I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 39-40.

    Today’s passage describes the making of the priestly garments. In describing how they made the garments according to the directions which God had given Moses earlier in this book this passage provides us with a little more detail about how those garments would have looked. I find it interesting how the subtle differences between the instructions on how it should be made and how it was made following those instructions provide additional insight into how it would have actually looked. Those differences and details suggest that this was recorded by someone who actually witnessed the events in question rather than by someone who heard informal stories about them.

    The passage tells us that on the first day of the year following the completion of constructing the pieces for the Tabernacle, Moses set it up for the first time. As I read the passage, I pictured Moses doing this all by himself while the rest of the Israelites looked on. I suspect that Moses had helpers to do this, setting up the tent of the Tabernacle would have been hard enough, but I think the gold cover for the Ark of the Covenant would have been rather heavy for one man to pick up and put in place. However, the image of him, an 80 something year old man, setting up the poles, draping the various curtains and then connecting them all by himself amuses me. I can imagine him rushing around to get it all done before the end of the day, biting his tongue to avoid cursing when the poles fell down for the third time while he as trying to get the curtains spread across them so he could make the attachments, waving off every one who offered to help because this was going to be where God was and no one else could be sanctified to touch it until it was set up. As I said, I don’t think that is how it happened, but I find the image amusing.