean we cannot live in the world, as if we must flee into deep mountains and forests and become a separate tribe and never have contact with others. That is not the point.

In fact, if it were like that, being “set apart” would be easier, because you would be a separate people. But God deliberately continues to place us within society, so that the church would live out something different in the midst of the social order. That is the most difficult thing. I am always together with them, yet I must live a life that is set apart—this is what is truly difficult. So God challenges the church to challenge society, to live out a holy life, and to influence society. This is the meaning of the “city on a hill.”

Then the tabernacle is finished—everything is completed. Let me say it again: “Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished.” And it especially says: “And the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.” We have mentioned this pattern many times before, so I will not repeat it in full again: the LORD commanded Moses, Moses commanded the people of Israel, and the people of Israel did according to what they were told. Then the items are counted one by one.

They list the items: first the things outside, then the basin, then the frames, hooks, bases, the bases with pegs, the covering dyed red, the veil, and then the ark, the table, the golden lampstand, the altar of incense, the bronze altar, the basin for washing, and the things around the court. Everything was made.

I think as Christians we should take note of this: you should have a clear concept of the furnishings of the sanctuary. You must have a mental picture. What is in the sanctuary? The ark—the testimony, the tablets of the Ten Commandments—this is the innermost place, the Most Holy Place. Then outside the veil, what is there? Outside the veil there is the table for the bread of the Presence, and the golden lampstand, and also the altar of incense. These are the things in the Holy Place. Then outside, in the court, there is the bronze altar and the basin. You should have this picture in your mind, so that when Scripture mentions these things later, you can immediately recall them and understand what is being referred to.

Then verses 42 to 43 emphasize again that all this work was done by the people of Israel exactly as the LORD commanded Moses—emphasizing this order. The LORD commanded, and they did accordingly. Moses saw that all the work had been done, and he blessed them. The pattern is: God commanded Moses, Moses commanded Israel, Israel did it, and after it was completed Moses blessed them in the name of the LORD. This is a blessed thing.

To build the tabernacle was to have a holy place among Israel; it was a blessed matter. So their labor was remembered by the Lord, and God blessed them. Of course, they should have done it anyway—that was their duty—but the completion ceremony is beautiful.

Then chapter 40 records God speaking to Moses. He says clearly: “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.” Why erect the tabernacle? First, bring the ark into it and screen the ark of the testimony with the veil. Then bring in the table and arrange what belongs on the table—this is the bread of the Presence. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. Then put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.

So the Holy Place is arranged. Then the altar of burnt offering is to be set in front of the door of the tabernacle. The basin is placed between the tent of meeting and the altar, and water is put in it. So when you enter: first the altar of burnt offering, then the basin; then the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. And remember that on all four sides there are curtains, and the screen is set up at the entrance.

Then verse 9 says they must use the anointing oil to anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it becomes holy. And they must also anoint the altar of burnt offering.

They must consecrate Aaron and his sons. Moses is to wash them with water. Aaron is to put on the holy garments and be anointed and consecrated, that he may serve as priest. His sons must also be clothed with tunics. As Aaron is anointed, so the sons are anointed, and they are ordained to serve.

Here, up through verse 15, there is something you should notice. The first consecration is by anointing oil, not by the application of blood. We may not notice this detail. You might think, “Yes, they need blood,” and you probably know that sacrifice involves blood. But before the sacrifice, there is anointing. Many people do not pay attention to that detail. So I want to remind you: why is it that the oil comes first, and then later there is atonement? From a systematic theology perspective, this is easy to understand. Why? Because our salvation begins with the Holy Spirit’s regeneration.

In other words, we must understand that first there is the Holy Spirit’s anointing. The Holy Spirit first works in our hearts. The Holy Spirit first leads us. The Holy Spirit first regenerates us, giving us repentance. Then the Holy Spirit grants us faith, so that we receive the covering and cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ by the God-given faith. So the work of the Spirit comes first.

So why does Exodus 40 first speak of anointing—oil first? Because the anointing oil represents the work of the Holy Spirit. That is why in John 3, when the Lord Jesus speaks with Nicodemus about eternal life, Jesus himself says that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. What does this mean? It means a person’s salvation comes entirely from the Spirit’s work.

Because the Holy Spirit works in our hearts, we can receive the gospel. It is not that we first, by our own faith, receive the gospel—decide by ourselves, “I will believe in Jesus”—and then afterward the Holy Spirit comes to anoint us. That is completely wrong. Without the Spirit’s anointing, without the work of the Triune God, no one can confess Jesus Christ as Lord. We especially need to understand this: the Spirit first works in our hearts, first regenerates us, so that in Jesus Christ we may know the Father, and we may understand salvation.

So this gives us two points of instruction. First, as Christians, every one of us should give thanks. If we truly are willing to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, if we are willing to commit ourselves to the church—this is the work of the Holy Spirit. We must give thanks to God. It is not our merit at all. It is because the Spirit worked first—because there was first anointing—that we can know the true God.

