NOTES for Exo 39:1-43
Throughout the Book of Exodus we have repeatedly seen how the people handed their rights over to Moses: the right to speak directly with God, the right to decide what to do and how to do it, the right to take the lead. Things did not always proceed smoothly or well, and this transfer of rights was not always reasonable. But now, at the end of the book, with the Tabernacle built, we see how the people will live for many centuries. Everything was done as God told Moses, and as Moses passed it on. Against the background of the surrounding nations, Israel preserves and observes complex commandments. The sanctuary that has been built is described by strict rules from which no departure is allowed, because this is precisely what outwardly distinguishes the chosen people from their neighbors, who worship stones or crudely fashioned idols. Worship of the true God in a pagan environment requires special restrictions.