Hebrews 9:1-10
1 Then, truly, the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
2 For there was a tabernacle made, the first, where the candlestick, table, and the showbread were, which is called the sanctuary.
3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all,
4 Which had the golden censer, and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid all around with gold, where the golden pot that had manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant were,
5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat, of which we cannot now speak particularly.
The author of Hebrews is reminding his readers about the Tabernacle. We don't know what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. It disappeared in history.
6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Once a year the High Priest would go into the Holiest of Holies to offer sacrifice to pay the rent on the people's sins.
8 This signifies The Holy Ghost, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
We didn't understand the point of the whole thing as long as the Tabernacle stood. It was a type and shadow of things to come.
9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
No matter how many sacrifices were offered, they couldn't erase the sins.
10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
This was only intended to be a temporary object lesson.
Exodus 40
1 And the I AM spoke to Moses, saying,2 "On the first day of the first month you will set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of the Congregation.
3 And you shall put the Ark of the Testimony, and its cover, with the veil in it.
4 And you will bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set on it, and you will bring in the candlestick, and light its lamps.
5 And you will set the altar of gold for the incense before the Ark of the Testimony, and put up the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
6 And you will set the altar of the burnt offering in front of the door of the Tabernacle of the Tent of the Congregation.
7 And you will set the basin between the Tent of the Congregation and the altar, and will put water in it.
8 And you will set up the court around it, and hang up the cutain at the court gate.
9 You will take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it, and shall dedicate it, and all its dishes, and it shall be holy.
10 You will anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all its tools, and purify the altar, and it will be a most holy altar.
11 You will anoint the basin and its pedestal and purify it.
12 Bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and wash them with water.
13 Put on Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and purify him, so that he may minister to Me in the priest's office.
14 Bring his sons, and clothe them with coats,
15 And anoint them, just like you anointed their father, so that they may minister to Me in the priest's office, because their anointing will truly be an everlasting priesthood throughout their descendents."
16 And Moses did exactly what the I AM told him too.
17 They set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the first month of their second year after leaving Egypt.
18 Moses raised up the tabernacle, and fastened its bases, and set up its boards, and put in the bars, and raised up its pillars.
19 And he spread the tent over the Tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just like the I AM commanded him.
20 And he put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on top of the ark:
21 And he brought the ark into the Tabernacle, and set up the veil of the covering, and covered the Ark of the Testimony, like the I AM commanded him.
22 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil.
23 And he set the bread in order on it before the I AM, just as the I AM had commanded Moses.
24 And he put the candlestick in the Tent of the Congregation by the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.
25 And he lit the lamps before the I AM, just as the I AM commanded Moses.
26 And he put the golden (incense) altar in theTtent of the Congregation in front of the veil:
27 And he burned sweet incense on it, just as the I AM commanded him.
28 And he set up the curtain at the door of the tabernacle.
29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the Tabernacle of the Tent of the Congregation, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meat offering, just as the I AM had commanded.
30 And he set the basin between the Tent of the Congregation and the altar, and put water in it to wash with.
31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet there.
32 When they went into the Tent of the Congregation, and when they came near to the altar, they washed, just as the I AM had commanded Moses.
33 And he raised up the court around the Tabernacle and the altar, and set up the curtains of the court gate. This is how Moses finished the work.
They set everything up just as God had told them to.
The Glory of the Lord
Numbers 9:15-23
15 And on the day that the tabernacle was raised up the cloud covered the Tabernacle, namely, the Tent of the Testimony. And in the evening there was on the Tabernacle what looked like fire, until the morning.
16 So it was always; the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
17 And when the cloud lifted up from the Tabernacle the children of Israel journeyed, and where is stopped, they pitched their tents.
18 At the commandment of the I AM the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the I AM they camped, as long as the cloud stayed on the Tabernacle they rested in their tents.
19 And when the cloud stayed a long time on the Tabernacle, then the children of Israel did what the I AM wanted and didn't journey.
20 And the same when the cloud stayed just a few days on the Tabernacle. When the Lord said to stay, they stayed, when He said to move they moved.
21 And whenever the cloud stayed from evening to morning, and the cloud was taken up in the morning, they journeyed. Whether the cloud moved at day time or night time, they journeyed.
22 Or if it stayed two days, or a month, or a year, the children of Israel stayed in their tents, and didn't travel, but when it was taken up, they traveled.
23 At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. They kept the charge of the Lord, just as He gave it to Moses.
Exodus 4034 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the I AM filled the Tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into The Tent of the Congregation, because the cloud stayed on it, and the glory of the I AM filled the Tabernacle.
36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle, the children of Israel went on in all their travels,
37 But if the cloud stayed put, then they didn't travel until the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the I AM was on the Tabernacle during the day, and fire was on it at night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their travels.
For the whole 40 years they traveled, this cloud/pillar of fire guided them. If it settled on the Tabernacle, they stayed put. If it moved on, so did they. A very visible way for God to guide them.