The Lord commanded Moses to set up the tabernacle and all of the furnishings on the first day of the first month. He was also commanded to anoint all of the articles used in ritual worship of the Lord with the perfume oil. They were all to be considered holy once they were anointed with the oil. Aaron and his sons were to be washed with water at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Then they were to be dressed in the priestly garments and anointed with the perfume oil. The Lord declared that this anointing qualified this family as a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations. So, as long as Israel was a nation, a Son of Aaron was to be a priest to the Lord. The articles, the priestly garments, and Aaron with his sons were not innately holy. Nor does anointing with perfume oil make something or someone holy. They are holy once anointed with the perfume oil because the Lord is King in Israel, and it was the Lord’s decree.
On the first day, of the first month, of the second year after exodus from Egypt, Moses did all of this in accordance with the word of the Lord. Thus, the Hebrew calendar marked time from the Exodus. Moses also placed the testimony into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and placed the mercy seat on top of the ark. This was not the first testimony with the commands that God spoke to the people from Mount Sinai but it is the second testimony that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. (cf. Ex.34:10-28) The first testimony was shattered by Moses at the foot of the Mountain when the people sinned against the Lord. (Ex.32:19) It should be noted that Moses had the right to set up all of these things and anoint these things with the perfume oil because the Lord commanded him. It should not matter to us whether something seems logical when the Lord has commanded it. We are to trust the Word of the Lord even if it does not seem logical to us.
After completing all that the Lord commanded Moses regarding the tabernacle, the articles, and the priests, the cloud of the Lord covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout their journeys in the wilderness, the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was seen in it by night. The sons of Israel knew that when the cloud lifted it was time to move. It should be noted that no man was king over the sons of Israel. Moses was not their king, he was a servant of the Lord. It was the Lord who was king of the sons of Israel in the wilderness.
