“Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 40:16 Mean?
Moses' obedience is summarized with seven words that carry the weight of everything that preceded them: "Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he." The compliance was total: "all." The correspondence was exact: "according to." The execution was complete: "so did he." There was no gap between what God said and what Moses did. The instruction and the execution were identical.
The phrase appears as a refrain throughout Exodus 40—repeated multiple times as each component of the tabernacle is set up. Each time Moses does something, the text notes: as the LORD commanded. The repetition isn't redundant. It's a drumbeat of faithfulness: command, obedience, command, obedience. Every step verified. Every instruction followed. Every detail executed as specified.
The result of this total obedience is the cloud filling the tabernacle (verses 34-35)—God's visible glory taking up residence in the structure Moses built. The obedience produced the presence. The faithfulness in execution created the dwelling for God's glory. The "so did he" of verse 24 produced the "the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle" of verse 34. Obedience is the prerequisite for glory.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Is there a gap between what God has instructed and what you've executed? What remains undone?
- 2.If glory follows total obedience, what incomplete obedience might be preventing God's manifest presence in your life?
- 3.Moses built exactly what God designed—no improvisations. Where have you 'improved' on God's instructions rather than following them precisely?
- 4.The drumbeat of 'as the LORD commanded' produced the glory. What drumbeat of obedience is God asking from you?
Devotional
"According to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he." That's Moses' summary. Not almost all. Not most of what God said. All. Every board placed where God specified. Every curtain hung as God designed. Every furnishing positioned according to God's blueprint. The execution matched the instruction exactly.
The refrain repeats throughout the chapter—"as the LORD commanded Moses"—like a heartbeat. Each task performed, each verification noted. The drumbeat of obedience: command, execution. Command, execution. No gaps. No improvisations. No creative departures from the blueprint. What God designed, Moses built. What God said, Moses did.
The result of total obedience was total glory: "the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." The cloud and the fire descended on a structure built in complete compliance with the divine pattern. Obedience created the space that glory could fill. If Moses had deviated—if he'd improved on the design, altered the layout, substituted materials—the glory might not have come. The precision of the obedience produced the environment the glory required.
If you've been waiting for God's glory to fill your life—for His manifest presence to become real, for the cloud and fire to descend—check the obedience. The glory followed Moses' total compliance. Not partial. Not creative. Total. "According to all that the LORD commanded, so did he." The glory doesn't fill what hasn't been built according to the blueprint. Obey completely. Build exactly. And the glory comes.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Moses reared up the tabernacle,.... Not of himself, but with the help of others:
and fastened the sockets, and set…
When the tabernacle and the furniture of it were prepared, they did not put off the rearing of it till they came to…
Thus did Moses And Moses did(so), leading on to the enumeration of particulars in v.17 ff.: for the form of sentence,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture