Exodus Chapters 39-40
Heavenly Father,
We come to you today in prayer as we begin our study of Exodus Chapters 39 - 40. We ask that you open our hearts to wisdom and our minds to learning. Holy spirit guide our thoughts that we may shut out the world and take in the scripture you set before us. Let us learn what message God has for us to learn. You are the great teacher and speak the only truth we want to hear. Thank you for this time we have together and may it find those who do not yet know you and bring them closer to your love and grace that you have to offer. The offer of amazing love, peace and eternal life all for accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In Jesus name we pray. Amen 🙏👼
Recap of Exodus 36–38
Exodus chapters 36 through 38 detail the commencement and progress of constructing the tabernacle, the sacred dwelling place for God among the Israelites. Under Moses' leadership, skilled craftsmen—most notably Bezalel and Aholiab—are tasked with carrying out the intricate work, guided by wisdom and divine instruction. The community responds with remarkable generosity, offering abundant materials, so much so that Moses eventually instructs them to cease their contributions once sufficient supplies have been collected.
Central furnishings are also fashioned during these chapters: Bezalel creates the Ark of the Testimony, the Table for Showbread, the Gold Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense. These items, crafted from acacia wood and overlaid with precious metals, serve vital roles in Israel’s worship and covenant relationship with God.
Additionally, the altar of burnt offering, the bronze laver, and the surrounding court are constructed. The materials—gold, silver, bronze, and fine linen—are carefully inventoried, reflecting the community’s stewardship and accountability. Key figures such as Ithamar, Bezalel, and Aholiab oversee the process, highlighting the importance of responsible leadership and faithful execution of God’s commands.
Exodus 39–40 concludes the Book of Exodus with the completion of the Tabernacle (God's dwelling place among His people) and the priestly garments, followed by God's glorious presence filling it. These chapters emphasize fulfillment of God's detailed instructions from earlier in Exodus (chapters 25–31).
Scripture NKJV
Exodus 39
Making the Garments of the Priesthood
1Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments of ministry, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Making the Ephod
2He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 3And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 4They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 5And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6And they set onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel. 7He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Making the Breastplate
8And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 9They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. 10And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; 11the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. 14There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes. 15And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold. 16They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 17And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. 19And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the ephod. 20They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 21And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Making the Other Priestly Garments
22He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around the opening, so that it would not tear. 24They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen. 25And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates: 26a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe to minister in, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
27They made tunics, artistically woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28a turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen, 29and a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet:
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31And they tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
The Work Completed
32Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. 33And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 34the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering; 35the ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat; 36the table, all its utensils, and the showbread; 37the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; 38the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door; 39the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base; 40the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41and the garments of ministry, to minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.
42According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.
Exodus 40
The Tabernacle Erected and Arranged
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2“On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and partition off the ark with the veil. 4You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. 5You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.
9“And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 10You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. 11And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.
12“Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 13You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 14And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”
16Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.
17And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. 18So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; 23and he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; 25and he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; 27and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. 29And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 31and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud and the Glory
34Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. 37But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
Summary of the Chapters (Grok AI)
Exodus 39: Focuses on crafting the holy garments for Aaron (the high priest) and his sons. This includes the ephod, breastpiece with 12 precious stones representing Israel's tribes, robe, tunics, turban with "Holy to the Lord," and other items. Everything is made exactly as the Lord commanded Moses. The chapter repeatedly stresses precise obedience (e.g., "as the Lord had commanded"). The completed work is brought to Moses, who inspects it, sees it was done perfectly according to God's word, and blesses the people.
Exodus 40: The Tabernacle is erected on the first day of the first month in the second year after leaving Egypt. Moses sets up every element—the Ark of the Covenant, table, lampstand, altars, basin, curtains, and courtyard—exactly as God commanded. After finishing the work, a cloud covers the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord fills it (Exodus 40:34–35). Moses cannot even enter because of God's overwhelming presence. The cloud and fire guide Israel on all their journeys.
Key Teachings and Lessons from God
These chapters highlight several profound spiritual truths God reveals through the events:
Precise Obedience Matters to God The repeated phrase "according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did" (e.g., Exodus 39:32, 42–43; 40:16, 19, etc.) shows that God values wholehearted, detailed obedience—not partial or creative reinterpretation. The Israelites' careful following of instructions (after earlier failures like the golden calf) leads to blessing. Lesson: God teaches us to obey His Word exactly and fully. Obedience isn't optional; it's the pathway to experiencing His favor and presence.
God Desires to Dwell with His People The Tabernacle's purpose is for God to live among Israel (Exodus 25:8; 29:45–46). After completion and obedience, His glory descends visibly. This reverses the separation caused by sin (from Eden onward) and shows God's longing for intimate relationship despite human unworthiness. Lesson: God is not distant—He pursues closeness with us. In the New Testament, this points forward to Jesus (who "tabernacled" among us, John 1:14) and believers as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).
God's Glory and Presence Are Overwhelming and Holy The cloud and glory filling the Tabernacle (so even Moses can't enter) reveal God's majestic holiness. His presence is a sign of approval but also demands reverence. Lesson: Approaching God requires humility, holiness, and awe. His glory is not something we manufacture—it's His to reveal when conditions (like obedience) are met.
Faithful Completion Brings God's Approval and Guidance Moses "finished the work" (Exodus 40:33), and God immediately inhabits it. The cloud/fire then guides Israel continually. Lesson: When we faithfully complete what God calls us to, He responds with His presence and direction. This encourages perseverance in following God's plans.
Obedience Prepares the Way for God's Manifest Presence The sequence is clear: detailed obedience → completed work → God's glory fills the space. Lesson: Personal and communal obedience invites God's nearness and transforming power into our lives. Sin hinders it, but repentance and faithfulness restore it.
In essence, God teaches through Exodus 39–40 that He is a holy God who graciously chooses to dwell with His obedient people, blessing them with His presence and guidance. This climactic ending to Exodus shows restoration after rebellion and sets the stage for worship in Leviticus. For believers today, it foreshadows the ultimate dwelling of God with humanity through Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Timeline to date
Joseph dies slavery in Egypt Moses is Born Exodus from Ten Commandments Israel enters Judges 1805 BC 1526 Egypt 1446 given 1445 Canaan 1406 begin to ; rule
Special thanks are given to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, for the gift of writing and the privilege of sharing this Bible Study. His guidance and blessings have made this work possible, and it is with a grateful heart that can share my study with you. I hope you find it informational and helpful in your spiritual journey. I am asking that you open your hearts and minds to accept the word of Christ into your hearts and accept His word to transform your life in positive ways. This is the first part of my online Christian Bookstore Fellowship and I do accept donations that will further my mission to have a Bookstore in our community, a place where we can sit down face to face and enjoy this Bible Study over open and honest conversation. I will continue this online Study as well to complete the entire year. Thank you for following The Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore Fellowship & Café online Bible Study.
This Bible study is written with inspiration and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, Scripture from the Holy Bible (NIV), NKJV Life Application Study Bible, analytical support and help in organizing and presentation from Grok AI and writing assistance with drafting and editing from Microsoft Co-Pilot.
Thank you for joining me in this study of the Bible as we finish Exodus. Tomorrow we start Leviticus Chapters 1 - 4. See you then and may God Bless and always remember His Love.