Second, if someone does not know Jesus Christ, we should not be surprised. For unless the Spirit works, no one can confess Jesus Christ as Lord. So we should pray earnestly for them, asking the Holy Spirit to work in them and bring them to know the true God. This is why the anointing comes first: the Spirit’s work comes first, and then afterward comes the work of sacrifice. This is what I want to remind you of.

Then Moses did so, according to all that the LORD commanded him. Then it says: in the second year, on the first day of the first month, the tabernacle was erected. You see, Israel had been in the wilderness for nearly a year. They left Egypt on the fourteenth day of the first month of the first year. Now, in the second year, it is already the first day of the first month. During this time they traveled some distance, but mainly they were at Mount Sinai, receiving God’s law. Building the tabernacle also took time. Now the tabernacle is completed, and Moses sets it up.

He erected the tabernacle, laid its bases, set up the frames, put in the poles, and raised up the pillars. He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it. Then he took the testimony and put it into the ark, set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, screening the ark of the testimony.

From verse 16 onward, the phrase “as the LORD commanded Moses” appears repeatedly. Verse 23 says it; verse 27 says it; and so on. Moses is expressing that everything was done according to God’s instruction—God was leading, God was directing. That is why the text repeats it again and again.

Then the table was placed on the north side—the table for the bread of the Presence—just as the LORD commanded. The lampstand was placed on the south side, opposite the table, and Moses set up the lamps. The golden altar is the altar of incense—verse 27—then the screen for the door was set up. This is the Holy Place. And remember: there are two layers—inside is the Most Holy Place with the ark and the mercy seat. In the Holy Place there is the table, the lampstand, and the altar of incense.

Then Moses set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance, and placed the basin between the tent and the altar, and put water in it. Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there; when they went into the tent of meeting and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. So that is the whole flow.

So for the tabernacle arrangement, you should have a blueprint in your mind: when you enter, first the altar; then the basin; then you enter the Holy Place; and inside, further in, the Most Holy Place. In the Holy Place there is the lampstand, the table for the bread of the Presence, and the altar of incense; and in the innermost place there is the ark and the mercy seat.

Why are things arranged this way? What is the function of each item? We already explained these matters earlier, so we will not repeat them here. We also explained why they are arranged this way.

Then, in verse 34, the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. After everything was anointed, the glory of God entered the tabernacle. Verse 34 is a glorious moment. This is God accepting the work of Israel. He himself comes down in the glorious cloud and dwells above the mercy seat, showing that he accepts their work—that the work has been completed—and he personally comes into the tabernacle to dwell with Israel. What a glorious moment.

So verse 34 is very glorious. It is as if the scene in Eden has been restored. In Genesis 3:24, after man was expelled, God placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. From Genesis 4 onward, up to this point, we come to Exodus 40:34, and we see that the relationship between God and man has reached a new height: God has finally returned to dwell among the people he created. Though it is through these many complicated furnishings, he has come among his people.

So we can say from Genesis to Revelation the Bible is one story. What is the story? After humanity sinned, how does God bring man back into his glory? That is the story. You can understand the whole Bible from this angle, and it is not wrong at all: how can lost humanity be brought back to God? This is the story of the whole Bible, and in a sense it is the story of human history as well—how can man return to God?

In Scripture, God gives us a way—through his covenant. Earlier he chose Noah, then Abraham, then Moses and other great figures, and he caused this covenant to be fulfilled step by step. And in Moses’ day, at Mount Sinai, when Israel built the tabernacle, what happened? God returned to the tabernacle. God returned to dwell among men—“the dwelling place of God is with man.” Why is this language repeated? Because it is telling you that God has returned to dwell with man again.

So when we see this, we should say, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord,” right? Through Moses’ intercession, through the giving of the law, through God commanding Moses, Moses commanding Israel, and Israel building the tabernacle—then in the tabernacle God and man met. God came down to dwell with man.

This is such a glorious and holy moment. Of course, we know that all of this is only a type of Christ. No matter how exquisite the tabernacle was, no matter how much gold it had, no matter how it was anointed with oil, it still could not truly cause the infinitely holy God to dwell among sinful people—this is not possible in itself. God is infinitely holy, and when man offends him it provokes infinite wrath. Man cannot appease that wrath by himself. The blood of bulls and goats cannot satisfy the demands of God’s righteous wrath. So all of this points forward to Christ.

Every item in the tabernacle points to Christ—whether the ark and the mercy seat, the lampstand, the table for the bread of the Presence, the altar of incense, the basin, the altar of burnt offering—each points to Christ. Only the Christ whom the tabernacle typifies can truly be the Mediator between God and man. Only in Christ can God and man meet again, and only Christ can truly bring man back to Eden.

So when we think carefully—after reading so much of Exodus—we are coming to the end of Exodus. Exodus is so complex, so detailed. From chapter 25 to chapter 40—so long, about fifteen chapters—describing how the tabernacle is made. In the middle there is Israel’s corruption and the golden calf, yet the overall complexity tells us something. What does it tell us? It tells us how difficult it is for God to dwell among Israel. And it tells us how willing God is to dwell among Israel—how willing he is to come and to live with his people.

