Exodus 40:18-33

‘And Moses reared up the Dwellingplace, and laid its sockets, and set up its frames, and put in its bars, and reared up its pillars. And he spread the tent over the Dwellingplace, and put the covering of the tent over it (above upon it); as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he took and put the Testimony into the Ark, and set the staves on the Ark, and put the mercy-seat on top of (above upon) the Ark: and he brought the Ark into the Dwellingplace, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the Ark of the Testimony; as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he put the Table in the Tent of Meeting, on the side of the Dwellingplace northward, outside the veil. And he set the bread in order on it before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he put the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting, over against the Table, on the side of the Dwellingplace southward. And he lit the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he put the golden altar in the Tent of Meeting before the veil: and he burnt on it incense of sweet spices; as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he put the screen of the entrance to the Dwellingplace. And he set the altar of whole burnt-offering at the entrance of the Dwellingplace of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the whole burnt-offering and the meal-offering; as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he set the laver between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, with which to wash. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet at it. When they went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came near to the altar, they washed; as Yahweh commanded Moses. And he reared up the court round about the Dwellingplace and the altar, and set up the screen of the entrance of the court. So Moses finished the work.'

So finally the Dwellingplace was established, and as each part was put in place the activity for which it was prepared also took place. The Testimony was put in the Ark. The showbread was set in order on the Table, the Lampstand was lit, incense was offered on the altar of incense, a whole burnt offering and meal offering was offered on the bronze altar, and they washed their hands and feet in the laver. So was each given its first use.

Note how often the phrase ‘as Yahweh commanded Moses' appears. In this chapter it occurs seven times, the number of divine perfection. It also appeared seven times in the previous chapter. Thus there were two series of seven (or fourteen in all). And further to this there were expressions which indicated the same thing. Thus there is great emphasis on the fact that the Dwellingplace is in accordance with the divine pattern, and continual emphasis on the fact that Yahweh has been obeyed.

“ He spread the tent over the Dwellingplace, and put the covering of the tent over it.” Here we see the distinction made between the Dwellingplace proper, the tent of goats' hair, and the outer covering of skins. The distinction is not, however, always maintained, and the whole is sometimes called the Dwellingplace.