QT 5/26/2026 Exo 40:16–33, Meeting with God

Exodus 40:16–33 (ESV) —

16 This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected 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. 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat 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 commanded 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 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 commanded 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.

 

NOTE: So everything was finished and set up in the first month (two weeks later is Passover) of the second year of the Exodus. The mystifying fact is the interchange of names, calling it the tent of meeting (verse 22 and 30) and the tabernacle (most of the verses). Earlier I had noted a difference in the tent of meeting and the tabernacle, and I think that was probably while the items of the tabernacle were still being constructed. With the completion of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting that Moses had set up outside the camp, the tent of meeting now becomes the tabernacle. This is where God will manifest his presence and this is where God answers Moses' prayer to go with the Israelites.

 

I have an office in my house. It is upstairs over our garage. In the morning, it becomes my tent of meeting. Now and then I will wear noise cancelling headsets to eliminate the buzz of the computer fan or the room fan. It is pretty quiet in the morning outside. I read the word and just start writing. I'm not always sure where I am going, but as I write (type), the Holy Spirit guides my mind and speaks to my soul. Things I have not thought about, come to mind. I hear God speak through his word to me directly. I think the most important thing about becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ is to have time in the word every day, away from distractions and noise and everything else that competes for attention, and just listen to our Lord speak.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I have a quiet place to read (hear) and commune with God?
2. Do I meet with God daily or is He not that high on your priority list?

 

PRAYER: Father, we always do the things that are most important. When we don't do what we ought, it reveals to us what are real priorities are. Help us to see our real priorities.