How does he do it? He actively reveals it to Moses: “You must do this; you must do that.” And then he says, in effect, “When you do this, I will come.” This is entirely God’s mercy. Our God is not a God whom we must guess at—as if God says, “Guess what I like. Do what pleases me, and then I will come.” That would be impossible, because after the fall, finite and sinful man can never find the road to heaven. He cannot find it.

What man builds is Babel—a tower that exalts human glory, thinking it can reach heaven. That is impossible. The way to heaven, the way to the new heavens and the new earth, must come from God’s own revelation; it must come from God’s active salvation. Without God’s revelation and God’s saving initiative, humanity cannot understand how to be saved—and in fact, fallen man would not even seek it, because he has fallen.

We are sunk in death, in sins and trespasses. Ephesians 2:1–4 says it very clearly: “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…” It speaks of following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience. So for us, brothers and sisters, we were completely immersed in death. We did not think about God; we did not love God. It is because God was willing to save us. He gave revelation; he renews us by the Holy Spirit so that we can know him. And even if we ourselves wanted to seek God, we could not do it, which is why we need Christ who shed his blood for us.

So here, the plan of salvation, the accomplishment of salvation, and the application of salvation are all the work of the Triune God. Therefore, we give glory and praise to the Father alone. And we especially thank the Lord Jesus Christ, because without his substitutionary death for our sins, we could never find the true tabernacle, the true sanctuary. The earthly tabernacle, and the temple that the tabernacle would later typify, would eventually be torn down. These earthly items cannot truly meet the demands of God’s holiness. In the end, only Jesus Christ can do this.

That is why, in the New Testament, a very important book is Hebrews. Hebrews especially tells us that all these things are Christ. And Hebrews also tells us that to know Christ truly is to eat solid food. You cannot keep drinking milk. After you have moved beyond the elementary teachings—repentance, and so forth—you must come to know Christ. You must eat solid food in Christ. You must know that everything in the Old Testament pointed to Christ, and in Christ you have fellowship with the Father. When we can truly give thanks to Christ and love Christ, our lives will undergo real change.

The Holy Spirit gives us the seed of life, and we must continually be renewed and changed in Jesus Christ. We are being conformed to the likeness of Christ. And as these people are gathered together, they form the church—a city on a hill. Such a church can be a church that glorifies God. Of course, the church on earth is not perfect, and we cannot achieve perfection. But in this process, God displays his glory through the church, so that in the end, when human history is brought to completion, we may enter into the new heavens and the new earth. That is our hope.

So verse 34 stands as a very glorious ending to Exodus. It is like the ending of Genesis. How did Genesis end? Genesis 50 ends with a funeral. In Genesis 50:26, Joseph died at 110 years old; they embalmed him and put him in a coffin in Egypt. So Genesis ends with a funeral, showing Joseph’s faith. Now in Exodus, that hope begins to be fulfilled—Joseph’s bones are being carried out of Egypt—and even more importantly, Exodus ends with glory: the cloud covered the tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. This is a glorious ending.

Of course there are many more stories afterward. But this filling of the tabernacle with God’s glory becomes the hope of Israel later. The building of the temple also has this theme—the glory filling the house. Yet in the end, the true and final fullness is in Jesus Christ. And we New Testament believers, although we have not seen the tabernacle and have not seen the temple, have received an even richer fullness—the fullness of Christ.

Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, dwells in our hearts. This is a very moving teaching in the New Testament. He dwells in our hearts; the Triune God dwells in us, and we dwell in the Triune God. The experience of New Testament believers is more clear and more full—not because the Old Testament was false, but because things are made clearer to us.

Then it says Moses could not enter, because the cloud settled on the tent of meeting and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And then it tells Israel: whenever the cloud was taken up, they would set out; if it was not taken up, they would not set out until the day it was taken up. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night were before the eyes of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

So God not only filled the sanctuary—he also became their guiding light. When to move, when to stop, how long to remain—all of it was directed by God. I think this is the most beautiful state of a Christian life: to live under God’s guidance. What should we do? When should we go? When should we stop? The cloud by day and the fire by night show that God’s grace does not depart from us. God does not want to depart from us, and he is not willing to leave us.

Therefore, we must follow the Spirit’s leading and live a life of sanctification from within, obeying God’s law, so that we may live a life that glorifies God. So the passage from verse 34 to verse 38 truly encourages us, comforts us, and gives us hope: God’s glory returned among Israel. The separation that began when God drove man out of Eden—now God himself comes to dwell among his people, to bring them into the new heavens and the new earth. This is the whole story of redemption.

May God lead us to be willing to follow the guidance of the Triune God in this story of redemption—to follow him, to obey his law—so that we may receive eternal life. Alright, we will stop here for today’s sharing. Thank you, everyone.