The materials and furniture of the tabernacle had been viewed severally
and approved, and now they must be put together. 1. God here directs
Moses to set up the tabernacle and the utensils of it in their places.
Though the work of the tabernacle was finished, and every thing ready
for rearing, and the people, no doubt, were very desirous to see it up,
yet Moses will not erect it till he has express orders for doing so. It
is good to see God going before us in every step, Ps. xxxvii. 23. The
time for doing this is fixed to the first day of the first month (v.
2), which wanted but fourteen days of a year since they came out of
Egypt; and a good year's work there was done in it. Probably the work
was made ready but just at the end of the year, so that the appointing
of this day gave no delay, or next to none, to this good work. We must
not put off any necessary duty under pretence of waiting for some
remarkable day; the present season is the most convenient. But the
tabernacle happening to be set up on the first day of the first month
intimates that it is good to begin the year with some good work. Let
him that is the first have the first; and let the things of his kingdom
be first sought. In Hezekiah's time we find they began to sanctify the
temple on the first day of the first month, 2 Chron. xxix. 17. The new
moon (which by their computation was the first day of every month) was
observed by them with some solemnity; and therefore this first new moon
of the year was thus made remarkable. Note, When a new year begins, we
should think of serving God more and better than we did the year
before. Moses is particularly ordered to set up the tabernacle itself
first, in which God would dwell and would be served (v. 2), then to put
the ark in its place, and draw the veil before it (v. 3), then to fix
the table, and the candlestick, and the altar of incense, without the
veil (v. 4, 5), and to fix the hanging of the door before the door.
Then in the court he must place the altar of burnt offering, and the
laver (v. 6, 7); and, lastly, he must set up the curtains of the court,
and a hanging for a court-gate. And all this would be easily done in
one day, many hands no doubt being employed in it under the direction
of Moses. 2. He directs Moses, when he had set up the tabernacle and
all the furniture of it, to consecrate it and them, by anointing them
with the oil which was prepared for the purpose, ch. xxx. 25, &c. It
was there ordered that this should be done; here it was ordered that it
should be done now, v. 9-11. Observe, Every thing was sanctified when
it was put in its proper place, and not till then, for till then it was
not fit for the use to which it was to be sanctified. As every thing is
beautiful in its season, so is every thing in its place. 3. He directs
him to consecrate Aaron and his sons. When the goods were brought into
God's house, they were marked first, and then servants were hired to
bear the vessels of the Lord; and those must be clean who were put into
that office, v. 12-15. The law which was now ordered to be put in
execution we had before, ch. xxix. Thus in the visible church, which is
God's tabernacle among men, it is requisite that there be ministers to
keep the charge of the sanctuary, and that they receive the anointing.